Acts 12:22

12:22 But the crowd began to shout, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

tn The translation “crowd” is given by BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος; the word often means a gathering of citizens to conduct public business. Here it is simply the group of people gathered to hear the king’s speech.

tn The imperfect verb ἐπεφώνει (epefwnei) is taken ingressively in the sequence of events. Presumably the king had started his speech when the crowd began shouting.

sn The voice of a god. Contrast the response of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:13-15.