Acts 19:28
New International Version
When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

New Living Translation
At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

English Standard Version
When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Berean Standard Bible
When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Berean Literal Bible
And having heard, and having become full of rage, they were crying out saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians."

King James Bible
And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

New King James Version
Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

New American Standard Bible
When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

NASB 1995
When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

NASB 1977
And when they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Legacy Standard Bible
When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Amplified Bible
When they heard this, they were filled with rage, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Christian Standard Bible
When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

American Standard Version
And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Contemporary English Version
When the workers heard this, they got angry and started shouting, "Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!"

English Revised Version
And when they heard this, they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Demetrius' workers and the others heard this, they became furious and began shouting, "Artemis of the Ephesians is great!"

Good News Translation
As the crowd heard these words, they became furious and started shouting, "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!"

International Standard Version
When they heard this, they became furious and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

Majority Standard Bible
When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, ?Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!?

NET Bible
When they heard this they became enraged and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

New Heart English Bible
When they heard this they were filled with anger, and began to shout, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians."

Webster's Bible Translation
And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Weymouth New Testament
After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"

World English Bible
When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And having heard, and having become full of wrath, they were crying out, saying, “Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Berean Literal Bible
And having heard, and having become full of rage, they were crying out saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians."

Young's Literal Translation
And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, 'Great is the Artemis of the Ephesians!'

Smith's Literal Translation
And having heard, and been filled with wrath, they cried, saying, Great the Diana of the Ephesians.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Having heard these things, they were full of anger, and cried out, saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Upon hearing this, they were filled with anger, and they cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

New American Bible
When they heard this, they were filled with fury and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

New Revised Standard Version
When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when they heard these things they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Ar’te-mis of the E-phe’si-ans.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when they heard these things, they were filled with rage and were crying out and saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
When they heard this, they were full of anger, and cried out, saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians!

Godbey New Testament
And hearing and being filled with rage, they continued to cry out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Haweis New Testament
On hearing this then, and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Mace New Testament
at these words, they were fir'd with indignation, and cry'd out, "great is Diana of the Ephesians."

Weymouth New Testament
After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"

Worrell New Testament
And, hearing this, and becoming full of wrath, they were crying aloud, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

Worsley New Testament
Hearing this and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Riot in Ephesus
27There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.” 28When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.…

Cross References
1 Kings 18:26-28
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. / At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” / So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.

Isaiah 44:13-20
The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. / He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow. / It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread. He also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. ...

Jeremiah 50:38
A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols.

Ezekiel 8:14-15
Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz. / “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Yet you will see even greater abominations than these.”

Jonah 1:5
The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”

Mark 15:13-14
And they shouted back, “Crucify Him!” / “Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”

Luke 23:18-23
But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” / (Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) / Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, ...

John 19:15
At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.

Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

1 Corinthians 8:5-6
For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Ephesians 5:5
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.


Treasury of Scripture

And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

they.

Acts 7:54
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Acts 16:19-24
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, …

Acts 21:28-31
Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place…

and cried.

Acts 19:34,35
But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians…

1 Samuel 5:3-5
And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again…

1 Kings 18:26-29
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made…

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Acts 19
1. The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands.
8. The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles.
13. The Jewish exorcists,
16. are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit.
19. Conjuring books are burnt.
21. Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35. which is appeased by the town clerk.














When they heard this
This phrase sets the scene for a reaction to a preceding statement or event. In the context of Acts 19, the "they" refers to the craftsmen and others in Ephesus who were economically dependent on the worship of Artemis. The Greek word for "heard" (ἀκούσαντες, akousantes) implies not just the act of hearing but also understanding and processing the information. This highlights the power of words and ideas to incite action, especially when they threaten established beliefs or economic interests.

they were enraged
The Greek word translated as "enraged" is θυμός (thumos), which conveys a sense of intense passion or anger. This reaction is not merely emotional but is deeply tied to their identity and livelihood. The craftsmen's anger is a defensive response to the perceived threat posed by Paul's teachings, which challenged the worship of Artemis and, by extension, their economic stability. Historically, this reflects the tension between emerging Christianity and established pagan practices.

and began shouting
The act of shouting (κραζω, krazo) in the Greek indicates a loud, public outcry. This is not a private grievance but a communal expression of outrage. The public nature of their response underscores the collective identity of the Ephesians and their shared devotion to Artemis. It also reflects the cultural practice of vocal protest in the ancient world, where public demonstrations were a means of expressing dissent and rallying support.

Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!
This exclamation is both a declaration of faith and a rallying cry. Artemis, known as Diana in Roman mythology, was a central figure in Ephesian culture, revered as a goddess of fertility and protection. The phrase "Great is Artemis" (Μεγάλη ἡ Ἄρτεμις, Megalē hē Artemis) is an affirmation of her supremacy and a defense against the perceived threat of Paul's monotheistic message. The addition "of the Ephesians" emphasizes local pride and identity, highlighting the deep connection between the city and its patron deity. Archaeological findings, such as the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, attest to her significance in Ephesus. This cry reflects the cultural and religious fervor of the Ephesians, illustrating the challenges faced by early Christians in spreading the Gospel amidst deeply entrenched pagan traditions.

(28) They were full of wrath, and cried out.--Better, they went on crying out, the tense implying continued action.

Great is Diana of the Ephesians.--The cry was probably the usual chorus of the festivals of Artemis. Stress was now laid on the distinctive adjective, "Great she was, whoever might attack her greatness."

Verse 28. - This for these sayings, A.V.; filled with wrath for full of wrath, A.V. Great is Diana, etc. A notable instance of assertion and clamor crying down reason and truth.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[When]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[the men] heard [this],
Ἀκούσαντες (Akousantes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

they were
γενόμενοι (genomenoi)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

enraged
θυμοῦ (thymou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2372: An outburst of passion, wrath. From thuo; passion.

[and] began shouting,
ἔκραζον (ekrazon)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2896: To cry aloud, shriek. A primary verb; properly, to 'croak' or scream, i.e. to call aloud.

“Great [is]
Μεγάλη (Megalē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

Artemis
Ἄρτεμις (Artemis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 735: Probably from the same as artemon; prompt; Artemis, the name of a Grecian goddess borrowed by the Asiatics for one of their deities.

of [the] Ephesians!”
Ἐφεσίων (Ephesiōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2180: Ephesian, of Ephesus. From Ephesos; an Ephesian or inhabitant of Ephesus.


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Acts 19:27
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