Acts 19:35

And when the towne clarke had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there þ knoweth not how that the citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddesse Diana, and of the image which fell downe from Iupiter? Acts 19:35 (KJV)

Ye

men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the

image which fell down from Jupiter? Acts 19:35 (KJV)

Acts 19:35 records a pivotal moment in the narrative of Acts, describing a riot in Ephesus that was sparked by the Apostle Paul’s ministry. The city of Ephesus was renowned for its devotion to the goddess Diana (also known as Artemis), whose temple was celebrated as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This deep‑rooted worship shaped both the religious life and the economy of the city, as many artisans, especially silversmiths, earned their livelihood crafting shrines and images of Diana.

The disturbance arose when Demetrius, a prominent silversmith, feared that Paul’s preaching would diminish the demand for these pagan idols. His agitation helped inflame the crowd, leading to a public uproar. In the midst of the chaos, the town clerk—an official charged with maintaining public order—stepped forward. By calming the assembly, he fulfilled a crucial civic role, addressing the grievances of the people while preventing further violence.

In his address, the clerk explicitly acknowledges the city’s identity as a worshipper of the great goddess Diana and references “the image which fell down from Jupiter.” This phrasing underscores the prevailing belief that Diana’s statue possessed a divine origin, reinforcing the community’s reverence for the idol.

The verse therefore highlights several key dynamics: the clash between the emerging Christian message and entrenched pagan practices; the economic stakes tied to idol worship; and the civic responsibility of local authorities to manage public disorder. Understanding this background enriches our appreciation of the intense religious and social tensions that characterized Ephesus during Paul’s ministry, and it illustrates how the spread of Christianity challenged both spiritual convictions and established commercial interests.