Topical Lexicon
Textual OccurrenceActs 12:23—“Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” (Berean Standard Bible)
Historical Setting
Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, had recently executed James and imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:1–4). Luke places Herod’s public address at Caesarea before a delegation from Tyre and Sidon (Acts 12:20–22). The crowd’s cry—“This is the voice of a god, not a man!”—echoes Roman emperor worship. Josephus (Antiquities 19.8.2) corroborates a similar scene, noting Herod’s radiant silver‐woven robe, the adulation of the crowd, and his sudden abdominal pain that ended in death five days later. Luke compresses the timeline to underscore divine intervention: angelic judgment followed by being “eaten by worms.”
Imagery and Old Testament Echoes
1. Decay as divine judgment—Isaiah 14:11; 66:24;Job 19:26; 24:20.
2. Pride humbled—Proverbs 16:18;Daniel 4:30–37 (Nebuchadnezzar’s abasement).
3. Worms symbolizing shame and utter ruin—Micah 7:17;Jonah 4:7.
Theological Significance
1. God’s exclusive glory. Herod’s refusal to ascribe praise to God constitutes idolatry. The immediate consequence illustrates the principle articulated inIsaiah 42:8, “I will not give My glory to another.”
2. Sovereignty over earthly rulers. The narrative forms a dramatic contrast: Peter is rescued from prison by an angel (Acts 12:7), whereas Herod is struck by an angel (Acts 12:23). God overturns human power to advance the gospel (Acts 12:24).
3. Eschatological preview. The irreversible corruption of Herod’s body foreshadows ultimate judgment where “their worm never dies” (Mark 9:48, citingIsaiah 66:24).
Ministry and Discipleship Applications
• Leaders are stewards, not recipients, of glory (1 Peter 5:1–4).
• Pride invites opposition from God, whereas humility invites grace (James 4:6).
• External success apart from reverence for God is fleeting; only what glorifies Christ endures (1 Corinthians 3:13–15).
Pastoral Homiletics
Acts 12 contrasts two kinds of deliverance: Peter’s physical deliverance and the church’s deliverance from political intimidation. Herod’s fate becomes a sermon illustration ofPsalm 2:10–12—“Be wise, O kings… kiss the Son.” It furnishes both a warning against self-exaltation and an encouragement that persecutions cannot thwart God’s mission.
Patristic and Extrabiblical Witness
• Josephus confirms the sudden intestinal affliction, enhancing apologetic confidence in Luke’s historiography.
• Early Christian writers (e.g., Chrysostom, Homily 26 on Acts) cite Herod’s demise as evidence of divine retribution against persecutors of the church.
Doctrinal Summary
Strong’s Greek 4662 appears once, yet its solitary use powerfully affirms:
1. The immediacy and certainty of divine justice.
2. The inviolable right of God to receive glory.
3. The triumph of the gospel, for “the word of God continued to spread and multiply” (Acts 12:24), even when earthly rulers fall.
Key Cross-References for Further Study
Isaiah 42:8;Daniel 4:30–37;Jonah 4:7;Mark 9:48;James 4:6;1 Peter 5:5–6.
Forms and Transliterations
σκωληκοβρωτος σκωληκόβρωτος skolekobrotos skolekóbrotos skōlēkobrōtos skōlēkóbrōtosLinks
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