Acts 12:23 Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Exodus 12:12,23,29
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD…

1 Samuel 25:38
And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

2 Samuel 24:17
And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

because.

Acts 10:25,26
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him…

Acts 14:14,15
Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, …

Exodus 9:17
As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

and he.

2 Chronicles 21:18,19
And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease…

Job 7:5
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

Job 19:26
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

because Herod did not give glory to God
Herod Agrippa I, a ruler known for his political acumen, failed to acknowledge God as the source of his power. This echoes the biblical principle that all authority is derived from God (Romans 13:1). Herod's acceptance of divine praise from the people (Acts 12:22) without redirecting it to God parallels the sin of pride seen in other biblical figures, such as Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30-32.

an angel of the Lord struck him down
Angels are often depicted as messengers and agents of God's will throughout Scripture. The angel's role here is one of executing divine judgment, similar to the angel of death in Exodus 12:23. This act serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the reality of divine retribution.

and he was eaten by worms and died
This gruesome detail emphasizes the completeness of Herod's judgment. The phrase "eaten by worms" may suggest a supernatural affliction, reflecting the severity of divine punishment. Historically, Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, corroborates this account, describing Herod's death as a prolonged and painful ordeal. This serves as a stark warning against pride and the refusal to honor God.

• God’s response to Herod’s arrogance was not delayed. Acts 5:5 shows the same swiftness when Ananias fell dead; Psalm 73:19 says the wicked are “destroyed in an instant.”

• The speed underscores divine control. While Rome’s courts could have dragged on, heaven’s court rendered its verdict at once.

• Herod basked in the crowd’s cry, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” (Acts 12:22). By accepting their praise, he stole honor that belongs only to the Lord (Isaiah 42:8; Revelation 4:11).

• Pride precedes destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Compare Nebuchadnezzar, who was stripped of his kingdom until he “gave glory to the King of heaven” (Daniel 4:30-37).

• God’s jealousy for His glory is loving, because directing worship to Himself directs people to life; diverting it to any creature leads to ruin.

• Angels serve both to rescue (Acts 5:19) and to judge (2 Kings 19:35). Here the same heavenly messenger who opened prison doors for Peter now closes Herod’s life.

• No human guard could intervene. Psalm 34:7 notes, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,” but the same heavenly host opposes the proud.

• The physical decay matched the spiritual rot inside him. Isaiah 14:11 pictures arrogant rulers brought low as “maggots are spread out beneath you.”

• Jesus warned of a place “where their worm does not die” (Mark 9:48). Herod’s visible corruption previews the eternal consequence of rejecting God’s glory.

• Herod’s earthly power could not buy an extension. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

• His death removed a persecutor of the Church (Acts 12:1-2) and advanced the gospel’s spread (Acts 12:24). God’s kingdom marches on when earthly thrones topple.

• Revelation 20:12-15 shows a final judgment where all, great and small, will answer for what they have done with God’s glory.

Acts 12:23 records a sudden, righteous judgment on a king who hijacked the honor due to God. The immediacy of the sentence, the angelic execution, the gruesome decay, and the final death all declare that the Lord alone is sovereign. Human pride invites divine opposition, yet every act of humility aligns us with the God who resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Because he gave not God the glory.--The words probably mean something more than that he did not ascribe to God the praise which was due to Him, and Him only. To "give God the glory" was a phrase always connected with the confession of sin and weakness, as in Joshua 7:19. (See Note on John 9:24.)

He was eaten of worms.--The specific form of the disease is not named by Josephus, and St. Luke's precision in describing it may fairly be regarded as characteristic of his calling. The form of the disease, probably of the nature of phtheiriasis, or the morbus pedicularis, from its exceptionally loathsome character, had always been regarded as of the nature of a divine chastisement. The more memorable instances of it recorded in history are those of Pheretimo of Cyrene (Herod. iv. 205), Sylla, Antiochus the Great (2 Maccabees 9:2), Herod the Great (Jos. Ant. xvii. 8), and Maximinus, among the persecutors of the Church (Euseb. viii. 16; ix. 10, 11; Lactant, De mort. Persecut. c. 33). The death of Agrippa took place A.D. 44, in the seventh year of his reign, and at the age of fifty-three.