Acts 14:5

But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Luke narrates the moment in Iconium when Gentiles and Jews, joined by their local officials, launch a coordinated assault against the apostles immediately after the city divided over their message.

The words — The Greek ὁρμή (hormē) literally denotes a sudden rush or impulse, capturing the unified, violent movement of the hostile crowd toward the missionaries.

The thread — This coordinated hostility mirrors the nations raging in Acts 4:25, resurfaces when Jews from Antioch and Iconium stone Paul in Acts 14:19, and is later itemized by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:11 as part of his documented persecutions.

Why it lands — The passage establishes that effective proclamation triggers organized opposition, requiring immediate strategic withdrawal rather than defensive confrontation.

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

ὡςhōsWhen δὲdethen ἐγένετοegenetothere was ὁρμὴhormēa rush τῶνtōnof the ἐθνῶνethnōnGentiles τεteboth καὶkaiand ἸουδαίωνIoudaiōnJews σὺνsunwith τοῖςtoisthe ἄρχουσινarchousinrulers αὐτῶνautōnof them ὑβρίσαιhubrisaito mistreat καὶkaiand λιθοβολῆσαιlithobolēsaito stone αὐτούς,autousthem,

King James Version

And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

Cross-references

Acts 14:19 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.
2 Timothy 3:11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
Acts 4:25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Acts 17:5 The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.
Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Psalms 83:5 For with one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You—
Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.