Acts 14:11

Christian Standard Bible ®

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

Parallel Translations

King James Version (1611)
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lift vp their voyces, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come downe to vs in the likenesse of men.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

New American Standard Bible
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

New Century Version
When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like humans and have come down to us!"

Amplified Bible
And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done, raised their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us."

Legacy Standard Bible
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us."

Berean Standard Bible
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!"

Contemporary English Version
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they yelled out in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have turned into humans and have come down to us!"

Complete Jewish Bible
When the crowds saw what Sha'ul had done, they began to shout in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the form of men!"

Darby Translation
But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us.

Easy-to-Read Version
When the people saw what Paul did, they shouted in their own Lycaonian language. They said, "The gods have come down to us in the form of humans!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then when the people sawe what Paul had done, they lift vp their voyces, saying in ye speach of Lycaonia, Gods are come downe to vs in the likenesse of men.

George Lamsa Translation
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted their voices and said in the language of the country, The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.

Good News Translation
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they started shouting in their own Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

Lexham English Bible
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

Literal Translation
And seeing what Paul did, the crowd lifted up their voice in Lycaonian, saying, The gods have come down to us, becoming like men.

American Standard Version
And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

Bible in Basic English
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they said in a loud voice, in the language of Lycaonia, The gods have come down to us in the form of men.

Hebrew Names Version
When the multitude saw what Sha'ul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

International Standard Version
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"Acts 8:10; 28:6;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And leaping, he stood and walked. And the assembly of the people, when they saw what Paulos had done, lifted up their voice in the language of the country, and said, Gods in the likeness of men have come down unto us.

Murdock Translation
And the assembly of people, when they saw what Paul had done, raised their voice, and said, in the language of the country: The gods have assumed the likeness of men, and have come down to us.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lyft vp their voyces, saying in the speache of Lycaonia: Gods are come downe to vs in the lykenesse of men.

English Revised Version
And when the multitudes saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

World English Bible
When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he leaped and walked. But the multitude, seeing what Paul had done, lifted up their voice, saying, in the Lycaonian language, The gods are come down to us, in the likeness of men.

Weymouth's New Testament
So he sprang up and began to walk about. Then the crowds, seeing what Paul had done, rent the air with their shouts in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods have assumed human form and have come down to us."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the puple, whanne thei hadde seyn that that Poul dide, reriden her vois in Licaon tunge, and seiden, Goddis maad lijk to men ben comun doun to vs.

Update Bible Version
And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.

New English Translation
So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"

New King James Version
Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

New Living Translation
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, "These men are gods in human form!"

New Life Bible
The people saw what Paul did. They called with loud voices in the language of the people of Lycaonia, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us."

New Revised Standard
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the multitudes, seeing what Paul had done, lifted up their voice, in the speech of Lycaonia - The gods, made like unto men, have come down unto us!

Douay-Rheims Bible
(14-10) And when the multitudes had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian tongue, saying: The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

Revised Standard Version
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycao'nian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And when the people sawe what Paul had done they lifte vp their voyces sayinge in the speache of Lycaonia: Goddes are come doune to vs in the lyknes of men.

Young's Literal Translation
and the multitudes having seen what Paul did, did lift up their voice, in the speech of Lycaonia, saying, `The gods, having become like men, did come down unto us;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan the people sawe what Paul had done, they lifte vp their voyce, and sayde in ye speache of Lycaonia: The goddes are become like vnto men, and are come downe vnto vs.

Mace New Testament (1729)
When the people saw what Paul had done, they cry'd out in the Lycaonian tongue, the Gods have assum'd a human form, and are descended among us.

THE MESSAGE
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they went wild, calling out in their Lyconian dialect, "The gods have come down! These men are gods!" They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes" (since Paul did most of the speaking). The priest of the local Zeus shrine got up a parade—bulls and banners and people lined right up to the gates, ready for the ritual of sacrifice.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Now, this sure started a ruckus. The people there were amazed and started shouting, "These are gods in the form of cowboys!"

Contextual Overview

⁸In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. ⁹He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around. ¹¹When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ¹²Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice. ¹⁴The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵“People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. ¹⁶In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way, ¹⁷although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The gods: Acts 8:10, Acts 12:22, Acts 28:6

Reciprocal: Daniel 5:11 - light Mark 7:37 - were John 19:8 - heard Acts 2:7 - amazed Acts 3:9 - General Acts 3:12 - or Acts 10:25 - and fell Acts 14:6 - Lycaonia 2 Corinthians 4:5 - we 2 Corinthians 6:8 - honour Revelation 19:10 - I fell

Cross-References

Genesis 12:5
He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Genesis 14:16
He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

Genesis 14:21
Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”

Deuteronomy 28:31
Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away from you and not returned to you. Your flock will be given to your enemies, and no one will help you.

Deuteronomy 28:35
The Lord will afflict you with painful and incurable boils on your knees and thighs—from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.

Deuteronomy 28:51
They will eat the offspring of your livestock and your land’s produce until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, fresh oil, young of your herds, or newborn of your flocks until they cause you to perish.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the people saw what Paul had done,.... In curing the lame man in so marvellous a manner, and concluding it to be a divine work, and what a mere creature could never perform:

they lift up their voices; not in indignation and wrath, but as persons astonished:

saying in the speech of Lycaonia; by which it should seem that Lystra was a city of Lycaonia, since the Lycaonian language was spoken in it; the Arabic version reads, "in their own tongue"; and the Syriac version, "in the dialect of the country"; very likely a dialect of the Greek tongue;

the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men; they had a notion of deity, though a very wrong one; they thought there were more gods than one, and they imagined heaven to be the habitation of the gods; and that they sometimes descended on earth in human shape, as they supposed they now did.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They lifted up their voices - They spoke with astonishment, such as might be expected when it was supposed that the gods had come down.

In the speech of Lycaonia - What this language was has much perplexed commentators. It was probably a mixture of the Greek and Syriac. In that region generally the Greek was usually spoken with more or less purity; and from the fact that it was not far from the regions of Syria, it is probable that the Greek language was corrupted with this foreign admixture.

The gods ... - All the region was idolatrous. The gods which were worshipped there were those which were worshipped throughout Greece.

Are come down - The miracle which Paul had performed led them to suppose this. It was evidently beyond human ability, and they had no other way of accounting for it than by supposing that their gods had personally appeared.

In the likeness of men - Many of their gods were heroes, whom they worshipped after they were dead. It was a common belief among them that the gods appeared to people in human form. The poems of Homer, of Virgil, etc., are filled with accounts of such appearances, and the only way in which they supposed the gods to take knowledge of human affairs, and to help people, was by their personally appearing in this form. See Homer’s Odyssey, xvii. 485; Catullus, 64, 384; Ovid’s Metamorph., i. 212 (Kuinoel). Thus, Homer says:

“For in similitude of strangers oft.

The gods, who can with ease all shapes assume,

Repair to populous cities, where they mark.

Th’ outrageous and the righteous deeds of men.”

Cowper.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 14:11. Saying, in the speech of Lycaonia — What this language was has puzzled the learned not a little. Calmet thinks it was a corrupt Greek dialect; as Greek was the general language of Asia Minor. Mr. Paul Ernest Jablonski, who has written a dissertation expressly on the subject, thinks it was the same language with that of the Cappadocians, which was mingled with Syriac. That it was no dialect of the Greek must be evident from the circumstance of its being here distinguished from it. We have sufficient proofs from ancient authors that most of these provinces used different languages; and it is correctly remarked, by Dr. Lightfoot, that the Carians, who dwelt much nearer Greece than the Lycaonians, are called by Homer, βαρβαροφωνοι, people of a barbarous or strange language; and Pausanias also called them Barbari. That the language of Pisidia was distinct from the Greek we have already seen, Clarke's note on "Acts 13:15". We have no light to determine this point; and every search after the language of Lycaonia must be, at this distance of time, fruitless.

The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. — From this, and from all heathen antiquity, it is evident:

1. That the heathen did not consider the Divine nature, how low soever they rated it, to be like the human nature.

2. That they imagined that these celestial beings often assumed human forms to visit men, in order to punish the evil and reward the good. The Metamorphoses of Ovid are full of such visitations; and so are Homer, Virgil, and other poets. The angels visiting Abraham, Jacob, Lot, c., might have been the foundation on which most of these heathen fictions were built.

The following passage in HOMER will cast some light upon the point:-

Και τε Θεοι, ξεινοισιν εοικοτες αλλοδαποισι,

Παντοιοι τελεθοντες, επιστρωφωσι ποληας,

Ανθρωπων ὑβριν τε και ευνομιην εφορωντες.

Hom. Odyss. xvii. ver. 485.

For in similitude of strangers oft,

The gods, who can with ease all shapes assume,

Repair to populous cities, where they mark

The outrageous and the righteous deeds of men.

COWPER.

OVID had a similar notion, where he represents Jupiter coming down to visit the earth, which seems to be copied from Genesis, Genesis 18:20-21: And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me: and if not, I will know.

Contigerat nostras infamia temporis aures:

Quam cupiens falsam, summo delabor Olympo.

Et deus humana lustro sub imagine terras.

Longa mora est, quantum noxae sit ubique repertum,

Enamerare: minor fuit ipsa infamia vero.

Metam. lib. i. ver. 211.

The clamours of this vile, degenerate age,

The cries of orphans, and the oppressor's rage,

Had reached the stars: "I will descend," said I,

In hope to prove this loud complaint a lie.

Disguised in human shape, I travelled round

The world, and more than what I heard, I found.

DRYDEN.

It was a settled belief among the Egyptians, that their gods, sometimes in the likeness of men, and sometimes in that of animals which they held sacred, descended to the earth, and travelled through different provinces, to punish, reward, and protect. The Hindoo Avatars, or incarnations of their gods, prove how generally this opinion had prevailed. Their Poorana are full of accounts of the descent of Brahma, Vishnoo, Shiva, Naradu, and other gods, in human shape. We need not wonder to find it in Lycaonia.