John Calvin Commentary Acts 12:23

"And immediately an 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 12:23 (ASV)

Immediately he smote him. Just as before, the angel was a minister of God’s grace in the deliverance of Peter, so now he takes vengeance on Herod. God does sometimes use the ministry of angels in heaven in punishing, but sometimes He makes the devils like executioners, by whose hand He executes His judgments.

He does this both toward His faithful servants and toward the reprobate. Saul was troubled and vexed by Satan (1 Samuel 16:14), but the same also befell holy Job (Job 1:12; Job 2:7).

In the Psalms, the punishments with which God chastens the wicked are attributed to the evil angels; yet we see how the angel who had the governance of the safety of the Church strikes the Egyptians in their firstborn (Exodus 12:29). Although the Scripture calls the wicked spirits God’s spirits because they are obedient to His commandment, though very much against their will.

But where the epithet evil is not added, as in this place, we must understand it to be an angel who willingly obeys God. And yet, the shape of the owl, which Josephus mentions, seemed to represent the devil rather than a heavenly angel.

Furthermore, I dare not affirm for certain what kind of disease that was. The word Luke uses signifies that he was eaten by worms. Many conjecture that it was a disease involving lice. This is certain: even while he was still alive, he was corrupt with stench and rottenness, so that he was, as it were, a living carcass.

So he was not only vexed with cruel torments but also made a laughingstock to all people, and reviled by all. For God intended to choose a kind of punishment with which He might repress the cruelty of a proud man with extreme ignominy.

If he had been overcome by some great and valiant army and had been brought to poverty, the judgment of God would not have been so marked; and this would have been an honorable and princely chastisement. But inasmuch as he abhors lice and worms, and this filthiness comes out of his body, which kills him by eating him, he is treated according to his deserts.

Similarly, Pharaoh, because he so often exalted himself against God with untamed pride, was not conventionally assailed by some neighboring prince, but locusts and caterpillars were God’s warriors (soldiers) to make war against him (Exodus 8:17, 24).

For the more proudly a man exalts himself, the more he deserves to be cast down by God’s judgment into the lowest hell with shame and reproach.

This is the reason why He caused this reigning 'god' Herod to be eaten by worms, which Herod was at last forced to grant when he said, “Behold me, whom you saluted as a god; I die miserable.”

Such a manifest example of horrible vengeance in a king’s person ought to terrify us greatly from presuming to take to ourselves more than we should, and from allowing ourselves to be made drunk with the false praise and flattery of people as with deadly poison.

Because he did not give the glory to God. He is condemned for sacrilege, not only because he allowed himself to be called God, but because, forgetting himself, he took to himself the honor due to God.

We do not read that the king of Babylon was extolled in this way; and yet the prophet upbraids him that he sought to make himself equal with God (Isaiah 14:13–14).

Therefore, this sacrilege is a common fault in all proud people, because, by taking to themselves more than they should, they darken the glory of God; and so, like giants, as much as they are able, they endeavor to pull God from His seat.

However, they do not usurp the title of God, nor do they openly boast with their mouth that they are gods; yet because they take to themselves that which is proper to God, they desire to be, and to be considered gods, having subdued Him. Furthermore, the prophet points out the beginning of this evil in one word, when he presents Nebuchadnezzar speaking in this way: I will go up (Isaiah 14:13).

Therefore, there is but one remedy: if everyone keeps himself in that degree in which he is placed. Let those who are lowly and in a humble station not desire to climb higher; let kings, and those who are above others, remember that they are mortal, and let them modestly submit their highness to God.

And we must note that it is not enough if people give to God only half the honor which is due to Him, who claims all that is wholly His own; if they submit themselves only in part, whom He intends to humble thoroughly.

Now, inasmuch as the Scripture strips us completely of all praise for wisdom, virtue, and righteousness, there is no one of us who can take to himself the least bit of glory without sacrilegiously robbing God.

And it is a wonder that, seeing the Scripture pronounces that all those who exalt themselves make, as it were, open war against God; and we all grant that this cannot be done without our overthrow (destruction); the greatest part of humanity runs, notwithstanding, headlong with furious boldness to their own destruction. For there is scarcely one in a hundred who, being mindful of his condition, leaves to God His glory undiminished.