Lexical Summary skólékobrótos: Eaten by worms Original Word: σκωληκόβρωτος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance eaten of worms. From skolex and a derivative of bibrosko; worm-eaten, i.e. Diseased with maggots -- eaten of worms. see GREEK skolex see GREEK bibrosko NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom skóléx and bibróskó Definition eaten by worms NASB Translation eaten by worms (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4662: σκωληκόβρωτοςσκωληκόβρωτος, σκωληκοβρωτον (σκώληξ and βιβρώσκω), eaten of worms: Acts 12:23, cf. 2 Macc. 9:9. (of a tree, Theophrastus, c. pl. 5, 9, 1.) Acts 12:23—“Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” (Berean Standard Bible) Historical Setting Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, had recently executed James and imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:1–4). Luke places Herod’s public address at Caesarea before a delegation from Tyre and Sidon (Acts 12:20–22). The crowd’s cry—“This is the voice of a god, not a man!”—echoes Roman emperor worship. Josephus (Antiquities 19.8.2) corroborates a similar scene, noting Herod’s radiant silver‐woven robe, the adulation of the crowd, and his sudden abdominal pain that ended in death five days later. Luke compresses the timeline to underscore divine intervention: angelic judgment followed by being “eaten by worms.” Imagery and Old Testament Echoes 1. Decay as divine judgment—Isaiah 14:11; 66:24; Job 19:26; 24:20. Theological Significance 1. God’s exclusive glory. Herod’s refusal to ascribe praise to God constitutes idolatry. The immediate consequence illustrates the principle articulated in Isaiah 42:8, “I will not give My glory to another.” Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Leaders are stewards, not recipients, of glory (1 Peter 5:1–4). Pastoral Homiletics Acts 12 contrasts two kinds of deliverance: Peter’s physical deliverance and the church’s deliverance from political intimidation. Herod’s fate becomes a sermon illustration of Psalm 2:10–12—“Be wise, O kings… kiss the Son.” It furnishes both a warning against self-exaltation and an encouragement that persecutions cannot thwart God’s mission. Patristic and Extrabiblical Witness • Josephus confirms the sudden intestinal affliction, enhancing apologetic confidence in Luke’s historiography. Doctrinal Summary Strong’s Greek 4662 appears once, yet its solitary use powerfully affirms: 1. The immediacy and certainty of divine justice. Key Cross-References for Further Study Isaiah 42:8; Daniel 4:30–37; Jonah 4:7; Mark 9:48; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5–6. |
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