Acts 19:35When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, "You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
The setting
Ephesus, Turkey ~55 AD. The massive theater (25,000 seats) erupts as a government official steps forward to calm an angry mob defending the goddess Artemis...
The emotion here: professionally concerned but diplomatically firm
The original word
neōkoros (νεωκόρος) — temple-keeper, literally 'temple-sweeper,' a title of civic pride
Why it matters
Ephesus officially held the title 'neokoros' three times, making it the most prestigious temple city in Asia
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 19:35
This clerk risked his own position by defending Paul - Roman law punished officials who couldn't control riots
Common misconceptionPeople think this clerk was defending Christianity, but he was actually defending pagan religion while protecting Roman order - showing God uses unlikely allies.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 19:35
Bible Genome reading
Acts 19:35 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 19:35 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to town_clerk. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include civic authority, crowd control. Notable phrases: town clerk quieted; what man doesn't know.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Acts 19:35 mean to you, today?
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