Blastus Βλάστος
Herod's chamberlain who helped the people of Tyre and Sidon
Biography
Blastus was the chamberlain of King Herod Agrippa I, who ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD (Act.12.20). The people of Tyre and Sidon, two coastal cities in modern-day Lebanon, had offended Herod, and their region depended on the king's country for food. To regain Herod's favor, they persuaded Blastus to help them secure a reconciliation with the king. Blastus' position as chamberlain, or personal attendant, to the king gave him significant influence and access to the monarch. The fact that the people of Tyre and Sidon sought Blastus' assistance indicates his importance in the royal court and his potential role as an intermediary between the king and his subjects. This brief mention of Blastus in the book of Acts provides insight into the political dynamics and the role of royal officials in the early days of the Christian church.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentActs 1 verse Study available
- Acts 12:20
"Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Βλάστος | G0986 |
Blastus
orn and other provisions, and when Herod, on the occasion of some commercial dispute, forbade the export of foodstuffs to Tyre and Sidon, they were at his mercy and were compelled to ask for peace. "Having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend," probably by means of a bribe, the Phoenician embassy was given an opportunity of setting their case before Herod (Ac 12:20 ff).
S. F. Hunter
blaz ("to publish"): Found only in the King James Version of Mr 1:45, for Greek diaphemizein, translated by the Revised Version (British and American) "spread abroad," as in <ref osi