Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Smote him (epatacen auton). Effective aorist active indicative of patassw, old verb, used already in verse Acts 12:7 of gentle smiting of the angel of the Lord, here of a severe stroke of affliction. Like Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30) pride went before a fall. He was struck down in the very zenith of his glory.
Because (anq wn). Anti with the genitive of the relative pronoun, "in return for which things." He accepted the impious flattery (Hackett) instead of giving God the glory. He was a nominal Jew.
He was eaten of worms (genomenov skwlhkobrwtov). Ingressive aorist middle participle, "becoming worm-eaten." The compound verbal adjective (skwlhc, worm, brwtov, eaten, from bibrwskw) is a late word (II Macc. 9:9) of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, used also of a tree (Theophrastus), here only in the N.T. The word skwlhc was used of intestinal worms and Herodotus (IV. 205) describes Pheretima, Queen of Cyrene, as having swarms of worms which ate her flesh while still alive. Josephus (Ant. XIX. 8, 2) says that Herod Agrippa lingered for five days and says that the rotting of his flesh produced worms, an item in harmony with the narrative in Luke. Josephus gives further details, one a superstitious sight of an owl sitting on one of the ropes of the awning of the theatre while the people flattered him, an omen of his death to him. Luke puts it simply that God smote him.
Gave up the ghost (eceyucen). Effective aorist active of ekyuxw, to breathe out, late verb, medical term in Hippocrates, in the N.T. only in Acts 5:5, Acts 5:10; Acts 12:23. Herod was carried out of the theatre a dying man and lingered only five days.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 12:23:
Acts 5:5
Acts 12:23
Acts 25:13
2 Thessalonians 2:10
Revelation 11:13
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