Revision #7721
Blastus
Localized for English-speaking readers
Status: approved
Changes from the previous English revision
= ## Biblical Account
- Blastus appears only once, in Acts 12:20. King Herod was highly displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Because their region depended on the king's territory for its food supply, however, the people of Tyre and Sidon came to him with one accord. Having made "Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend," they "desired peace" through him. A chamberlain was an attendant responsible for the king's bedchamber and private quarters, a position of close personal service to the king.
+ Blastus appears only once, in Acts 12:20. King Herod was highly displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Because their region depended on the king's territory for its food supply, the people of Tyre and Sidon came to him with one accord. Having made "Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend," they "desired peace" through him. A chamberlain was an attendant responsible for the king's bedchamber and private quarters, a position of close personal service to the king.
=
= According to the verses that follow, Acts 12:21–23, Herod, on a set day, arrayed himself in royal apparel and delivered an oration to the people. When the people shouted, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man," the angel of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten of worms and died. Acts 12:19 indicates that these events took place in Caesarea. Scripture says nothing further about Blastus.
=
= ## Significance Within Scripture
- Blastus is not a central figure in the narrative. He appears as the intermediary through whom the people of Tyre and Sidon gained access to the king, and this audience leads into the scene in which Herod appears before the people. Acts 12 opens with Peter's release from prison and closes with the death of Herod, who had persecuted the church. Within this narrative arc, Blastus serves as a background figure who sets the stage for Herod's death.
+ Blastus is not a central figure in the narrative. He appears as the intermediary through whom the people of Tyre and Sidon gained access to the king, and this audience leads into the scene in which Herod appears before the people. Acts 12 opens with the release of Peter from prison and closes with the death of Herod, who had persecuted the church. Within this narrative arc, Blastus serves as a background figure who sets the stage for Herod's death.
=
= ## Interpretation and Issues
- The expression "having made... their friend" (as rendered in the Korean Revised Version) translates a Greek word meaning "to persuade" or "to win over." For this reason, some commentators suggest that the people of Tyre and Sidon may have swayed Blastus with gifts or bribes. Because the biblical text does not specify the means, however, this remains a matter of interpretation. The name Blastus is said to be identical to a Greek word meaning "sprout" or "shoot." The death of Herod Agrippa I is also recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus, but the name Blastus is not attested in any source outside the Bible.
+ The phrase rendered "having made... their friend" translates a Greek word meaning "to persuade" or "to win over." For this reason, some commentators suggest that the people of Tyre and Sidon may have swayed Blastus with gifts or bribes. Because the biblical text does not specify the means, however, this remains a matter of interpretation. The name Blastus is said to be identical to a Greek word meaning "sprout" or "shoot." The death of Herod Agrippa I is also recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus, but the name Blastus is not attested in any source outside the Bible.
=
- ## In the Korean Church
- Blastus is rarely treated as a sermon topic in his own right. He is usually mentioned only briefly, as a character in the passage, when preachers expound Acts 12 or address Herod's pride and death.
+ ## In Korean Churches
+ In Korean Protestant preaching, Blastus is rarely treated as a sermon topic in his own right. He is usually mentioned only briefly, as a character in the passage, when preachers expound Acts 12 or address Herod's pride and death.
Full revision
Blastus is a figure mentioned only once, in Acts 12:20, as the chamberlain of King Herod (Agrippa I). When the people of Tyre and Sidon sought to make peace with the king, they conveyed their request through him.
Biblical Account
Blastus appears only once, in Acts 12:20. King Herod was highly displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Because their region depended on the king's territory for its food supply, the people of Tyre and Sidon came to him with one accord. Having made "Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend," they "desired peace" through him. A chamberlain was an attendant responsible for the king's bedchamber and private quarters, a position of close personal service to the king.
According to the verses that follow, Acts 12:21–23, Herod, on a set day, arrayed himself in royal apparel and delivered an oration to the people. When the people shouted, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man," the angel of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten of worms and died. Acts 12:19 indicates that these events took place in Caesarea. Scripture says nothing further about Blastus.
Significance Within Scripture
Blastus is not a central figure in the narrative. He appears as the intermediary through whom the people of Tyre and Sidon gained access to the king, and this audience leads into the scene in which Herod appears before the people. Acts 12 opens with the release of Peter from prison and closes with the death of Herod, who had persecuted the church. Within this narrative arc, Blastus serves as a background figure who sets the stage for Herod's death.
Interpretation and Issues
The phrase rendered "having made... their friend" translates a Greek word meaning "to persuade" or "to win over." For this reason, some commentators suggest that the people of Tyre and Sidon may have swayed Blastus with gifts or bribes. Because the biblical text does not specify the means, however, this remains a matter of interpretation. The name Blastus is said to be identical to a Greek word meaning "sprout" or "shoot." The death of Herod Agrippa I is also recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus, but the name Blastus is not attested in any source outside the Bible.
In Korean Churches
In Korean Protestant preaching, Blastus is rarely treated as a sermon topic in his own right. He is usually mentioned only briefly, as a character in the passage, when preachers expound Acts 12 or address Herod's pride and death.