ACT 14:8-20

The Visit to Lystra and Derbe

8In Lystra there was sitting a man utterly without strength in his feet — lame from birth, who had never walked. [14:9] This man was listening to Paul speaking. Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, [14:10] said in a loud voice: "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped up and began walking. [14:11] When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods have taken on human likeness and have come down to us!" [14:12] They began calling Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the one who took the lead in speaking. [14:13] The priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice together with the crowds. [14:14] But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out [14:15] and saying: "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are human beings with the same nature as you, proclaiming good news to you — that you should turn from these empty and futile things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. [14:16] In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. [14:17] And yet he did not leave himself without witness, doing good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." [14:18] Even saying these things, they barely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. [14:19] But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. [14:20] But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. And on the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

In the world it was spoken into

In Lystra, a Roman colony in Lycaonia, the healing of a man crippled from birth would have been understood through the lens of Greco-Roman religious and cultural expectations. The Lycaonians, steeped in polytheistic traditions, interpreted miraculous acts as divine interventions, often associating them with the appearance of gods in human form. Their immediate identification of Paul and Barnabas as Hermes and Zeus reflects this worldview. Hermes, the messenger god, was often depicted as the spokesman for Zeus, the chief deity, which aligns with Paul’s role as the primary speaker. The crowd’s reaction underscores the honor-shame dynamics of the time, where such divine manifestations demanded public acknowledgment and ritual response. Paul’s subsequent rebuke of their worship as (empty, futile) challenges the validity of their pagan practices, asserting the supremacy of the living God. This confrontation highlights the tension between the Christian proclamation of one true God and the deeply ingrained polytheistic assumptions of the Lycaonian populace.

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How other translations render this

ACT 14:8

KJV: And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:
BSB: In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
Koinōnos: In Lystra there was sitting a man utterly without strength in his feet — lame from birth, who had never walked.

ACT 14:9

KJV: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
BSB: This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
Koinōnos: This man was listening to Paul speaking. Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

ACT 14:10

KJV: Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
BSB: In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.
Koinōnos: said in a loud voice: "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped up and began walking.

ACT 14:11

KJV: And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
BSB: When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have come down to us in human form!”
Koinōnos: When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods have taken on human likeness and have come down to us!

ACT 14:12

KJV: And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
BSB: Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
Koinōnos: They began calling Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the one who took the lead in speaking.

ACT 14:13

KJV: Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
BSB: The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.
Koinōnos: The priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice together with the crowds.

ACT 14:14

KJV: Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
BSB: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
Koinōnos: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

ACT 14:15

KJV: And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
BSB: “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
Koinōnos: and saying: "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are human beings with the same nature as you, proclaiming good news to you — that you should turn from these empty and futile things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

ACT 14:16

KJV: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
BSB: In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
Koinōnos: In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

ACT 14:17

KJV: Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
BSB: Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
Koinōnos: And yet he did not leave himself without witness, doing good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.

ACT 14:18

KJV: And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
BSB: Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
Koinōnos: Even saying these things, they barely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

ACT 14:19

KJV: And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
BSB: Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.
Koinōnos: But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

ACT 14:20

KJV: Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
BSB: But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. And the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Koinōnos: But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. And on the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

ACT 14:8

crippled:The word translated 'crippled' here describes someone who is utterly without strength or power, emphasizing a complete inability to perform an action, rather than just a physical impairment.

ACT 14:11

gods:The term used here for 'gods' carries the sense of being made like or compared to something, suggesting that the people perceived the apostles as having taken on the form or characteristics of deities.

ACT 14:12

the:The word translated 'the' in this context is part of a phrase that implies leadership or guidance, suggesting that Barnabas was seen as the one leading or governing the pair.

ACT 14:15

vanities:The word translated 'vanities' refers to things that are empty, idle, or futile, often implying a lack of purpose or substance, rather than merely something conceited or self-important.