What Does Acts 12:20 Mean in the King James?
And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek words for Herod’s anger and the cities’ “one accord” share the language of heat and passion: one turns toward conflict, the other toward peace.
THE MEANING
The scene holds anger and the pursuit of peace together: Tyre and Sidon unite to ask for peace while Herod is angry with them. Their country receives nourishment from the king’s country, so material dependence shapes their shared approach. A trusted intermediary gives them access, while the imbalance of power remains visible.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Peace does not always mean hostility has vanished; here, it is sought while anger remains and livelihoods depend on the other side.
THE ROOT
θυμομαχῶν
thumomachōn
GROWS FROM
θυμός (thymos) + μάχομαι (machomai)
To contend in heated anger; to be angry with.
The verb translated “highly displeased” is θυμομαχέω (thumomacheō), to contend in anger. “With one accord” is ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothymadon), literally carrying the sense of one shared passion; it contains the same θυμός (thymos, heat or passion). English separates Herod’s anger from the cities’ united impulse, while the Greek links them through the language of heat, and the cities direct their shared impulse toward peace because their livelihood depends on the king’s country.
ALSO GROWS
thymos: Heat, anger, or passion.
θυμός
This is the shared element in both Herod’s angry contention and the cities’ united impulse.
homothymadon: With one passion; with one accord.
ὁμοθυμαδόν
It uses the same θυμός (thymos, heat or passion) element, showing how a shared impulse gathers the cities into a common approach.
THE PATTERN
Dependence or a shared aim can gather people into coordinated action.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.THE THREAD
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:“With one accord” is ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothymadon), the same Greek word used in Acts 12:20. In one verse, shared passion gathers people to seek political peace; here, it gathers them to speak together to God.
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