SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:12
Y a Bernab llamaban Jpiter, y a Pablo, Mercurio, porque era el que llevaba la palabra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 14:12
Verse 12. They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius] The heathens supposed that Jupiter and Mercury were the gods who most frequently assumed the human form; and Jupiter was accustomed to take Mercury with him on such expeditions. Jupiter was the supreme god of the heathens; and Mercury was by them considered the god of eloquence. And the ancient fable, from which I have quoted so largely above, represents Jupiter and Mercury coming to this very region, where they were entertained by Lycaon, from whom the Lycaonians derived their name. See the whole fable in the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
As the ancients usually represented Jupiter as rather an aged man, large, noble, and majestic; and Mercury young, light, and active, the conjecture of Chrysostom is very probable, that Barnabas was a large, noble, well-made man, and probably in years; and St. Paul, young, active, and eloquent; on which account, they termed the former Jupiter, and the latter Mercury.
That Mercury was eloquent and powerful in his words is allowed by the heathens; and the very epithet that is applied here to Paul, hn o hgoumenov tou logou, he was the chief or leader of the discourse, was applied to Mercury. So Jamblichus de Myster. Init. qeov o twn logwn hgemwn o ermhv. And Macrobius, Sat. i. 8: Scimus Mercurium vocis et sermonis potentem. We know that Mercury is powerful both in his voice and eloquence. With the Lycaonians, the actions of these apostles proved them to be gods; and the different parts they took appeared to them to fix their character, so that one was judged to be Jupiter, and the other Mercury.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. And they called Barnabas Jupiter , etc.] The supreme God; it may be because that Barnabas was the oldest man, of the tallest stature, and largest bulk, and made the best figure; whereas Paul was younger, of a low stature, and mean appearance: and Paul Mercurius , because he was the chief speaker; Mercury was the god of eloquence, and the messenger of the gods, and the interpreter of their will f714 ; Paul being chiefly concerned in preaching and speaking to the people, they called him by the name of this God: the Jews had a doctor in their schools, whom they called yrbdmh ad , the chief of the speakers f715 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-18 - All things are possible to those that believe. When we have faith, tha most precious gift of God, we shall be delivered from the spiritual helplessness in which we were born, and from the dominion of sinfu habits since formed; we shall be made able to stand upright and wal cheerfully in the ways of the Lord. When Christ, the Son of God appeared in the likeness of men, and did many miracles, men were so fa from doing sacrifice to him, that they made him a sacrifice to their pride and malice; but Paul and Barnabas, upon their working on miracle, were treated as gods. The same power of the god of this world which closes the carnal mind against truth, makes errors and mistake find easy admission. We do not learn that they rent their clothes when the people spake of stoning them; but when they spake of worshippin them; they could not bear it, being more concerned for God's honou than their own. God's truth needs not the services of man's falsehood The servants of God might easily obtain undue honours if they woul wink at men's errors and vices; but they must dread and detest suc respect more than any reproach. When the apostles preached to the Jews who hated idolatry, they had only to preach the grace of God in Christ but when they had to do with the Gentiles, they must set right their mistakes in natural religion. Compare their conduct and declaratio with the false opinions of those who think the worship of a God, unde any name, or in any manner, is equally acceptable to the Lord Almighty The most powerful arguments, the most earnest and affectionat addresses, even with miracles, are scarcely enough to keep men from absurdities and abominations; much less can they, without specia grace, turn the hearts of sinners to God and to holiness.
Greek Textus Receptus
εκαλουν 2564 5707 V-IAI-3P τε 5037 PRT τον 3588 T-ASM μεν 3303 PRT βαρναβαν 921 N-ASM δια 2203 N-ASM τον 3588 T-ASM δε 1161 CONJ παυλον 3972 N-ASM ερμην 2060 N-ASM επειδη 1894 CONJ αυτος 846 P-NSM ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM ηγουμενος 2233 5740 V-PNP-NSM του 3588 T-GSM λογου 3056 N-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury. The Greek names of these deities were Zeus and Hermes. As the herald of the gods, Mercury is the God of skill in the use of speech and of eloquence in general, for the heralds are the public speakers in the assemblies and on other occasions. Hence he is sent on messages where persuasion or argument are required, as to Calypso to secure the release of Ulysses from Ogygia ("Odyssey," i., 84); and to Priam to warn him of danger and to escort him to the Grecian fleet ("Iliad," xxiv., 390). Horace addresses him as the "eloquent" grandson of Atlas, who artfully formed by oratory the savage manners of a primitive race ("Odes," i., 10). Hence the tongues of sacrificial animals were offered to him. As the God of ready and artful speech, his office naturally extended to business negotiations. He was the God of prudence and skill in all the relations of social intercourse, and the patron of business and gain. A merchant-guild at Rome was established under his protection. And as, from its nature, commerce is prone to degenerate into fraud, so he appears as the God of thievery, exhibiting cunning, fraud, and perjury. 20 "He represents, so to speak, the utilitarian side of the human mind.... In the limitation of his faculties and powers, in the low standard of his moral habits, in the abundant activity of his appetites, in his indifference, his ease, his good nature, in the full-blown exhibition of what Christian theology would call conformity to the world, he is, as strictly as the nature of the case admits, a product of the invention of man. He is the God of intercourse on earth" (Gladstone, "Homer and the Homeric Age"). The chief speaker (o hgoumenov tou logou). Lit., the leader in discourse. Barnabas was called Jupiter, possibly because his personal appearance was more imposing than Paul's (see 2 Cor. x. 1, 10), and also because Jupiter and Mercury were commonly represented as companions in their visits to earth. 21
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:12 {They called} (ekaloun). Inchoative imperfect began to call. {Barnabas, Jupiter} (ton barnaban dia). Because Barnabas was the older and the more imposing in appearance. Paul admits that he was not impressive in looks (#2Co 10:10). {And Paul, Mercury} (ton de paulon hermen). Mercury (hermes) was the messenger of the gods, and the spokesman of Zeus. hermes was of beautiful appearance and eloquent in speech, the inventor of speech in legend. Our word hermeneutics or science of interpretation comes from this word (#Heb 7:2; Joh 1:38). {Because he was the chief speaker} (epeide autos en ho hegoumenos tou logou). Paul was clearly "the leader of the talk." So it seemed a clear case to the natives. If preachers always knew what people really think of them! Whether Paul was alluding to his experience in Lystra or not in #Ga 4:14, certainly they did receive him as an angel of God, as if "Mercury" in reality.
