Acts 14:11When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"
The setting
Lystra, Turkey, ~49 AD. A crowd of Lycaonians witnesses Paul healing a lame man and erupts in their local dialect, thinking the gods have appeared as humans.
The emotion here: ecstatic but culturally confused
The original word
theoi (θεοὶ) — gods, plural, reflecting their polytheistic worldview
Why it matters
Lycaonians spoke their own language, not Greek, which is why Paul and Barnabas didn't immediately understand the crowd's reaction
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 14:11
Paul and Barnabas had no idea what was happening because the crowd was shouting in Lycaonian, not Greek
Common misconceptionPeople think Paul immediately understood he was being worshipped, but the language barrier meant he was initially clueless about what the crowd was saying.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 14:11
Bible Genome reading
Acts 14:11 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 14:11 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to crowd. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is celebratory. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mistaken identity, divine attribution. Notable phrases: gods have come down; in the likeness of men.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Acts 14:11 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "worship"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.