21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. (Acts 12:21-23 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Upon a set day, that is, as some suppose, on his own birthday, he was arrayed in royal apparel, in a cloke made of cloth of silver, but dyed with St. James’s blood, Ac 12:2. which being beaten upon by the sun beams, did plainly dazzle the eyes of all spectators; he makes an eloquent oration more gaudy than his apparel, unto the people, who cried out in a approbation thereof, “The voice of a God, and not of a man!”
Herod, instead of repelling this their impious flattery, embraces and hugs their praises , as proper to himself; and thereupon an angel, and worms, the best and the basest of creatures, meet in his punishment; the angel smiting him, and the worms eating him up: And no wonder that worms quickly devour him, whom those flesh-flies had blown upon before; no wonder that he is eaten up of worms, who forgot that he was a worm!
Quest. But why were not the people punished as well as the prince, seeing they were equally guilty of robbing God of his honour. True, Herod was the receiver, but they were the thieves: why then fell not the punishment on the whole multitude?
Ans. Because more discretion is expected from a prince, than from the rabble: Besides, what in them was but a blasphemous compliment, was by his acceptance of it made a reality, and was usurped by him, and assumed to him as due to his deserts.
From the whole note, 1. That flattery, either given or taken, is a very dangerous sin, a God-provoking, and a wrath-procuring sin. If we flatter men, God will not flatter us, but deal plainly, yet severely, with us. One of the ancients said, he was afaid of praise and commendation as much as of a crack of thunder. When men give much glory to men, it is very hard for men to give that glory back again to God. Herod was so pleased and tickled with the glory which the people gave him, that he could not part with it; but by keeping that, he lost his life.
Note, 2. That though God bears long with many sorts of sinners, yet not with sinners of this sort: “Immediately the angel of the Lord smote him:” Agreeably to that of Job 32:22. “I know not how to give flattering titles, for in so doing my Maker would soon take me away.” The great God will admit of no corrivals; he will not suffer his glory to be given to another; he will be a swift witness against the flatterer, as well as against the false-swearer, Mal 3:5. He can destroy both flatterer and flattered with the twinkling of an eye, or with the turning of a hand; and those that are cried up as gods today, are as dung tomorrow.