Herod Agrippa I

Biblical Record

He appears only in Acts 12. The text never uses the name "Agrippa," referring to him simply as "Herod the king" or "Herod." He is distinct from Herod the Great of Matthew 2 and from Herod the tetrarch (Antipas) of Matthew 14.

• Execution of James: Herod the king, intending to harm certain members of the church, killed James the brother of John with the sword (Acts 12:1-2).
• Imprisonment of Peter: Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter during the days of unleavened bread and placed him under the guard of four quaternions of soldiers. He intended to bring him out before the people after Passover, but in the meantime the church prayed earnestly for him. After the angel of the Lord led Peter out of the prison, Herod examined the guards and ordered them put to death (Acts 12:3-19).
• Death: Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. The people of Tyre and Sidon, with whom he was at odds, sought reconciliation through Blastus, the king's chamberlain, because their country was nourished by the king's country. On a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, delivered an oration, and the people shouted, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." Because he gave not God the glory, the angel of the Lord immediately smote him, and he was eaten of worms and died (Acts 12:20-23).

Significance in Scripture

After recording the downfall of a king who persecuted the church, Acts 12 continues, "But the word of God grew and multiplied" (Acts 12:24). The passage is structured to contrast persecution by the powerful with the spread of the word. The death of James is the only martyrdom among the Twelve Disciples directly recorded in the New Testament. Herod Agrippa I is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture.

Interpretation and Debates

• Identification: The identification of the "Herod" of Acts 12 with Agrippa I rests on the Antiquities of the Jews by the first-century Jewish historian Josephus. According to Josephus, he was raised in Rome and was close to the emperors Caligula and Claudius. Through these connections he received territories in succession and is said to have ruled most of the former realm of his grandfather Herod the Great from about AD 41. His son Agrippa (II) appears in Acts 25-26. His daughter Drusilla appears in Acts 24:24 as the wife of Felix; her identification as the daughter of Agrippa I is based on the account of Josephus.
• Comparison of the accounts of his death: Josephus likewise records that when he appeared in Caesarea in splendid attire and the people called him a god, he did not reject their acclamation. Shortly afterward he was seized with abdominal pain and died a few days later; his death is usually dated to about AD 44. The two accounts agree in broad outline but differ in detail. Various conjectures have been offered about the medical cause of his death, but none has been established.
• Confusion of names: Several people in the New Testament are called "Herod." As a result, sermons and teaching materials sometimes treat Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, and Agrippa I as though they were one person. For the relationships among them, see the article Herod.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Acts 12 is treated mainly in sermons on the power of prayer, centered on the verse "but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5). Herod's death is frequently cited in sermons on pride and on living a life that gives glory to God. In Sunday school he is introduced as a figure in the story of "Peter's deliverance from prison."