Acts 19:28
What does Acts 19:28 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 19:28 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 19:28 means
Hearing Demetrius’s speech, they are filled with wrath and cry out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” Emotion overtakes reason. The chant is a defensive affirmation of identity and economy wrapped in religion. No argument is offered against the gospel; instead, volume and repetition try to drown it out. The scene shows how crowds can be manipulated when profit and pride are threatened. The cry elevates Diana’s greatness precisely because her standing feels imperiled. In contrast to the quiet, prevailing word of the Lord earlier, we now see noisy resistance that relies on mass fervor rather than truth.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And hearing this, they were very angry, crying out and saying, Great is Diana of Ephesus.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, `Great <FI>is<Fi> the Artemis of the Ephesians!'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Having heard these things, they were full of anger and cried out, saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And having heard [this], and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great [is] Artemis of the Ephesians.
Context
This outburst follows Demetrius’s linking of economic loss with the temple’s threatened magnificence. The chant becomes the rallying cry of the mob. The next verse shows the contagion of confusion spreading through the city as they rush into the theater and seize Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus. The narrative intensifies as public order breaks down and personal safety comes under threat.
v.27and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
v.28This passage
v.29And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 16:19
But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers,
- Psalms 2:2
The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,
- Revelation 17:13
These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast.
- Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
- Acts 21:28
crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place.
- Acts 19:34
But when they perceived 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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