King James Version
Acts 4
37 verses with commentary
Peter and John Before the Council
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, captain: or, ruler
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KJV Study Commentary
The arrival of 'priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees' signals organized religious opposition to gospel preaching. The Greek 'stratēgos' (captain) commanded temple police with authority to arrest. This triadic opposition - priestly aristocracy, temple security, and Sadducean theology - represents comprehensive establishment resistance. That they 'came upon them' (Greek 'epestēsan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
IV.
(1) **The priests, and the captain of the temple.**—For the first time in this book, we come across the chief agents in the condemnation passed on our Lord by the Sanhedrin. A few weeks or months had gone by, and they were congratulating themselves on having followed the advice of Caiaphas (John 11:48). They knew that the body of Jesus had disappeared from the sepulchre, and they industriously...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-5. showed himself alive--**As the author is about to tell us that "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" was the great burden of apostolic preaching, so the subject is here filly introduced by an allusion to the primary evidence on which that great fact rests, the repeated and undeniable manifestations of Himself in the body to the assembled disciples, who, instead of being predisposed to believ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 4
Chapter Outline
Peter and John imprisoned.(1-4)
The apostles boldly testify to Christ.(5-14)
Peter and John refuse to be silenced.(15-22)
The believers unite in prayer and praise.(23-31)
The holy charity of the Christians.(32-37)
**Verses 1-4**
The apostles preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. It includes all the happiness of the future sta...
Read full commentary →Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
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KJV Study Commentary
The authorities were 'grieved' (Greek 'diaponeomai,' thoroughly annoyed) for two reasons: apostles 'taught the people' without rabbinic credentials, and 'preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.' The phrase 'in Jesus' (Greek 'en Iēsou') indicates Jesus as resurrection's ground and guarantee - His rising proved general resurrection. This challenged Sadducean theology while implying th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Being grieved.**—The verb is one which expresses something like an intensity of trouble and vexation. (Comp. Acts 16:18.)
**Preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.**—Literally, *preached in Jesus*—*i.e., *in this as the crucial instance in which the resurrection of the dead had been made manifest. (Comp. the close union of “Jesus and the resurrection” in Acts 17:18.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-5. showed himself alive--**As the author is about to tell us that "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" was the great burden of apostolic preaching, so the subject is here filly introduced by an allusion to the primary evidence on which that great fact rests, the repeated and undeniable manifestations of Himself in the body to the assembled disciples, who, instead of being predisposed to believ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 4
Chapter Outline
Peter and John imprisoned.(1-4)
The apostles boldly testify to Christ.(5-14)
Peter and John refuse to be silenced.(15-22)
The believers unite in prayer and praise.(23-31)
The holy charity of the Christians.(32-37)
**Verses 1-4**
The apostles preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. It includes all the happiness of the future sta...
Read full commentary →And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
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KJV Study Commentary
The arrest - 'laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day' - demonstrates that gospel proclamation produces opposition from worldly powers. The phrase 'it was now eventide' explains the delay in trial due to Jewish legal procedure prohibiting night trials. This imprisonment parallels Christ's arrest, beginning the pattern of apostolic suffering 'for his name's sake' (v. 17). Peter a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **It was now eventide.**—The narrative started, it will be remembered, from 3 P.M. (Acts 3:1). The “eventide” began at 6 P.M.
**Put them in hold.**—Literally, *in custody.* In Acts 5:18, the word is translated “prison.” The old noun survives in our modern word “strong-*hold.”*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-5. showed himself alive--**As the author is about to tell us that "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" was the great burden of apostolic preaching, so the subject is here filly introduced by an allusion to the primary evidence on which that great fact rests, the repeated and undeniable manifestations of Himself in the body to the assembled disciples, who, instead of being predisposed to believ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 4
Chapter Outline
Peter and John imprisoned.(1-4)
The apostles boldly testify to Christ.(5-14)
Peter and John refuse to be silenced.(15-22)
The believers unite in prayer and praise.(23-31)
The holy charity of the Christians.(32-37)
**Verses 1-4**
The apostles preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. It includes all the happiness of the future sta...
Read full commentary →Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'many of them which heard the word believed' demonstrates that persecution cannot stop gospel advance - while leaders arrested apostles, the crowd continued converting. 'The number of the men was about five thousand' represents exponential growth from Pentecost's three thousand (Acts 2:41). The specification 'men' (Greek 'andrōn,' adult males) suggests total number including women an...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **The number of the men was about five thousand.**—Better, *became, *or *was made up to, about five thousand.* It seems probable, though not certain, that St. Luke meant this as a statement of the aggregate number of disciples, not of those who were converted on that day. As in the narrative of the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:21), women and children were not included. The number w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-8. wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?--**Doubtless their carnal views of Messiah's kingdom had by this time been modified, though how far it is impossible to say. But, as they plainly looked for some restoration of the kingdom to Israel, so they are neither rebuked nor contradicted on this point.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 4
Chapter Outline
Peter and John imprisoned.(1-4)
The apostles boldly testify to Christ.(5-14)
Peter and John refuse to be silenced.(15-22)
The believers unite in prayer and praise.(23-31)
The holy charity of the Christians.(32-37)
**Verses 1-4**
The apostles preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. It includes all the happiness of the future sta...
Read full commentary →And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Sanhedrin Convenes Against the Apostles:</strong> This verse describes the assembly of Jerusalem's religious leadership the day after Peter and John's arrest for preaching Christ's resurrection (Acts 4:1-3). The Greek word for "rulers" (<em>archontas</em>, ἄρχοντας) refers to members of the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council with 71 members holding both religious and limited civil a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **And it came to pass on the morrow . . .**—Better, *that there were gathered together the rulers, elders, and scribes in Jerusalem.* The two last words are misplaced in the English version by being transferred to the end of the next verse. The later MSS. give, however, *unto* Jerusalem. The meeting was obviously summoned, like that of Matthew 26:5, to consider what course was necessary in fac...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-8. wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?--**Doubtless their carnal views of Messiah's kingdom had by this time been modified, though how far it is impossible to say. But, as they plainly looked for some restoration of the kingdom to Israel, so they are neither rebuked nor contradicted on this point.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
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KJV Study Commentary
The assembly of 'Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest' represents Judaism's most powerful tribunal. Annas, though deposed by Rome, retained 'high priest' title and real power as patriarch of the priestly dynasty. His son-in-law Caiaphas held official position. This concentration of power confronting uneducated fishermen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And Annas the high priest . . .**—These are mentioned by themselves as representing the section that had probably convened the meeting, and came in as if to dominate its proceedings. The order of the first two names is the same as in Luke 3:2, and as that implied in John 18:13; John 18:24. Annas, or Ananus, had been made high priest by Quirinus, the Governor of Syria, filled the office A.D. ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-8. wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?--**Doubtless their carnal views of Messiah's kingdom had by this time been modified, though how far it is impossible to say. But, as they plainly looked for some restoration of the kingdom to Israel, so they are neither rebuked nor contradicted on this point.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
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KJV Study Commentary
The council's question - 'By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?' - acknowledges the miracle while seeking to discredit its source. The Greek distinguishes 'power' (dynamis, inherent ability) and 'name' (onoma, authority). This inquiry mirrors Satan's strategy: admit the supernatural while attributing it to wrong source. Their question betrays fear - if Jesus' name heals, their crucifi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And when they had set them in the midst.**—The Sanhedrin sat in a semi-circle, the president being in the middle of the arc, the accused standing in the centre.
**They asked.**—Literally, *were asking.* They put the question repeatedly, in many varying forms.
**By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?**—Literally, *By what kind of power, or what kind of name?* apparently in a tone ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-11. while they beheld, he was taken up--**See on Lu 24:50-53. Lest it should be thought He had disappeared when they were looking in some other direction, and so was only concluded to have gone up to heaven, it is here expressly said that "while they were looking He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." So Elijah, "If thou see me when I am taken from thee" (2Ki 2:10); "An...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
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KJV Study Commentary
Peter, 'filled with the Holy Ghost,' demonstrates fulfillment of Christ's promise (Luke 12:11-12) that the Spirit would provide words when facing tribunals. This filling differs from Pentecost's - not conversion but empowerment for specific witness. The address 'Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel' shows respect for office while preparing to deliver devastating accusation. Spirit-filling...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost.**—The tense implies an immediate sudden inspiration, giving the wisdom and courage and words which were needed at the time. The promises of Matthew 10:19-20, Luke 21:14-15, were abundantly fulfilled. The coincidence of names in the juxtaposition of the representatives of the new and the older Israel is striking. On each side there was a John; on each a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-11. while they beheld, he was taken up--**See on Lu 24:50-53. Lest it should be thought He had disappeared when they were looking in some other direction, and so was only concluded to have gone up to heaven, it is here expressly said that "while they were looking He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." So Elijah, "If thou see me when I am taken from thee" (2Ki 2:10); "An...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
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KJV Study Commentary
Peter's rephrasing of their question - 'If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man' - exposes the absurdity of prosecuting charitable healing. The Greek 'anakrinometha' (examined) is forensic terminology for formal investigation. Calling healing a 'good deed' (Greek 'euergesia,' benefaction) highlights the council's moral bankruptcy: they oppose manifest good. 'By what me...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **If we this day be examined.**—The word is employed in its technical sense of a judicial inter rogation, as in Luke 23:14. It is used by St. Luke and St. Paul (Acts 12:19; Acts 24:8; 1Corinthians 2:14-15; 1Corinthians 4:3-4), and by them only, in the New Testament.
**Of the good deed.**—Strictly, *the act of beneficence.* There is a manifest emphasis on the word as contrasted with the contemp...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-11. while they beheld, he was taken up--**See on Lu 24:50-53. Lest it should be thought He had disappeared when they were looking in some other direction, and so was only concluded to have gone up to heaven, it is here expressly said that "while they were looking He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." So Elijah, "If thou see me when I am taken from thee" (2Ki 2:10); "An...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
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KJV Study Commentary
Peter's declaration 'Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel' expands address beyond the council to the nation, making his statement public record. The core proclamation - 'by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead' - contrasts human action (crucifixion) with divine response (resurrection). The phrase 'even by him doth this man stan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified.**—The boldness of the declaration was startling. He does not shrink now from confessing the Nazarene as the Messiah. He presses home the fact that, though Pilate had given the formal sentence, it was they who had crucified their King. He proclaims that He has been raised from the dead, and is still as a Power working to heal as whe...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ac 1:12-26. Return of the Eleven to Jerusalem--Proceedings in the Upper Room till Pentecost.
**12-14. a sabbath day's journey--**about two thousand cubits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
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KJV Study Commentary
Peter quotes Psalm 118:22 - 'the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner' - applying Israel's rejected-then-exalted stone to Christ. The Greek 'exouthenetheis' (set at nought) means 'counted as nothing,' revealing the depth of religious leaders' contempt. Yet God made this rejected stone the 'head of the corner' (Greek 'kephalēn gōnias,' cornerstone) -...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders.**—Better, *of you, the builders.* The members of the Council to whom Peter spoke had heard those words (Psalm 118:22) quoted and interpreted before. (See Notes on Matthew 21:42-44.) Then they had thought, in their blindness, that they could defy the warning. They, by their calling, the builders of the Church of Israel, did reject th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ac 1:12-26. Return of the Eleven to Jerusalem--Proceedings in the Upper Room till Pentecost.
**12-14. a sabbath day's journey--**about two thousand cubits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Neither is there salvation in any other</strong>—Peter declares absolute exclusivity: Christ alone saves, eliminating all alternative paths. The Greek 'en allō oudeni' (in no other) allows zero exceptions. <strong>For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved</strong>—'name' (ὄνομα) represents the person and work of Christ, not a magical formula. The p...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Neither is there** **salvation in any other.**—Here the pregnant force of “hath been made whole,” in Acts 4:9, comes out; and St. Peter rises to its highest meaning, and proclaims a salvation, not from disease and infirmity of body, but from the great disease of sin. The Greek has the article before “salvation.” That of which Peter spoke was *the* salvation which the rulers professed to be ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ac 1:12-26. Return of the Eleven to Jerusalem--Proceedings in the Upper Room till Pentecost.
**12-14. a sabbath day's journey--**about two thousand cubits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Greek word for 'boldness' (parrēsia) denotes confident, fearless speech - remarkable for fishermen facing the Jewish ruling council. The Sanhedrin recognized these men as 'agrammatos kai idiōtai' (unlearned and ordinary), yet their transformation was undeniable. The phrase 'they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus' reveals the true source of apostolic authority: intimate comp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **When they saw** **the boldness of Peter and John.**—John, so far as we read, had not spoken, but look and bearing, and, perhaps, unrecorded words, showed that he too shared Peter’s courage. That “boldness of speech” had been characteristic of his Lord’s teaching (Mark 8:32; John 7:13). It was now to be the distinctive feature of that of the disciples: here of Peter; in Acts 28:31, 2Corinthi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
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KJV Study Commentary
The council's dilemma - 'beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it' - demonstrates truth's irrefutable power. The Greek 'blepō' (beholding) indicates continuing to look at living evidence they couldn't deny. 'Could say nothing against it' (Greek 'antilegein,' speak against) shows intellectual defeat despite maintaining hostile intent. Miracles alone d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **They could say** **nothing against** **it.**—Literally, *they had nothing to say against it.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must p...
Read full commentary →But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
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KJV Study Commentary
The command to 'put them forth out of the council' while they 'conferred among themselves' reveals corrupt deliberation - excluding the accused from defense violates justice. The Greek 'symballō' (conferred) suggests adversarial discussion seeking strategy, not truth. This scene parallels Jesus' trial (Mark 14:55) where the same council sought false testimony. Truth fears examination; lies require...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
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KJV Study Commentary
The council's admission - 'a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it' - acknowledges undeniable reality while refusing proper response. The Greek 'gnōston sēmeion' (notable miracle) indicates a widely-known, authenticating sign. Their confession 'we cannot deny it' admits truth while planning to suppress it, demonstrating the fu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **What shall we do to these men?**—The question now debated was clearly one that never ought to have been even asked. They were sitting as a Court of Justice, and should have given their verdict for or against the accused according to the evidence. They abandon that office, and begin discussing what policy was most expedient. It was, we may add, characteristic of Caiaphas to do so (John 11:49...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
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KJV Study Commentary
The council's strategy - 'that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name' - reveals their true concern: not truth but control. The Greek 'apeilē apeilēsōmetha' (straitly threaten, intensive Hebrew idiom) indicates severe warning. Their phrase 'this name' avoids saying 'Jesus,' showing superstitious fear or contemptuous d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Let us straitly threaten them.**—The Greek gives literally, *let us threaten them with threats.* The phrase gives the Hebrew idiom for expressing intensity by reduplication, as in “blessing I will bless thee” (Genesis 22:17), “dying thou shalt die” (Genesis 2:17, *marg.*)*, *and, as far as it goes, indicates that St. Luke translated from a report of the speech which Caiaphas had delivered i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
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KJV Study Commentary
The command 'not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus' attempted to silence gospel proclamation completely. The Greek distinguishes 'phtheggesthai' (speak, general utterance) and 'didaskein' (teach, systematic instruction) - the council banned all forms of Jesus-centered communication. This confrontation forced apostles to choose between human authority and divine commission, establishin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Not to speak at all.**—The Greek is even more forcible: *absolutely not to utter* . . . The very name of Jesus was not to pass their lips.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Peter and John's response - 'Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye' - appeals to the council's own conscience while asserting divine authority's supremacy. The Greek 'akouo' (hearken) implies obedient listening. This rhetorical question forces them to acknowledge their command's unrighteousness. The phrase 'in the sight of God' invokes ultimate ju...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Whether it be right in the sight of God . . .**—The words assert the right of conscience, recognising a divine authority, to resist a human authority which opposes it. In theory, as the appeal “judge ye” showed even then, the right so claimed is of the nature of an axiom. In practice, the difficulty rises in the question, Is there the divine authority which is claimed? And the only practica...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Greek construction 'ou dynameth laleiv' (cannot but speak) expresses moral compulsion, not mere inability. The apostles declare they are witnesses (martyres) who must testify to what they have 'seen and heard' - emphasizing the eyewitness nature of apostolic authority. This echoes Old Testament prophets who could not remain silent when God spoke (Jeremiah 20:9, Amos 3:8). Their response embodi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **We cannot but speak . . .**—The pronoun is emphatic: “we, for our part” . . . The question at issue was one of bearing witness, and that witness they had received a special command to bear (Acts 1:8).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The council's impotence - 'when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people' - reveals political rather than legal motivation. Repeated threats without action demonstrate weakness. The phrase 'because of the people' shows fear of popular revolt. 'All men glorified God for that which was done' indicates the miracle's apologet...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **All men glorified God . . .**—The tense implies continued action. It is specially characteristic of St. Luke thus to note the impression made upon the people by signs and wonders (Luke 2:20; Luke 4:15; and in seven other passages).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The note that 'the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed' emphasizes the healing's magnitude. Forty years of lameness made the cure medically impossible, requiring supernatural explanation. The Greek 'sēmeion' (miracle, sign) indicates this healing pointed beyond itself to greater reality - Christ's power over all infirmity, physical and spiritual. The passive v...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **The man was above forty years old.**—This precision in noting the duration of disease or infirmity is again characteristic of the writer. Comp. the case of the woman with an issue of blood (Luke 8:43); of Æneas (Acts 9:33); of the cripple at Lystra (Acts 14:8).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-22**
All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world'...
Read full commentary →The Believers Pray for Boldness
And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The phrase 'being let go, they went to their own company' shows the early church's cohesive community - believers sought each other for support and prayer. The Greek 'idious' (their own) emphasizes belonging and shared identity. 'Reported all that the chief priests and elders had said' demonstrates transparency and collective processing of persecution. This pattern establishes church's corporate n...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **They went to their own company.**—Literally, *their own people.* The statement implies a recognised place of meeting, where the members of the new society met at fixed times.
**All that the chief priests.**—The word is probably used in its more extended meaning, as including, not only Annas and Caiaphas, but the heads of the four-and-twenty courses (see Note on Matthew 2:4), and others who ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The united prayer - 'they lifted up their voice to God with one accord' - demonstrates church's first response to persecution: corporate intercession, not human strategy. The Greek 'homothumadon' (one accord) indicates unanimous purpose and spirit. Their address 'Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is' grounds prayer in divine sovereignty - the ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **They lifted up their voice to God with one accord.**—The phrase seems to imply an intonation, or chant, different from that of common speech (Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22). The joint utterance described may be conceived as the result either (1) of a direct inspiration, suggesting the same words to all who were present; (2) of the people following St. Peter, clause by clause; (3) of the hymn being...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-26. in those days--**of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
**the number ... about an hundred and twenty--**Many, therefore, of the "five ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
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KJV Study Commentary
The prayer quotes Psalm 2:1-2 - 'Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together' - applying David's royal psalm to Christ's rejection. The Greek 'phryssō' (rage) suggests snorting horses, emphasizing irrational fury. 'Imagine vain things' (Greek 'meletaō kena') means 'meditate on empty things' - futile schemes ag...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Who by the mouth of thy servant David **. . . .—The older MSS. present many variations of the text. It probably stood originally somewhat in this form: “Who through the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David our father, thy servant,” and was simplified by later copyists. In the citation from Psalms 2 we have another lesson from the Apostles’ school of prophetic interpretation. The Psalm is not c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
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KJV Study Commentary
The application of Psalm 2 continues - 'against the Lord, and against his Christ' - identifying current persecution as fulfillment of prophetic pattern. The Greek 'christos' (Anointed One) translates Hebrew 'Messiah,' connecting Jesus explicitly with psalm's king. Opposition to Christ is opposition to God - rejecting the Son rejects the Father (John 5:23). This theology sustained martyrs: their pe...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **And against his Christ.**—The question whether the word “Christ” should be used as a proper name, or translated, is commonly answered by accepting the former alternative. Here, perhaps, to maintain the connection with the Psalm and with the verb in the next verse, it would be better to say, “against His Anointed.” The “Lord” stands, of course, for the Supreme Deity of the Father.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 2 Ac 2:1-13. Descent of the Spirit--The Disciples Speak with Tongues--Amazement of the Multitude.
**1-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come--**The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Le 23:15, 16).
**with one accord--**the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,</strong> This prayer acknowledges God's sovereignty over Jesus' crucifixion. The Greek <em>ep' alētheias</em> (ἐπ' ἀληθείας, "of a truth") means "truly, certainly"—emphasizing factual accuracy. "Holy child" (<em>hagion pa...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Of a truth**. . . .—Many of the better MSS. add the words “in this city.”
**Against thy holy child Jesus.**—Better, as before, *Servant.* (See Notes on Acts 3:13) The word is the same as that used of David in Acts 4:25.
**Both Herod, and Pontius Pilate.**—The narrative of Herod’s share in the proceedings connected with the Passion is, it will be remembered, found only in Luke 23:8-12. So fa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 2 Ac 2:1-13. Descent of the Spirit--The Disciples Speak with Tongues--Amazement of the Multitude.
**1-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come--**The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Le 23:15, 16).
**with one accord--**the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The prayer acknowledges God's sovereignty: 'to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.' The Greek 'proorisen' (determined) indicates predestination - God's eternal decree includes evil actions (crucifixion, persecution) without causing moral guilt. This paradox - God's sovereign control and human responsibility coexisting - distinguishes Reformed theology. The phrase '...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **To do whatsoever** **thy hand**. . . .—The great problem of the relation of the divine purpose to man’s free agency is stated (as before in Acts 1:16; Acts 2:23), without any attempt at a philosophical solution. No such solution is indeed possible. If we admit a Divine Will at all, manifesting itself in the government of the world, in the education of man kind, in the salvation of individua...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 2 Ac 2:1-13. Descent of the Spirit--The Disciples Speak with Tongues--Amazement of the Multitude.
**1-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come--**The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Le 23:15, 16).
**with one accord--**the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The specific request - 'Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word' - doesn't ask for threat removal but courage to continue despite threats. The Greek 'parrhēsia' (boldness) means frank, fearless speech. They pray not for protection but proclamation, showing kingdom priorities: mission over safety. 'Thy servants' acknowledges their...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **And now, Lord, behold their threatenings.**—The context shows that the prayer of the Church is addressed to the Father. The Apostles, who had shown “boldness of speech” (Acts 4:13), pray, as conscious of their natural weakness, for a yet further bestowal of that gift, as being now more than ever needed, both for themselves and the whole community.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 2 Ac 2:1-13. Descent of the Spirit--The Disciples Speak with Tongues--Amazement of the Multitude.
**1-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come--**The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Le 23:15, 16).
**with one accord--**the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
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KJV Study Commentary
The prayer continues requesting God 'stretch forth thine hand to heal' and 'that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.' The phrase 'stretch forth thine hand' echoes Exodus imagery of God's mighty acts (Exodus 3:20). They pray for continued miracles not for spectacle but validation - 'signs and wonders' authenticate gospel message. Calling Jesus 'holy child' (Greek 'pai...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **By stretching forth thine hand to heal.**—There seems something like an intentional assonance in the Greek words which St. Luke uses—*iāsis* (healing) and *Jesus* (pronounced *Iesus*)—as though he would indicate that the very name of Jesus witnessed to His being the great Healer. A like instance of the *nomen et omen* idea is found in the identification by Tertullian (*Apol.* c. 3) of *Chri...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when they had prayed, the place was shaken</strong>—Physical shaking authenticated God's presence, recalling Sinai (Exodus 19:18) and Isaiah 6:4. The church's response to persecution was corporate prayer for boldness (v.29), not safety—God answered with tangible confirmation. <strong>They were all filled with the Holy Ghost</strong> (ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες πνεύματος ἁγίου)—a subsequent fil...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **The place was shaken**. . . .—The impression on the senses was so far a renewal of the wonder of the Day of Pentecost, but in this instance without the sign of the tongues of fire, which were the symbols of a gift imparted once for all, and, perhaps also, without the special marvel of the utterance of the tongues. The disciples felt the power of the Spirit, the evidence of sense confirming ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-31**
Christ's followers do best in company, provided it is their own company. It encourages God's servants, both in doing work, and suffering work, that they serve the God who made all things, and therefore has the disposal of all events; and the Scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus was anointed to be a Saviour, therefore it was determined he should be a sacrifice, to make atonement...
Read full commentary →Believers Share All Things
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
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KJV Study Commentary
The early church's radical economic sharing ('had all things common') exemplified Spirit-produced unity and love. The phrase 'of one heart and of one soul' indicates spiritual unity preceding and enabling material generosity. This voluntary communalism arose from transformed hearts, not external compulsion.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **And the multitude of them** **that believed.**—Literally, *And the heart and the soul of the multitude of those that believed were one.* Of the two words used to describe the unity of the Church, “heart” represented, as in Hebrew usage, rather the intellectual side of character (Mark 2:6; Mark 2:8; Mark 11:23; Luke 2:35; Luke 3:15; Luke 6:45, *et al.*)*, *and “soul,” the emotional (Luke 2:3...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 32-37**
The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, an...
Read full commentary →And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
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KJV Study Commentary
Apostolic witness to resurrection formed Christianity's core message, demonstrating that early preaching centered on historical event, not mere ethical teaching. 'Great power' (Greek 'dunamis') indicates Spirit-enabled boldness and authenticating miracles. 'Great grace upon them all' shows divine favor enabling their mission and attracting converts.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **With great power gave the apostles** **witness.**—The Greek verb implies the idea of paying or rendering what was due, as in Matthew 22:11. They were doing that which they were bound to do.
**Great grace was upon them.**—The words may stand parallel with Luke 2:40 as meaning that the *grace* of God was bestowed upon the disciples in full measure, or with Acts 2:47 as stating that the *favou...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 32-37**
The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, an...
Read full commentary →Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'neither was there any among them that lacked' fulfills Deuteronomy 15:4's ideal - 'there shall be no poor among you.' The Greek 'endeēs' (lack) indicates genuine need, not desire. This economic sharing wasn't mandated redistribution but Spirit-produced generosity. The next phrase explains: voluntary property sales funded need-based distribution. This modeled kingdom economics where ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **Neither was there any among them that lacked.**—Better, perhaps, *any one in need.*
**Sold them, and brought the prices.**—Both words imply continuous and repeated action. It is possible that besides the strong impulse of love, they were impressed, by their Lord’s warnings of wars and coming troubles, with the instability of earthly possessions. Landed property in Palestine was likely to be...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 32-37**
The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, an...
Read full commentary →And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need .
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.</strong> This verse describes the radical economic sharing practiced by the earliest Jerusalem church. Believers who sold property or possessions "laid them down at the apostles' feet"—a phrase indicating complete surrender of control and submission to apostolic authority. The physi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **And laid them down at the apostles’ feet,**—The words are a vivid picture of one phase of Eastern life. When gifts or offerings are made to a king, or priest, or teacher, they are not placed in his hands, but at his feet. The Apostles sat, it would seem, in conclave, on their twelve seats, as in the figurative promise of Matthew 19:28, and the vision of Revelation 4:4.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 32-37**
The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, an...
Read full commentary →And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Barnabas's introduction - 'Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus' - establishes his character and credentials. The name change from Joses to Barnabas (Greek 'huios parakleseos,' son of encouragement/consolation) indicates his dominant characteristic. As a Levite, he descended from Israel's pri...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(36) **And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas.**—The better MSS. give the name as Joseph. It is possible, as Rabbinic writers often give *Jose* for Joseph, that both were but different forms, like Simon and Simeon, of the same name. The later friendship between the Levite of Cyprus and St. Paul makes it probable that there had been some previous companionship (see Notes on Acts 9:27;...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--**not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see Ac 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 32-37**
The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, an...
Read full commentary →Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
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KJV Study Commentary
Barnabas's action - 'having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet' - exemplifies sacrificial generosity. The phrase 'laid it at the apostles' feet' demonstrates submission to church authority for distribution. Selling land (Greek 'agros,' field or estate) represented significant sacrifice - land was permanent wealth. This act introduces the contrast with Ananias a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(37) **Having land, sold it.**—Better, perhaps, *having a farm.* (See Notes on Mark 5:14; Mark 6:36; Mark 6:56.) In the original polity of Israel the Levites had cities and land in common, but no private property (Numbers 18:20-21; Deuteronomy 10:8-9, *et al.*)*, *and depended for their support upon the tithes paid by the people. The case of Jeremiah, however (Jeremiah 32:7-12), shows that there w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 32-37**
The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, an...
Read full commentary →