But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
English Standard Version (ESV)
When Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they didn't hesitate; they tore their clothes in a dramatic display of horror and grief, and sprang into the crowd, showing their urgent, desperate desire to stop the people from worshipping them. This powerful, almost panicked reaction underscores that they were absolutely stunned and repulsed by the idea of being mistaken for gods, revealing their deep reverence for the true God.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just healed a man who had been lame from birth, the crowd in Lystra, awestruck and misinterpreting this as divine power, began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. When news of the preparations for sacrifice reached Barnabas and Paul, they were horrified and immediately tore their clothes in anguish, rushing out into the crowd to stop the idolatrous worship.
Barnabas and Paul's reaction wasn't just a mild disagreement—it was extreme. What drove this visceral response?
When Barnabas and Paul heard the crowd preparing to worship them, their immediate reaction was to tear their clothes. This wasn't just for show; it was a deeply ingrained cultural and religious sign of profound horror, grief, and outrage. In Jewish tradition, rending garments was a response to blasphemy or catastrophic news, an outward expression of inward devastation.
They were utterly appalled that people would offer divine worship to mere human beings. This wasn't a polite correction; it was a desperate attempt to avert what they saw as a spiritual disaster, a grievous insult to the one true God.
They didn't just react; they acted. See the powerful energy behind their effort to stop the crowd.
The text doesn't just say they tore their clothes; it says they 'tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out.' The original language suggests they 'sprang forth' with immense haste and urgency. Imagine them bursting out of where they were staying, pushing into the throng with loud shouts.
Their physical movement matched their emotional state. They weren't just horrified; they were driven by an immediate, desperate need to confront the misunderstanding head-on. Their goal was to shatter the delusion before the sacrifice could even begin, showing that their message was about turning people from vanity to the living God.
Understand the original words
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apostolos · Greek Noun
A term derived from the Greek apostellō, meaning 'one sent' with a mandate or commission. It designates a special messenger authorized by Christ to proclaim the Gospel and establish the church.
diarrhēgnumi · Greek Verb
An act of ritual destruction symbolizing intense grief, repentance, or, in this case, abhorrence of blasphemy. Tearing garments was a culturally significant way of expressing deep emotional or religious distress.
The immediate context of this event is Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey, a period where the fledgling Christian message was spreading rapidly among both Jews and Gentiles in Asia Minor, leading to dramatic encounters like this one in Lystra.
c. 48-49 AD— this verse
First Missionary Journey
Paul and Barnabas travel through Asia Minor, preaching the gospel and establishing churches in cities like Antioch, Lystra, and Derbe.
c. 49 AD
Council of Jerusalem
A crucial council convened to address whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish law, establishing a more inclusive path for the early church.
c. 50-52 AD
Second Missionary Journey
Paul, now accompanied by Silas, revisits the churches established on the first journey, strengthening believers and facing new challenges.
This passage describes the high priest tearing his robes in response to Jesus' claims, illustrating the extreme gesture of horror and grief that tearing clothes represented, mirroring Barnabas and Paul's reaction to blasphemy.
2 Kings 18:37Eliakim and Shebna tear their clothes upon hearing blasphemous words, showing that this action was a recognized way to express shock and outrage at the dishonoring of God, just as the apostles did.
Jeremiah 20:2The prophet tearing his clothes signifies his distress and alarm over the people's actions, highlighting how this physical act communicated deep emotional turmoil and opposition to perceived wrongdoing.
John 10:33The Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of blasphemy and wanting to make himself God, echoing the situation in Lystra where the people incorrectly attributed divine power to Barnabas and Paul, forcing the apostles to vehemently deny it.
Acts 17:16Paul's reaction in Athens to seeing the city full of idols demonstrates his deep spiritual distress over idolatry and his immediate desire to engage with people, similar to how he and Barnabas reacted in Lystra.
ellicottActs 14:14: "Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,"
(14) Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of. —They were, we may believe, in the house, within the court-yard, and therefore did not see the sacrificial procession; but they heard the noise of the multitude, perhaps also of some sacrificial hymn, and asked what it meant. They rent their clothes.—The act is obviously recorded as that of men who are st…
barnesActs 14:14: "Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,"
Which, when the apostles - Barnabas is called an apostle because he was sent forth by the church on a particular message ( Acts 13:3 ; compare Acts 14:26 ), not because he had been chosen to the special work of the apostleship - to Dear witness to the life and resurrection of Christ. See the notes on Acts 1:22 . They rent their clothes - As an expression of their…
When Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they didn't hesitate; they tore their clothes in a dramatic display of horror and grief, and sprang into the crowd, showing their urgent, desperate desire to stop the people from worshipping them. This powerful, almost panicked reaction underscores that they were absolutely stunned and repulsed by the idea of being mistaken for gods, revealing their deep reverence for the true God.
Having just healed a man who had been lame from birth, the crowd in Lystra, awestruck and misinterpreting this as divine power, began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. When news of the preparations for sacrifice reached Barnabas and Paul, they were horrified and immediately tore their clothes in anguish, rushing out into the crowd to stop the idolatrous worship.
Having just healed a man who had been lame from birth, the crowd in Lystra, awestruck and misinterpreting this as divine power, began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. When news of the preparations for sacrifice reached Barnabas and Paul, they were horrified and immediately tore their clothes in anguish, rushing out into the crowd to stop the idolatrous worship.
"But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out," — When Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they didn't hesitate; they tore their clothes in a dramatic display of horror and grief, and sprang into the crowd, showing their urgent, desperate…
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Last reviewed October 2026