Acts 19:35 Meaning and Explanation
“And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The town clerk finally quiets the crowd, appealing to what everyone knows: Ephesus is guardian of the great goddess Diana and of her image, said to have fallen from the sky.
What Does Acts 19:35 Mean?
At last a voice of authority gains a hearing. The townclerk, the city's chief administrative officer and its liaison with Rome, calms the people with flattery and fact: all the world knows Ephesus as keeper of Diana's temple and of the image that fell, as the saying went, from Jupiter, from the very sky.
His speech is civic prudence, not faith; he soothes the crowd by restating the very claims the gospel had been quietly unsettling for two years. Yet his cool reasoning will shelter the believers, and the providence of God is not too proud to use a magistrate's caution to protect His church (Acts 18:14-16).
Acts 19:35 in the Original Language
neokoros (νεωκόρος), 'worshipper' -- literally a temple keeper; a civic title Ephesus proudly claimed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 19:35
What does Acts 19:35 mean?
The town clerk finally quiets the crowd, appealing to what everyone knows: Ephesus is guardian of the great goddess Diana and of her image, said to have fallen from the sky.