Acts 14:13The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.
The setting
Lystra, Turkey, ~49 AD. The priest of Jupiter's temple, located at the city entrance, brings sacrificial bulls and flower wreaths to offer to Paul and Barnabas as gods.
The emotion here: documenting escalating crisis with concern
The original word
taurous (ταύρους) — bulls, expensive sacrificial animals showing the seriousness of their intended worship
Why it matters
Roman temples were often built at city gates, making them the first thing travelers saw when entering
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 14:13
The priest brought the sacrifice TO THE GATES where Paul and Barnabas were, not to the temple - treating them as gods present in human form
Common misconceptionPeople think this was just emotional excitement, but bringing bulls and wreaths shows this was formal, expensive religious ceremony - they were dead serious about worshipping Paul and Barnabas.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 14:13
Bible Genome reading
Acts 14:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 14:13 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include pagan worship, sacrifice preparation. Notable phrases: priest of Jupiter; brought oxen and garlands; made a sacrifice.
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 14:13 mean to you, today?
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