Acts 14:12

Mace New Testament

Barnabas, they stiled Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
They reckoned Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and Paul was Hermes since he's the one who did most of the talking.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Bible in Basic English
And they gave the name of Jupiter to Barnabas, and to Paul that of Mercury, because he was the chief talker.

Darby Translation
And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury, because he took the lead in speaking.

New King James Version
And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Christian Standard Bible®
And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker.

World English Bible
They called Barnabas "Jupiter," and Paul "Mercury," because he was the chief speaker.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

Weymouth's New Testament
They called Barnabas `Zeus,' and Paul, as being the principal speaker, `Hermes.'

King James Version (1611)
And they called Barnabas Iupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because hee was the chiefe speaker.

Literal Translation
And they called Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the leader in speaking.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they called Barnabas Iupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he was the preacher.

Amplified Bible
They began calling Barnabas, Zeus [chief of the Greek gods], and Paul, Hermes [messenger of the Greek gods], since he took the lead in speaking.

American Standard Version
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

Revised Standard Version
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, because he was the chief speaker, they called Hermes.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they called Barnabas Iupiter and Paul Mercurius because he was the preacher.

Update Bible Version
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

Young's Literal Translation
they were calling also Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the leader in speaking.

New Century Version
Then the people began to call Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the main speaker.

New English Translation
They began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Berean Standard Bible
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Contemporary English Version
The people then gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and they gave Paul the name Hermes, because he did the talking.

Complete Jewish Bible
They began calling Bar-Nabba "Zeus" and Sha'ul "Hermes," since he did most of the talking;

English Standard Version
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they called Barnabas, Iupiter: and Paul, Mercurius, because hee was the chiefe speaker.

George Lamsa Translation
So they called Bar''na-bas, the chief of the gods; and Paul, they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Hebrew Names Version
They called Bar-Nabba "Jupiter," and Sha'ul "Mercury," because he was the chief speaker.

International Standard Version
They began to call Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the main speaker.

Etheridge Translation
And they named Bar Naba, lord of the gods ; [fn] and Paulos, Hermis, because he was foremost in discourse.

Murdock Translation
And they named Barnabas the Lord of the Gods; and Paul Hermes, because he commenced the speaking.

New Living Translation
They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.

New Life Bible
They said that Barnabas was Jupiter. Paul was called Mercury because he spoke more than Barnabas.

English Revised Version
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

New Revised Standard
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they went on to call Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercury, seeing that, he, was the leader of discourse.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(14-11) And they called Barnabas, Jupiter: but Paul, Mercury: because he was chief speaker.

King James Version
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

Lexham English Bible
And they began calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the principal speaker.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they called Barnabas Iupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he was the chiefe speaker.

Easy-to-Read Version
The people began to call Barnabas "Zeus," and they called Paul "Hermes," because he was the main speaker.

New American Standard Bible
And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.

Good News Translation
They gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and Paul the name Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei clepiden Barnabas Jubiter, and Poul Mercurie, for he was ledere of the word.

Contextual Overview

⁸ Now at Lystra there was a man, who could not stand upon his feet, he was born a cripple, and had never walked about. ⁹ one day he heard Paul preach, who fixing his eyes upon him, and perceiving that he expected to be cured, ¹⁰ he said to him aloud, rise and stand right upon your feet: upon which he leap'd up and walk'd. ¹¹ When the people saw what Paul had done, they cry'd out in the Lycaonian tongue, the Gods have assum'd a human form, and are descended among us. ¹² Barnabas, they stiled Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ even the priest of Jupiter, whose statue was at the city-gates, brought oxen and garlands there, and together with the people, would have offer'd sacrifice to the apostles. ¹⁴ but Paul and Barnabas being appriz'd of it, tore their clothes, and throwing themselves among the crowd, ¹⁵ cry'd out, "sirs, what are you going to do? we are but men as well as you, and we exhort you to renounce these vanities, and turn to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth and the sea, and all that they contain: ¹⁶ who in past ages has let all Nations proceed in their own ways. ¹⁷ nevertheless he sufficiently display'd himself by his beneficence to mankind, in giving us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, replenishing our hearts with food and gladness."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Jupiter: Acts 19:35

Reciprocal: Acts 2:7 - amazed 1 Corinthians 9:6 - Barnabas Galatians 2:1 - Barnabas Galatians 4:8 - ye did

Cross-References

Revelation 3:19
as many as I love, I rebuke and chastise: be warm therefore with zeal, and repent.

Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye may not be partakers of her sins, nor share in her plagues:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they called Barnabas Jupiter,.... The supreme God; it may be because that Barnabas was the oldest man, of the tallest stature, and largest bulk, and made the best figure; whereas Paul was younger, of a low stature, and mean appearance:

and Paul Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker; Mercury was the god of eloquence, and the messenger of the gods, and the interpreter of their will r; Paul being chiefly concerned in preaching and speaking to the people, they called him by the name of this God: the Jews had a doctor in their schools, whom they called

דאש המדברים, "the chief of the speakers" s.

r Vid Macrob. Saturnal. l. 1. c. 17, 19. s Juchasin, fol. 45. 2. & 46. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter - Jupiter was the most powerful of all the gods of the ancients. He was represented as the son of Saturn and Ops, and was educated in a cave on Mount Ida, in the island of Crete. The worship of Jupiter was almost universal. He was the Aremon of Africa, the Belus of Babylon, the Osiris of Egypt. His common appellation was, The Father of gods and men. He was usually represented as sitting upon a golden or an ivory throne, holding in one hand a thunderbolt, and in the other a scepter of cypress. His power was supposed to extend over other gods; and everything was subservient to his will except the Fates. There is the most abundant proof that he was worshipped in the region of Lycaonia and throughout Asia Minor. There was, besides, a fable among the inhabitants of Lycaonia that Jupiter and Mercury had once visited that place, and had been received by Philemon. The whole fable is related by Ovid, “Metam.,” 8, 611, etc.

And Paul, Mercurius - Mercury, called by the Greeks Hermes, was a celebrated god of antiquity. No less than five of this name are mentioned by Cicero. The most celebrated was the son of Jupiter and Maia. He was the messenger of the gods, and of Jupiter in particular; he was the patron of travelers and shepherds; he conducted the souls of the dead into the infernal regions; he presided over orators, and declaimers, and merchants; and he was also the god of thieves, pickpockets, and all dishonest persons. He was regarded as the god of eloquence; and as light, rapid, and quick in his movements. The conjecture of Chrysostom is, that Barnabas was a large, athletic man, and was hence taken for Jupiter; and that Paul was small in his person, and was hence supposed to be Mercury.

Because he was the chief speaker - The office of Mercury was to deliver the messages of the gods; and as Paul only had been discoursing, he was supposed to be Mercury.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 14:12. They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius — The heathens supposed that Jupiter and Mercury were the gods who most frequently assumed the human form; and Jupiter was accustomed to take Mercury with him on such expeditions. Jupiter was the supreme god of the heathens; and Mercury was by them considered the god of eloquence. And the ancient fable, from which I have quoted so largely above, represents Jupiter and Mercury coming to this very region, where they were entertained by Lycaon, from whom the Lycaonians derived their name. See the whole fable in the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses.

As the ancients usually represented Jupiter as rather an aged man, large, noble, and majestic; and Mercury young, light, and active, the conjecture of Chrysostom is very probable, that Barnabas was a large, noble, well-made man, and probably in years; and St. Paul, young, active, and eloquent; on which account, they termed the former Jupiter, and the latter Mercury. That Mercury was eloquent and powerful in his words is allowed by the heathens; and the very epithet that is applied here to Paul, ην ὁ ἡγουμενος του λογου, he was the chief or leader of the discourse, was applied to Mercury. So Jamblichus de Myster. Init. Θεος ὁ των λογων ἡγεμων ὁ Ἑρμης. And Macrobius, Sat. i. 8: Scimus Mercurium vocis et sermonis potentem. We know that Mercury is powerful both in his voice and eloquence. With the Lycaonians, the actions of these apostles proved them to be gods; and the different parts they took appeared to them to fix their character, so that one was judged to be Jupiter, and the other Mercury.