Acts 19:34

Acts 19:34 Meaning and Explanation

But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

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Recognizing Alexander as a Jew, the crowd drowns him out, chanting "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" for about two hours.

What Does Acts 19:34 Mean?

One look settles it: Alexander is a Jew, no worshipper of images, and the crowd refuses him a single sentence. The chant returns and rolls on for about two hours, a wall of sound against any possibility of reason.

Two hours of shouting cannot make a goddess great, but it can keep a conscience from hearing. Idolatry defends itself with noise; the living God, who needs no defense, can speak in a still small voice (1 Kgs 19:12). Beware of any conviction that survives only at full volume, and of joining any chorus whose purpose is to drown out thought.

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What does Acts 19:34 mean?

Recognizing Alexander as a Jew, the crowd drowns him out, chanting "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" for about two hours.

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