Bible Strands
Acts 14:11
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!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Lycaonian crowds speak to one another immediately after Paul heals a lame man. They react to the miracle by shouting in their native tongue.
The words — ἰδόντες (idontes) means "having seen," and ἐποίησεν (epoiēsen) means "did." These terms anchor the crowd’s reaction directly to the specific miracle Paul performed.
The thread — Similar reactions to perceived divine power appear when islanders expect Paul to swell up or drop dead (Acts 28:6). The same pattern surfaces when crowds identify miraculous figures as divine power (Acts 8:10) or declare a ruler’s voice godlike (Acts 12:22).
Why it lands — The text records a direct human misinterpretation of a divine act, noting the crowd’s claim before contrasting it with the apostles’ correction. Readers must observe how ancient polytheism instantly categorizes miracles as divine visitation rather than pointing to the true God.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
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.
Cross-references
- Acts 28:6 The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
- Acts 8:10 and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
- Acts 12:22 And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”