Acts 14:11
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.
Original Language Analysis
οἵ
G3588
οἵ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὄχλοι
when the people
G3793
ὄχλοι
when the people
Strong's:
G3793
Word #:
3 of 21
a throng (as borne along); by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot
ἰδόντες
saw
G1492
ἰδόντες
saw
Strong's:
G1492
Word #:
4 of 21
used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent g3700 and g3708; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by impl
ὃ
what
G3739
ὃ
what
Strong's:
G3739
Word #:
5 of 21
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
ἐποίησεν
had done
G4160
ἐποίησεν
had done
Strong's:
G4160
Word #:
6 of 21
to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)
ὃ
G3588
ὃ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Παῦλος
Paul
G3972
Παῦλος
Paul
Strong's:
G3972
Word #:
8 of 21
(little; but remotely from a derivative of g3973, meaning the same); paulus, the name of a roman and of an apostle
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
10 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
φωνὴν
voices
G5456
φωνὴν
voices
Strong's:
G5456
Word #:
11 of 21
a tone (articulate, bestial or artificial); by implication, an address (for any purpose), saying or language
αὐτῶν
G846
αὐτῶν
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
12 of 21
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
Λυκαονιστὶ
in the speech of Lycaonia
G3072
Λυκαονιστὶ
in the speech of Lycaonia
Strong's:
G3072
Word #:
13 of 21
lycaonistically, i.e., in the language of the lycaonians
λέγοντες
saying
G3004
λέγοντες
saying
Strong's:
G3004
Word #:
14 of 21
properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an
Οἱ
G3588
Οἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
15 of 21
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
θεοὶ
The gods
G2316
θεοὶ
The gods
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
16 of 21
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
ὁμοιωθέντες
in the likeness
G3666
ὁμοιωθέντες
in the likeness
Strong's:
G3666
Word #:
17 of 21
to assimilate, i.e., compare; passively, to become similar
Cross References
Acts 8:10To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.Acts 28:6Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.Acts 12:22And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
Historical Context
Ovid's Metamorphoses (written decades before) recounts the Zeus/Hermes legend about this very region. The Lycaonians' cultural memory of divine visitation made them eager not to repeat their ancestors' mistake. The language barrier initially prevented Paul and Barnabas from understanding the crisis developing.
Questions for Reflection
- How does cultural background shape how people interpret God's works today?
- What safeguards prevent the church from turning ministers into objects of worship?
Analysis & Commentary
The crowd's response—The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men—reveals pagan mythology's grip on Lycaonian thinking. Speaking in the speech of Lycaonia (Λυκαονιστὶ) meant Paul and Barnabas initially didn't understand the danger, creating dramatic irony. Local legend held that Zeus and Hermes had visited this region disguised as men, refused hospitality, and destroyed the inhabitants—only Baucis and Philemon survived by welcoming them.
The Greek homoiōthentes (made like) shows they believed deity temporarily assumed human form, not incarnation. This polytheistic interpretation completely missed the miracle's true significance: the God of Israel healing through His messengers.