Mercurius
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MERCURY; MERCURIUS

mur'-ku-ri, mer-ku'ri-us: The translation of Hermes, in Acts 14:12: "They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker." Hermes was the god of eloquence (and also of theft), the attendant, messenger and spokesman of the gods. The more commanding presence of Barnabas (compare 2 Corinthians 10:10) probably caused him to be identified with Zeus (the Roman Jupiter), while his gift of eloquence suggested the identification of Paul with Hermes (the Roman Mercury). The temple of Jupiter was before Lystra, and to him the Lycaonians paid their chief worship. Compare the legend of Baucis and Philemon (Ovid, Metam. viii.611).

See HERMES; JUPITER; GREECE, RELIGION IN ANCIENT.

M. O. Evans

Library

Of Æsculapius, Apollo, Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius ...
... Addressed to His Brother Pentadius. Chap. VIII."Of Æsculapius, Apollo,
Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius and Bacchus. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap viii of aesculapius apollo mars.htm

Acts xiii. 42
... the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius,
because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxx acts xiii 42.htm

List of Illustrations.
... COSMA E DAMIANO) 28. MOSAIC FROM THE CHURCH OF S. ANDREA 29. THE SHRINE AND ALTAR
OF MERCURIUS SOBRIUS 34. KANTHAROS IN THE COURT OF S. CAECILIA 39. ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/list of illustrations.htm

Index.
... 76 (cut); its shape and surroundings, 77; "" of Hercules, 59; "" Incendii Neroniani,
83; "" Maxima Herculis, 69; "" of Mercurius Sobrius, 34 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lanciani/pagan and christian rome/index 2.htm

Strange Account of the Origin of Matter, from the Various ...
... be unborn, derived both its origin and substance for all this pile of the
world"(a mystery) which not even the renowned [6776] Mercurius Trismegistus, master ...
/.../tertullian/against the valentinians/chapter xv strange account of the.htm

Argument: the Object of all Nations, and Especially of the Romans ...
... the Phrygians, Mater; [1730] the Epidaurians, Æsculapius; the Chaldæans; Belus;
the Syrians, Astarte; the Taurians, Diana; the Gauls, Mercurius; the Romans ...
/.../felix/the octavius of minucius felix/chapter vi argument the object of.htm

The Judicial Retribution of These Migrations Refuted with Raillery ...
... But even if they should have permanency enough to remain unchanged until the
judgment,"a point which Mercurius Ægyptius recognised, when he said that the ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xxxiii the judicial retribution of.htm

Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on ...
... everywhere gave place. Wherefore also he was thought by the unbelievers to
be Mercurius, because he took the lead in speech. (Acts 14 ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homilies of st john chrysostom.htm

Deified and Stoned
... likeness of men.12. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius,
because he was the chief speaker.13. Then the priest ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/deified and stoned.htm

The Actions of Saturnus and Uranus Taken from the Historians.
... When Trismegistus said that there were very few men of perfect learning, he enumerated
among them his relatives, Uranus, Saturnus, and Mercurius. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xiv the actions of saturnus.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Mercurius

an orator; an interpreter

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Mercurius

(herald of the gods), properly Hermes, the Greek deity, whom the Romans identified with their Mercury, the god of commerce and bargains. Hermes was the son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Maia the daughter of Atals, and is constantly represented as the companion of his father in his wandering upon earth. The episode of Baucis and Philemon, Ovid, Metam . viii. 620-724, appears to have formed part of the folk-lore of Asia Minor, and strikingly illustrates the readiness with which the simple people of Lystra recognized in Barnabas and Paul the gods who, according to their wont, had come down in the likeness of men. (Acts 14:11)

Easton's Bible Dictionary
The Hermes (i.e., "the speaker") of the Greeks (Acts 14:12), a heathen God represented as the constant attendant of Jupiter, and the god of eloquence. The inhabitants of Lystra took Paul for this god because he was the "chief speaker."
Thesaurus
Mercurius (1 Occurrence)
... speaker.". Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MERCURY; MERCURIUS. mur ... ANCIENT. MO
Evans. Multi-Version Concordance Mercurius (1 Occurrence). Acts ...
/m/mercurius.htm - 8k

Mercury (1 Occurrence)
... spinach, in Europe. 7. (vt) To wash with a preparation of mercury. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MERCURY; MERCURIUS. mur'-ku-ri ...
/m/mercury.htm - 9k

Mercilessly (2 Occurrences)

/m/mercilessly.htm - 7k

Hermes (2 Occurrences)
... HERMES (1). hur'-mez (Hermes): In the Revised Version margin of Acts 14:12 for
"Mercury" in text (the King James Version "Mercurius"). HERMES (2). ...
/h/hermes.htm - 8k

Barnabas (33 Occurrences)
... The people at Lystra named Paul, because of his fervid oratory, Mercurius, while
the quiet dignity and reserved strength of Barnabas gave him the title of ...
/b/barnabas.htm - 25k

Bible Concordance
Mercurius (1 Occurrence)

Acts 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
(KJV WBS)

Subtopics

Mercurius

Mercurius: Paul Taken For, in Lycaonia

Related Terms

Mercury (1 Occurrence)

Mercilessly (2 Occurrences)

Hermes (2 Occurrences)

Barnabas (33 Occurrences)

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