Act 14:19 | Abbott | STEP | Who persuaded the people; not necessarily the same individuals as those who had been ready to regard the apostles as gods. It is very probable that there was a suppressed and secret hostility before, which the influence of these Jews concentrated, and strengthened, and brought out into action, while the others withdrew. And generally, in fact, the fluctuations of the popular will, so proverbial for their frequency and suddenness, arise not from reversals of opinion in the same parties, but from alternations of ascendency, in respect to opposite and contending ones. In our Savior's case, for example, when the populace shouted "Hosanna" on one day, and "Crucify him" on another, we are not necessarily to suppose that the same individuals were changed from friends to enemies, but only that friends were predominant while he was entering Jerusalem in triumph, and enemies when he was brought in as a criminal. Very slight circumstances are sometimes sufficient, in such cases, to turn the scale,—to throw one party, hitherto prominent, into discouragement and inaction, and to bring up another, hitherto overawed and restrained, to ascendency and power.

Acts 14:19

Who persuaded the people; not necessarily the same individuals as those who had been ready to regard the apostles as gods. It is very probable that there was a suppressed and secret hostility before, which the influence of these Jews concentrated, and strengthened, and brought out into action, while the others withdrew. And generally, in fact, the fluctuations of the popular will, so proverbial for their frequency and suddenness, arise not from reversals of opinion in the same parties, but from alternations of ascendency, in respect to opposite and contending ones. In our Savior's case, for example, when the populace shouted "Hosanna" on one day, and "Crucify him" on another, we are not necessarily to suppose that the same individuals were changed from friends to enemies, but only that friends were predominant while he was entering Jerusalem in triumph, and enemies when he was brought in as a criminal. Very slight circumstances are sometimes sufficient, in such cases, to turn the scale,—to throw one party, hitherto prominent, into discouragement and inaction, and to bring up another, hitherto overawed and restrained, to ascendency and power.