1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 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.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 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.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 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.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 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.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 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.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 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.
22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 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:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 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,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 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.
32 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.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 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,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36 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,
37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
1 And G1161 as they G846 spake G2980 unto G4314 the people, G2992 the priests, G2409 and G2532 the captain G4755 of the temple, G2411 and G2532 the Sadducees, G4523 came upon G2186 them, G846
2 Being grieved G1278 that G1223 they G846 taught G1321 the people, G2992 and G2532 preached G2605 through G1722 Jesus G2424 the resurrection G386 from G1537 the dead. G3498
3 And G2532 they laid G1911 hands G5495 on them, G846 and G2532 put G5087 them in G1519 hold G5084 unto G1519 the next day: G839 for G1063 it was G2258 now G2235 eventide. G2073
4 Howbeit G1161 many G4183 of them which heard G191 the word G3056 believed; G4100 and G2532 the number G706 of the men G435 was G1096 about G5616 five G4002 thousand. G5505
5 And G1161 it came to pass G1096 on G1909 the morrow, G839 that their G846 rulers, G758 and G2532 elders, G4245 and G2532 scribes, G1122
6 And G2532 Annas G452 the high priest, G749 and G2532 Caiaphas, G2533 and G2532 John, G2491 and G2532 Alexander, G223 and G2532 as many as G3745 were G2258 of G1537 the kindred G1085 of the high priest, G748 were gathered together G4863 at G1519 Jerusalem. G2419
7 And G2532 when they had set G2476 them G846 in G1722 the midst, G3319 they asked, G4441 By G1722 what G4169 power, G1411 or G2228 by G1722 what G4169 name, G3686 have G4160 ye G5210 done G4160 this? G5124
8 Then G5119 Peter, G4074 filled G4130 with the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Ye rulers G758 of the people, G2992 and G2532 elders G4245 of Israel, G2474
9 If G1487 we G2249 this day G4594 be examined G350 of G1909 the good deed done G2108 to the impotent G772 man, G444 by G1722 what means G5101 he G3778 is made whole; G4982
10 Be it G2077 known G1110 unto you G5213 all, G3956 and G2532 to all G3956 the people G2992 of Israel, G2474 that G3754 by G1722 the name G3686 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 of Nazareth, G3480 whom G3739 ye G5210 crucified, G4717 whom G3739 God G2316 raised G1453 from G1537 the dead, G3498 even by G1722 him G5129 doth G3936 this man G3778 stand here G3936 before G1799 you G5216 whole. G5199
11 This G3778 is G2076 the stone G3037 which G3588 was set at nought G1848 of G5259 you G5216 builders, G3618 which G3588 is become G1096 the head G2776 of G1519 the corner. G1137
12 Neither G2532 G3756 is there G2076 salvation G4991 in G1722 any G3762 other: G243 for G1063 there is G2076 none G3777 other G2087 name G3686 under G5259 heaven G3772 given G1325 among G1722 men, G444 whereby G1722 G3739 we G2248 must G1163 be saved. G4982
13 Now G1161 when they saw G2334 the boldness G3954 of Peter G4074 and G2532 John, G2491 and G2532 perceived G2638 that G3754 they were G1526 unlearned G62 and G2532 ignorant G2399 men, G444 they marvelled; G2296 and G5037 they took knowledge G1921 of them, G846 that G3754 they had been G2258 with G4862 Jesus. G2424
14 And G1161 beholding G991 the man G444 which was healed G2323 standing G2476 with G4862 them, G846 they could G2192 say G471 nothing G3762 against it. G471
15 But G1161 when they had commanded G2753 them G846 to go aside G565 out of G1854 the council, G4892 they conferred G4820 among G4314 themselves, G240
16 Saying, G3004 What G5101 shall we do G4160 to these G5125 men? G444 for G1063 that G3754 indeed G3303 a notable G1110 miracle G4592 hath been done G1096 by G1223 them G846 is manifest G5318 to all them G3956 that dwell G2730 in Jerusalem; G2419 and G2532 we cannot G3756 G1410 deny G720 it.
17 But G235 that G3363 it spread G1268 no G3363 further G1909 G4119 among G1519 the people, G2992 let us straitly G547 threaten G546 them, G846 that they speak G2980 henceforth G3371 to no G3367 man G444 in G1909 this G5129 name. G3686
18 And G2532 they called G2564 them, G846 and commanded G3853 them G846 not G3361 to speak G5350 at all G2527 nor G3366 teach G1321 in G1909 the name G3686 of Jesus. G2424
19 But G1161 Peter G4074 and G2532 John G2491 answered G611 and said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Whether G1487 it be G2076 right G1342 in the sight G1799 of God G2316 to hearken G191 unto you G5216 more than G3123 G2228 unto God, G2316 judge ye. G2919
20 For G1063 we G2249 cannot G3756 G1410 but G3361 speak G2980 the things which G3739 we have seen G1492 and G2532 heard. G191
21 So G1161 when they had further threatened them, G4324 they let G630 them G846 go, G630 finding G2147 nothing G3367 how G4459 they might punish G2849 them, G846 because G1223 of the people: G2992 for G3754 all G3956 men glorified G1392 God G2316 for G1909 that which was done. G1096
22 For G1063 the man G444 was G2258 above G4119 forty G5062 years old, G2094 on G1909 whom G3739 this G5124 miracle G4592 of healing G2392 was shewed. G1096
23 And G1161 being let go, G630 they went G2064 to G4314 their own company, G2398 and G2532 reported G518 all G3745 that the chief priests G749 and G2532 elders G4245 had said G2036 unto G4314 them. G846
24 And G1161 when they heard that, G191 they lifted up G142 their voice G5456 to G4314 God G2316 with one accord, G3661 and G2532 said, G2036 Lord, G1203 thou G4771 art God, G2316 which G3588 hast made G4160 heaven, G3772 and G2532 earth, G1093 and G2532 the sea, G2281 and G2532 all G3956 that in G1722 them is: G846
25 Who G3588 by G1223 the mouth G4750 of thy G4675 servant G3816 David G1138 hast said, G2036 Why G2444 did G5433 the heathen G1484 rage, G5433 and G2532 the people G2992 imagine G3191 vain things? G2756
26 The kings G935 of the earth G1093 stood up, G3936 and G2532 the rulers G758 were gathered G4863 together G1909 G846 against G2596 the Lord, G2962 and G2532 against G2596 his G846 Christ. G5547
27 For G1063 of G1909 a truth G225 against G1909 thy G4675 holy G40 child G3816 Jesus, G2424 whom G3739 thou hast anointed, G5548 both G5037 Herod, G2264 and G2532 Pontius G4194 Pilate, G4091 with G4862 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 the people G2992 of Israel, G2474 were gathered together, G4863
28 For to do G4160 whatsoever G3745 thy G4675 hand G5495 and G2532 thy G4675 counsel G1012 determined before G4309 to be done. G1096
29 And G2532 now, G3569 Lord, G2962 behold G1896 G1909 their G846 threatenings: G547 and G2532 grant unto G1325 thy G4675 servants, G1401 that with G3326 all G3956 boldness G3954 they may speak G2980 thy G4675 word, G3056
30 By G1722 G4571 stretching forth G1614 thine G4675 hand G5495 to G1519 heal; G2392 and G2532 that signs G4592 and G2532 wonders G5059 may be done G1096 by G1223 the name G3686 of thy G4675 holy G40 child G3816 Jesus. G2424
31 And G2532 when they G846 had prayed, G1189 the place G5117 was shaken G4531 where G1722 G3739 they were G2258 assembled together; G4863 and G2532 they were G4130 all G537 filled G4130 with the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 and G2532 they spake G2980 the word G3056 of God G2316 with G3326 boldness. G3954
32 And G1161 the multitude G4128 of them that believed G4100 were G2258 of one heart G2588 and G2532 of one G3391 soul: G5590 neither G2532 G3761 said G3004 any G1520 of them that ought G5100 of the things which he G846 possessed G5224 was G1511 his own; G2398 but G235 they G846 had G2258 all things G537 common. G2839
33 And G2532 with great G3173 power G1411 gave G591 the apostles G652 witness G3142 of the resurrection G386 of the Lord G2962 Jesus: G2424 and G5037 great G3173 grace G5485 was G2258 upon G1909 them G846 all. G3956
34 Neither G3761 G1063 was G5225 there any G5100 among G1722 them G846 that lacked: G1729 for G1063 as many as G3745 were G5225 possessors G2935 of lands G5564 or G2228 houses G3614 sold them, G4453 and brought G5342 the prices G5092 of the things that were sold, G4097
35 And G2532 laid them down G5087 at G3844 the apostles' G652 feet: G4228 and G1161 distribution was made G1239 unto every man G1538 according G2530 as G302 he had G2192 need. G5100 G5532
36 And G1161 Joses, G2500 who G3588 by G5259 the apostles G652 was surnamed G1941 Barnabas, G921 (which G3739 is, G2076 being interpreted, G3177 The son G5207 of consolation,) G3874 a Levite, G3019 and of the country G1085 of Cyprus, G2953
37 Having G5225 G846 land, G68 sold G4453 it, and brought G5342 the money, G5536 and G2532 laid G5087 it at G3844 the apostles' G652 feet. G4228
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 being sore troubled because they taught the people, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in ward unto the morrow: for it was now eventide.
4 But many of them that heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;
6 and Annas the high priest `was there', and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders,
9 if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole;
10 be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, `even' in him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the head of the corner.
12 And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.
13 Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man that was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye:
20 for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.
21 And they, when they had further threatened them, let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people; for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man was more than forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was wrought.
23 And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.
24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 who by the Holy Spirit, `by' the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:
27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
28 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
30 while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one `of them' said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.
36 And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
1 And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees --
2 being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the rising again out of the dead --
3 and they laid hands upon them, and did put them in custody unto the morrow, for it was evening already;
4 and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.
5 And it came to pass upon the morrow, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem,
6 and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the chief priest,
7 and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, `In what power, or in what name did ye do this?'
8 Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them: `Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved,
10 be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye did crucify, whom God did raise out of the dead, in him hath this one stood by before you whole.
11 `This is the stone that was set at nought by you -- the builders, that became head of a corner;
12 and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.'
13 And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering -- they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been --
14 and seeing the man standing with them who hath been healed, they had nothing to say against `it',
15 and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,
16 saying, `What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem `is' manifest, and we are not able to deny `it';
17 but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'
18 And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus,
19 and Peter and John answering unto them said, `Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;
20 for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.'
21 And they having further threatened `them', let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done,
22 for above forty years of age was the man upon whom had been done this sign of the healing.
23 And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them,
24 and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, `Lord, thou `art' God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that `are' in them,
25 who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?
26 the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;
27 for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel did determine before to come to pass.
29 `And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,
30 in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.'
31 And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom,
32 and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.
33 And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all,
34 for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling `them', were bringing the prices of the thing sold,
35 and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.
36 And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas -- which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort -- a Levite, of Cyprus by birth,
37 a field being his, having sold `it', brought the money and laid `it' at the feet of the apostles.
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 being distressed on account of their teaching the people and preaching by Jesus the resurrection from among [the] dead;
3 and they laid hands on them, and put them in ward till the morrow; for it was already evening.
4 But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become [about] five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem,
6 and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of [the] high priestly family;
7 and having placed them in the midst they inquired, In what power or in what name have *ye* done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders [of Israel],
9 if *we* this day are called upon to answer as to the good deed [done] to the infirm man, how *he* has been healed,
10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean, whom *ye* have crucified, whom God has raised from among [the] dead, by *him* this [man] stands here before you sound [in body].
11 *He* is the stone which has been set at nought by you the builders, which is become the corner stone.
12 And salvation is in none other, for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved.
13 But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlettered and uninstructed men, they wondered; and they recognised them that they were with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to reply;
15 but having commanded them to go out of the council they conferred with one another,
16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed an evident sign has come to pass through their means is manifest to all that inhabit Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name.
18 And having called them, they charged [them] not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answering said to them, If it be righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge ye;
20 for as for us *we* cannot refrain from speaking of the things which we have seen and heard.
21 But they, having further threatened them, let them go, finding no way how they might punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified God for what had taken place;
22 for the man on whom this sign of healing had taken place was above forty years old.
23 And having been let go, they came to their own [company], and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24 And they, having heard [it], lifted up [their] voice with one accord to God, and said, Lord, *thou* art the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;
25 who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have [the] nations raged haughtily and [the] peoples meditated vain things?
26 The kings of the earth were there, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.
27 For in truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hadst anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with [the] nations, and peoples of Israel, have been gathered together in this city
28 to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass.
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word,
30 in that thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.
32 And the heart and soul of the multitude of those that had believed were one, and not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them;
33 and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
34 For neither was there any one in want among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, brought the price of what was sold
35 and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one might have need.
36 And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth,
37 being possessed of land, having sold [it], brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
1 As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them,
2 being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening.
4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 It happened in the morning, that their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem.
6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest.
7 When they had stood them in the middle of them, they inquired, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,
10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole.
11 He is 'the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.'
12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!"
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.
14 Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, "What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can't deny it.
17 But so that this spreads no further among the people, let's threaten them, that from now on they don't speak to anyone in this name."
18 They called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,
20 for we can't help telling the things which we saw and heard."
21 When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
23 Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, "O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
25 who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, 'Why do the nations rage, And the peoples plot a vain thing?
26 The kings of the earth take a stand, And the rulers take council together, Against the Lord, and against his Christ{Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew) both mean Anointed One. (Compare Psalm 2)}.'
27 For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.
29 Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,
30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus."
31 When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.
34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.
36 Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
1 And while they were talking to the people, the priests and the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees came up to them,
2 Being greatly troubled because they were teaching the people and preaching Jesus as an example of the coming back from the dead.
3 And they took them and put them in prison till the morning, for it was now evening.
4 But a number of those who gave hearing to the word had faith; and they were now about five thousand.
5 And on the day after, the rulers and those in authority and the scribes came together in Jerusalem;
6 And Annas, the high priest, was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all the relations of the high priest.
7 Then sending for Peter and John, they said, By what power and in whose name have you done this?
8 Then Peter, being full of the Holy Spirit, said to them, O you rulers of the people and men of authority,
9 If we are questioned today about a good work done to a man who was ill, as to how he has been made well,
10 Take note, all of you, and all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you put to death on the cross, whom God gave back from the dead, even through him is this man now before you completely well.
11 He is the stone which you builders had no use for, but which has been made the chief stone of the building.
12 And in no other is there salvation: for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, through which we may have salvation.
13 Now when they saw that Peter and John were without fear, though they were men of no education or learning, they were greatly surprised; and they took note of them that they had been with Jesus.
14 And, seeing that the man who had been made well was there with them, they were not able to say anything against it.
15 But when they had given them orders to go out of the Sanhedrin, they had a discussion among themselves,
16 Saying, What are we to do with these men? for certainly it is clear to all who are living in Jerusalem that a most important sign has been done by them, and it is not possible to say that it is not so.
17 But so that it may not go farther among the people, let us put them in fear of punishment if they say anything in future in this name.
18 And they sent for them, and gave them orders not to make statements or give teaching in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John in answer said to them, It is for you to say if it is right in the eyes of God to give attention to you more than to God:
20 For it is not possible for us to keep from saying what we have seen and have knowledge of.
21 And when they had said more sharp words to them, they let them go, not seeing what punishment they might give them, because of the people; for all men were giving praise to God for what had taken place.
22 For the man on whom this act of power was done was more than forty years old.
23 And when they had been made free, they came back to their friends, and gave an account of all the things which the chief priests and the authorities had said to them.
24 And hearing it, they all, with one mind, made prayer to God and said, O Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them:
25 Who has said, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish?
26 The kings of the earth were lifted up, the rulers came together, against the Lord, and against his Christ:
27 For, truly, in this town, against your holy servant, Jesus, who was marked out by you as Christ, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, came together,
28 To do that which had been fixed before by your hand and your purpose.
29 And now, Lord, take note of their cruel words, and give your servants power to be preachers of your word without fear,
30 While your hand is stretched out to do works of mercy; so that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
31 And when their prayer was ended, the place where they were was violently moved, and they all became full of the Holy Spirit, preaching the word of God without fear.
32 And all those who were of the faith were one in heart and soul: and not one of them said that any of the things which he had was his property only; but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the Apostles gave witness of the coming back of the Lord Jesus from the dead; and grace was on them all.
34 And no one among them was in need; for everyone who had land or houses, exchanging them for money, took the price of them,
35 And put it at the feet of the Apostles for distribution to everyone as he had need.
36 And Joseph, who was given by the Apostles the name of Barnabas (the sense of which is, Son of comfort), a Levite and a man of Cyprus by birth,
37 Having a field, got money for it and put the money at the feet of the Apostles.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Acts 4
Commentary on Acts 4 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
And as they spake unto the people,.... For though only mention is made of Peter's preaching in the preceding chapter, yet doubtless John preached as well as he; either in turn, or to a part of the people at some distance: and this shows their diligence, faithfulness, and integrity, in the ministration of the word; and it is recorded to their honour, that whilst they were about their master's business, and discharging the duty of their office,
the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them; by agreement, with great violence, and at unawares: the "priests" might be those who kept the watch in the temple; for
"in three places the priests kept watch, in the house of the sanctuary; in the house of Abtines, in the house of Nitsots, and in the house of Moked, and the Levites in one and twenty placesF16Misn. Middot, c. 1. sect. 1. .'
And it now being eventide, they might be about to take their stands; "and the captain of the temple" might be he, whom they call, איש הר בית, "the man of the mountain of the house"; who was שר, a ruler, or governor, and ממונה, a president over all the wardsF17Bartenora & Yom Tob in ib. sect. 2. ; he is sometimes called ראש משמר, "the head of the ward"F18Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 6. fol. 186. 3. ; and of him it is saidF19Misn. Middot, c. 1. sect. 2. ,
"the man of the mountain of the house goes his round through every ward, with burning torches before him; and every ward that does not stand (is not on his feet), the man of the mountain of the house, says to him, peace be to thee; and if he observes that he is asleep, he strikes him with his staff, and he has power to burn his garments.'
The Vulgate Latin and the Oriental versions read in the plural number, as in See Gill on Luke 22:4, Luke 22:52. The Sadducees were a sect among the Jews, that denied the resurrection of the dead; of their rise, name, and tenets; see Gill on Matthew 3:7.
Being grieved that they taught the people,.... Any doctrine, and especially that which follows, and which particularly gave uneasiness to the Sadducees, they were exceedingly distressed by it; it pained them to the very heart, and they were filled with wrath and indignation:
and preached through, or in Jesus, the resurrection of the dead; they not only preached the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in general, but gave an instance and proof of it in the resurrection of Christ, affirming that he was risen from the dead; and they also preached up the resurrection of the dead in his name, and asserted, that he would be the author of it, and it would be erected by his power: so that their doctrine was equally disagreeable to the Pharisees and Sadducees; to the Sadducees, who denied that there was, or would be any resurrection of the dead; and to the Pharisees, who though they believed it, yet were highly offended that it should be said, that Jesus was risen from the dead; and that the general resurrection of the dead should be attributed to him.
And they laid hands on them,.... The Arabic version renders it, "on both"; on Peter and John; seized them by force, and drew them out of the temple:
and put them in hold unto the next day; not in the common public prison, as in Acts 5:18 but they put them into the hands, and under the care and custody of a set of men, to keep and guard them; that they might not go away, until they had an opportunity of bringing them before the sanhedrim, to be examined and punished by them:
for it was now eventide; it was at the ninth hour, or about three o'clock in the afternoon, when Peter and John went up to the temple, where they healed the lame man; after which, both of them preached to the people; so that it must now be evening; at least, as the Syriac version renders it, "the evening was near", or was drawing on.
Howbeit, many of them which heard the word,.... The doctrine of the Gospel, preached by Peter and John:
believed; the report of it, and in Christ, as risen from the dead, which was the sum and substance of it: and this they did, notwithstanding the opposition made by the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducces, and the violence they used to the apostles; for though they kept their persons in hold, they could not stop the free course of the word, which ran and was glorified:
and the number of the men was about five thousand; or "was five thousand", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions read; that is the number, not of the hearers, but "of them that believed", was so many; and so read the Arabic and Ethiopic versions: there were so many persons converted at this time; for this number does not include the three thousand that were converted under the first sermon, but regards those who now became true believers, and were added to the church; so that there were now eight thousand persons added to it; a great increase indeed! now had Christ the dew of his youth, and now were these fishermen fishers of men indeed: that our Lord's feeding five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fishes, should have any regard to the conversion of these five thousand men, is but a conceit.
And it came to pass on the morrow,.... The disciples being kept in custody all night:
that their rulers, and elders, and Scribes; that is, their ecclesiastical rulers; the chief priests, who, with the Scribes, and elders of the people, made up the great council at Jerusalem, consisting of seventy one persons, so they are called in Matthew 26:3.
And Annas the high priest,.... So called, either because he had been an high priest, though he was not now, but Caiaphas his son-in-law; or because he was the Sagan of the high priest, and had all the other priests under his government; and is mentioned first, because he was father-in-law to Caiaphas; See Gill on Luke 3:2 he could not be called so, because he was נשיא, "prince", or president of the council; for not he, but Gamaliel, was president at this time. And
Caiaphas; who was properly high priest, and continued so for three years after the death of Christ:
and John; who is thought by Dr. Lightfoot to be the same with Jochanan, or John ben Zaccai; a famous Jewish Rabbi, who lived at this time, and until, and after the destruction of Jerusalem: this Rabbi was כהן, "a priest"F20Juchasin, fol. 20. 2. , as this John was, of the kindred of the high priest; he lived also at Jerusalem; for it is said of himF21T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 26. 1. , that he sat in the shadow of the temple, and expounded all the whole day; and a very remarkable story is told of him, which happened just about this timeF23T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 39. 2. & Hieros. Yoma, fol. 43. 3. ; which is, that
"forty years before the destruction of the temple--the doors of the temple opened of themselves, when Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai reproved them, saying, O temple, temple, wherefore dost thou fright thyself? I know thee, that thine end shall be, to be destroyed; for so prophesied of thee Zechariah, the son of Iddo, Zechariah 11:1. "Open thy doors, O Lebanon", &c.'
The chief objection to him, as that learned writer observes, is, that he lived and died a Pharisee, whereas this John seems to have been a Sadducee; see Acts 5:17. This puts me in mind of John the high priest, who ministered in the high priesthood fourscore years, and at last became a SadduceeF24T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 29. 1. : Beza's ancient copy reads "Jonathan: and Alexander"; whose surname was Lysimachus, and had the title of "Alabarcha"; he was a very rich manF25Joseph Antiqu. l. 20. c. 4. sect. 2. : after Alexander the great had been at Jerusalem, this name became frequent among the Jews; and it is saidF26Juchasin, fol. 14. 1. & 159. 1. Ganz Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 18. 2. to be promised him, and was fulfilled, that every son that was born to the priests that year he entered Jerusalem, should be called Alexander; and therefore it is no wonder to hear of an Alexander among the kindred of the high priest; frequent mention is made of רבי אלכסנדרי, "Rabbi Alexander", in the Jewish writingsF1T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 53. 2. Chagiga, fol. 5. 1. Megilla, fol. 17. 2. Nedarim, fol. 41. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 1. & passim. :
and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest; by whose means they were become members of the sanhedrim:
were gathered together at Jerusalem; where the great council only sat, until the destruction of it; it seems by this, that some of the members of it lived in the country; it may be in some of the villages adjacent, where they might be easily and quickly sent for, upon any occasion, as they very likely now were; the Syriac version leaves out the words "at Jerusalem".
And when they had set them in the midst,.... Of the assembly, as the Ethiopic version adds; in the middle of the sanhedrim, which sat in a semicircular form; or as the Jews express it, as the half of a round corn floor, or as a half moon, and not in a perfect circle; because it was necessary that the contending parties, and the witnesses, might go in and speak before them allF2Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 4. sect. 3. & Bartenora in ib. ; so that those that were set before them, were placed in the middle of them: and here Peter and John were set; so the Arabic version renders it, "when they set both": they sent for them out of the hold, or custody, where they had been all night, and ordered them to be brought before them, to be examined about their doctrine and practice:
they asked, by what power, or by what name have ye done this? they inquired of them, whether it was by a natural, or by a divine, or by a diabolical power, that they had wrought the cure upon the lame man? whether it was by the use of medicine, or by the help of magic art, and the assistance of the devil, which they were very ready to charge Christ and his disciples with? or whether they pretended to a divine and supernatural aid? and also what name they had made use of, and by whose authority they acted?
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost,.... At that very instant, having received a fresh measure of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, besides what he had poured forth upon him at the day of Pentecost; so that he had great courage and presence of mind, and freedom of speech, as Christ had promised his disciples they should have, when they were brought before governors and magistrates, Matthew 10:18. The case was much altered with Peter, he who but a little while ago was frightened by a servant maid, now stands before the Jewish sanhedrim, with undaunted courage and resolution:
and said unto them, ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel; he addresses them in a very handsome manner, and gives them their proper titles as magistrates; which ought to be done by men and Christians; honour should be given, to whom honour is due: the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, add "hear", which seems very necessary; he called for audience, or desired to be heard a few words, in the defence of himself and fellow apostle, and in answer to their questions.
If we this day be examined of the good deed,.... Or "seeing" we are; for it was not a matter of doubt, but a clear case, that they were brought into court, and were passing under an examination, about the cure of the lame man; which the apostle rightly calls a
good deed, it being done in faith, and to the glory of God, and for the good of the man; and hereby tacitly suggests, that they were dealt very hardly with, to be seized and kept in custody, and be called in question, for doing an action so beneficent and kind, as this was, which was
done to the impotent man; who could not help himself, nor get his bread any other way, than by begging:
by what means he is made whole; restored to perfect health, and the proper use of his limbs; that is, by what power, and in what name this was done; the answer is ready, and it is as follows.
Be it known unto you all,.... The members of the sanhedrim:
and to all the people of Israel; who might hear of this affair; for the apostle was not ashamed of what he had done, nor of the person in whose name he had done it:
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; by calling, on that name, and by making use of it, and by the power and authority of Jesus Christ, who by way of contempt was called the
Nazarene: whom ye crucified; for though Pilate delivered him to be crucified, and the Roman soldiers did crucify him, yet this was at the request and instigation of the chief priests, Scribes, and elders; and therefore it is ascribed to them, who were bent upon his death; and no other would satisfy them, but the shameful and painful death of the cross:
whom God raised from the dead; of which the apostles were witnesses, having seen him and conversed with him after his resurrection; and this was the doctrine they were sent to publish, and for which they were apprehended and detained in custody; but this did not deter them from preaching it, no, not before the sanhedrim; which was an instance of great courage and faithfulness: and this is the rather mentioned; to show, that it was not by the name of one that was dead, but of one that was alive, that this cure was performed; as well as to observe to them, that their efforts against Christ were vain and fruitless:
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole; from whence it appears, as well as from Acts 4:18 that the man that was healed, was now present: and either he was laid hold on, and detained in custody with the apostles, in hope to discover fraud if they could; or hearing that the apostles were before the sanhedrim, and examining on his account, might come of himself, in order to attest and prove the matter of fact, and to vindicate them.
This is the stone,.... That is, this Jesus of Nazareth, by whose name the lame man was made whole, is that stone spoken of in Psalm 118:22 by whom is meant the true Messiah, comparable to a stone, for his strength and duration, and usefulness, as a foundation and corner stone, in the spiritual building of the church; and yet notwithstanding is the stone
which was set at nought of you builders: the priests, elders, and Scribes; who were fond of being called builders, but made miserable work of it; despising and rejecting the stone of Israel, and instead of him as a foundation, built themselves, and others, on the traditions of the elders, and their own righteousness: but though Christ was rejected by them, both in person and in doctrine, and was ignominiously treated, and at last put to death, yet he was raised from the dead, and exalted at the right hand of God; and is the stone,
which is become the head of the corner; or the chief corner stone, that adorns, strengthens, knits, and keeps together, the whole building; in which Jews and Gentiles, saints in all ages and places, even all the elect of God, are united together; See Gill on Matthew 21:42.
Neither is there salvation in any other,.... Meaning not corporeal healing, but spiritual and eternal salvation; the Syriac version renders it, neither is there פורקנא, "redemption in any other": Christ is the only Saviour and Redeemer, who was promised and prophesied of as such; who has saved and redeemed his people from the law, sin, and Satan; nor is salvation to be sought and hoped for from any other; not in a man's self, nor in any other creature, angels or men; not in and by his own works, and legal righteousness; not by obedience to the law of Moses, moral or ceremonial; nor by the light of nature, much less by an observance of the traditions of the elders:
for there is none other name; thing or person, be it ever so great, or whatever show of power and strength, of holiness and religion, it makes; as the name of kings, princes, and the great men in the world; or of ministers and preachers in the church; or even of Christians and believers, which may be only a name to live; none but the name of Jesus, his person, blood, and righteousness:
under heaven: throughout the whole earth, in all the nations and kingdoms of it; nor even in heaven itself, among all the mighty angels there, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; none but the Father and the Spirit, who are one with Christ: there is none but he
given among men; and he has been freely given by his Father, as an instance of his matchless love to the world; and also freely given by himself, to be a sacrifice for the sins of his people; and is freely preached among men, as the only Saviour of them; for there is no other,
whereby we must be saved: God resolved in his purposes and decrees, in his council and covenant, upon the salvation of his chosen people; and he appointed his Son to be the salvation of them, and determined he would save them by him, and by no other, and in no other way; wherefore, whoever are saved, must be saved by him, see Hosea 1:7 the Arabic version adds, "unless by him only".
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,.... With what courage and intrepidity they stood before them, the presence of mind they had, and the freedom of speech they used, as the word properly signifies: they observed their elocution, the justness of their diction, the propriety of their language, and the strength and nervousness of their reasoning; as well as their great resolution, constancy, and firmness of mind; not being afraid to profess the name of Christ, or to charge them with the murder of him; and that they seemed to be determined to abide by him, at all events; to assert him to be the true Messiah, though rejected by the Jewish builders; and that he was risen from the dead; and not only to ascribe unto him the miracle now wrought, but the salvation of men; and to declare, that there was none in any other but him: the Syriac version renders it, "when they heard the word of Simeon and John, which they spoke openly": and freely, without any reserve: they answered readily to the question, that it was by the name of Jesus of Nazareth that they had done this miracle; they dealt freely with the Jewish sanhedrim, and told them in so many words, that they were the crucifiers of Christ, and the rejecters of that stone, which God had made the head of the corner, and that there was no salvation for them in any other: it appears from hence, that John spoke as well as Peter, though his words are not recorded:
and perceived that they were unlearned ignorant men; not by what they now said, but by what they heard and understood of them before: they were informed that they were "unlearned" men, or who did not understand letters; not but that they had learned their mother tongue, and could read the Scriptures; but they had not had a liberal education; they had not been brought up at the feet of any of the doctors, in any of the schools and universities of the Jews; they were not trained up in, and conversant with, the nice distinctions, subtle argumentations, and decisions of the learned doctors, in the interpretation of the law of Moses, and the traditions of the elders: and understood that they were also "ignorant" men, ιδιωται, "idiots", or private men; for men might be unlearned, and yet not be such; it seems the high priests themselves were sometimes unlearned men: hence, on the day of atonement,
"they used to read before him, in the order of the day, and say to him, Lord high priest, read thou with thine own mouth; perhaps thou hast forgot, or it may be, לא למדת, "thou hast not learned"F3Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 3. .'
The Jews have adopted the word here used into their language; and express by it, sometimes a man that is mean, abject, and contemptible: thus instead of "children of base men", or "without a name", the Targumist on Job 30:8 reads, בני הדיוטין, "the children of idiots", or "private men": and in the Targum on 1 Samuel 18:23 it is used for one lightly esteemed, and comparable to a flea: it sometimes designs persons in a private life, though men of learning and knowledge, in distinction from those that are in office; so we readF4Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 11. sect. 2. , that
"three kings, and four הדיוטות, "private" persons, have no part in the world to come; the three kings are Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh; the four "idiots", or private men, are Balaam, Doeg, Ahithophel, and Gehazi.'
And so a bench of idiots, or private men, is distinguished from a bench of authorized and approved judgesF5T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 32. 11. ; and sometimes the word is used of such, as are distinguished from doctors, or wise men; so when it is saidF6Misn. Yebamot, c. 12. sect. 1. ,
"the command of plucking off the shoe, is done before three judges, and though the three are "idiots";'
the note of Maimonides upon it is,
"not wise men, but that know how to read the language,'
the Hebrew language: and such were the disciples, in every sense of the word; they were mean and abject, poor fishermen, men of no name and figure, that were in no office, and exalted station of life, nor versed in Jewish learning, but common private men: so that
they marvelled; the sanheddrim were astonished to hear them talk with so much fluency and pertinence:
and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus; looking wistly upon them, they knew them again, and remembered that; they were persons that were the disciples of Jesus, and whom they had seen in company with him; not in the high priest's palace, when Jesus was arraigned, examined, and condemned there; though Peter, and some think John was there at that time, yet not to be observed and taken notice of by the sanhedrim; but in the temple where Jesus taught, and where the chief priests, Scribes, and elders came, and disputed with him about his authority, and cavilled at him, Matthew 21:15.
And beholding the man which was healed,.... Who either was taken into custody, and brought before the sanhedrim, along with the apostles; or rather, who came here of his own accord to be witness for them: for he was
standing with them; in company with them, and close by them, and on their side; and so they could, and did point and appeal unto him, who was ready to justify, that it was not by the use of medicine, or of magic art, or in the name of Satan or Beelzebub, but by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that his cure was wrought:
they could say nothing against it; they could not gainsay the fact, for the man was before them, perfectly well, whom they personally knew, by his lying so long at the gate of the temple; they knew that he had been lame from his mother's womb, who was now above forty years of age; and they could say nothing against the manner of his cure, who was present to attest it; nor could they say anything against them; the apostles, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; they could not blame them for doing it, it being a good deed, nor charge them with fraud and imposture.
But when they had commanded them,.... That is, when the sanhedrim had ordered the apostles; or "commanded that both", as the Arabic version reads, both Peter and John; and, it may be, the man that was healed too:
to go aside out of the council; or place where the council, or sanhedrim sat; which, whether it was in the chamber "Gazith", in the temple where they used to sitF7Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 10. sect. 2. & Middot. c. 5. sect. 3. , or in the shops, or in the city, whither they removed, is not certain. We are toldF8T. Bab. Roshhashana, fol. 31. 1. , that
"the sanhedrim removed from the chamber Gazith, to the shops, and from the shops to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem to Jabneh;'
that is, after the destruction of the city. And the first remove was much about this time; for it is saidF9T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 8. 2. , that
"forty years before the destruction of the temple, the sanhedrim removed, and sat in the shops.'
Not in the shops where things were sold for the use of the temple, but in a court adjoining to them, which took its name from them.
They conferred among themselves; what was proper to be done, the apostles being withdrawn.
Saying, what shall we do to these men?.... Whether they should punish them by scourging them, or detain them longer in custody, or commit them to prison, or dismiss them:
for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them: they were convicted that a miracle was wrought; that it was a clear case, a well known thing, of which there was no room to doubt, and that it was done by the apostles; but this was not all the difficulty, had it been a thing only within their knowledge, and which they could have concealed, it would have given them no uneasiness; but, as they observe,
it is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem: for the man having been so long lame, and had lain so long at the temple, where all the inhabitants frequently went, he was known and took notice of by them; and his cure being wrought so openly, and in such a miraculous way, it was the common talk of the city: so that there was no smothering it:
and we cannot deny it; the fact is so certain and evident; nor hide it, as the Ethiopic version renders it, it being so notorious and public.
But that it spread no further among the people,.... Meaning not in Jerusalem; for the fame of this miracle was spread among all the inhabitants of that city; but in other parts of the nation:
let us straitly threaten them; or "in threatening threaten them"; that is, severely threaten them with imprisonment, or with the scourging of forty stripes save one, or with death itself.
That they speak henceforth to no man in this name; which through indignation and contempt they do not mention, but mean the name of Jesus: and their sense is, that the apostles, from this time forward, should not teach, or preach the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, or any other doctrine of the Gospel, in the name of Jesus, to any man, Jew or Gentile; or perform any miracle in his name, or call upon his name, and make use of it, for the healing of any person, or doing any miraculous work. The Ethiopic version is a very odd one, and quite contrary to the sense of the sanhedrim, "that they should not speak any more but in the name of the man Jesus".
And they called them,.... From the apartment where they were; or ordered their servants to call them in to them:
and commanded them not to speak at all; either privately or publicly, in the ministry of the word, or in working of miracles, in the city, or in the country:
nor teach in the name of Jesus; any doctrine whatever; or "the name of Jesus", as the Arabic version reads; that is, the doctrine of Jesus, that which respects his person, his carnation, his offices, his sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead.
But Peter and John answered and said unto them,.... With great boldness and courage, and without any fear of man, but in the true fear of God
whether it be right in the sight of God; who is omniscient, and sees, and knows all things, all the actions of men, and the springs of them; who is holy, just, and true, and sits and judges among the gods, that which is right:
to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye: it is not denied that magistrates are to be hearkened to, and obeyed: but not more than God, or in things that are contrary to his nature, will, law, honour, and glory: whatever is agreeable to the law and will of God, commanded by magistrates, should be attended to, and cheerfully obeyed; but what is not should be disregarded, whatever follows upon it: and this was so just and reasonable, that the apostles appeal to the sanhedrim, or council itself, to determine.
For we cannot but speak,.... It was not physically, but morally impossible; or it was not lawful, and therefore they would not speak any other, and they could not avoid speaking, say they,
the things which we have seen and heard; as the miracles and doctrines of Christ, his resurrection from the dead, of which they were eye and ear witnesses. This shows their great fidelity and integrity, their inviolable attachment to Christ, and their fearlessness of the displeasure and wrath of men.
So when they had further threatened them,.... Either repeated the same, as before; or added some more severe ones, to terrify them, if possible; not being able to answer their arguments, or invalidate their reasoning:
they let them go; they did not acquit them as innocent persons, but dismissed them from custody:
finding nothing how they might punish them; not being able, though they sought most diligently for it, to fix anything upon them, which might be a cause, or occasion, or pretence of inflicting any punishment upon them:
because of the people: they would not have stuck at the injustice of it, or have been under any concern about offending God; but they were afraid of the people, of losing their credit among them, and lest they should rise up against them, and on the side of the apostles:
for all men glorified God for that which was done; they saw the hand of God in it, and ascribed it to his mercy, goodness, and power, and gave him the glory of it; and therefore to punish the instruments of so great and good a work, would have been esteemed barbarous and wicked, and would have been highly resented by them; since, on the contrary, they judged them worthy of great honour and respect.
For the man was above forty years old,.... So that the miracle was the greater, that a man born lame, and who had been so above forty years, should have a cure; and he was the more known to the people, and his testimony met with more credit:
on whom this miracle of healing was showed; both for the good of men, for the glory of God, and for the confirmation of the Gospel of Christ.
And being let go,.... Or dismissed from custody, by the order of the sanhedrim:
they went to their own company; or "to their own men", as the Ethiopic version reads; or "to their own brethren", as the Syriac; either to the other ten apostles; or to the hundred and twenty, who first met together; or the whole multitude of them that believed, Acts 4:32 the eight thousand that had been added to them, the whole church. Saints love to be together, and delight in the company of each other; and especially when they have anything to communicate, that may be for their mutual good, or for the honour of God:
and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them; what commands and injunctions they had lain upon them, and what threatenings they had given them, and, no doubt likewise, what answers they had returned to them.
And when they heard that,.... The whole of the report the apostles made; and which they heard with patience, and without making any unworthy reflections upon the sanhedrim; and being, on the one hand, not over much terrified, and cast down, and, on the other hand, not sluggish, careless, and secure; they betake themselves, not to plots, conspiracies, and seditions; nor to arms to defend and avenge themselves, though their numbers were large; but to prayer, that they might not be deterred by threatenings, from speaking boldly the word of the Lord:
they lift up their voice to God with one accord; being inspired by the Holy Ghost, they not only agreed in the matter of their petitions, which agreement is of great avail with God; for whatever two or more agree in to ask of God, shall be given to them; but also in the very words which were vocally expressed by them, and that in a very loud and sonorous way, to signify the vehemency and ardour of their minds and affections:
and said, Lord, thou art God; or, as in one of Beza's copies, "Lord our God"; or, as in the Ethiopic version, "Lord, thou art our God"; addressing God, the Father of Christ, as appears from Acts 4:27 as their own God, their covenant God and Father in Christ, from whom they might hope for help, and in whom they might expect safety, and every supply of grace:
which hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; and which is a full proof of the omnipotence of God; an attribute of singular use to the saints in distressed circumstances; for what is it he cannot do, who made all things that are? and what is it he will not do for his saints, for the accomplishment of his purposes, the making good of his covenant and promises, the fulfilment of prophecies; the good of his people, and the glory of his name?
Who by the mouth of thy servant David has said,.... In Psalm 2:1 from whence we learn, that that psalm, though it is without a title, and does not bear David's name, yet is one of his and so Kimchi says, that David composed it at the beginning of his reign; though Aben Ezra thinks, that it was composed by one of the singers for him, on the day he was anointed; yet he afterwards seems to doubt of it, and on Psalm 2:7 says, they are the words of David, or the words of the singer. And certain it is, that in the apostles' time this psalm was reckoned to be David's by the Jews in common; and therefore they speak of it as such: and it was the sense of the ancient doctors of the synagogue, that this psalm is to be understood of the Messiah. Jarchi says, our Rabbins expound the business (of this psalm) concerning the King Messiah; and Kimchi observes, that there are some that interpret this psalm of Gog and MagogF11Vid. T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol 3. 2. , and the Messiah, or anointed, that is the King Messiah; though one of these writers was of opinion, that it is best to understand it of David himself; and Aben Ezra says, that it was composed either for David, or for the Messiah, and to understand it of the Messiah, the thing is more clear. The verses Psalm 2:7 are particularly applied to the Messiah in some of their most ancient writingsF12Zohar in Numb. fol. 82. 2. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 44. fol. 38. 4. & T. Bab. Succa, fol. 52. 1. , and also in modern onesF13Maimon. in Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 11. sect. 1. Abarbinel Mashmiah, Jeshua, fol. 37. 4. & 38. 1. , as is Psalm 2:2 to Messiah ben JosephF14Pirke Eliezer, c. 19. : and indeed the whole psalm belongs to the Messiah, as appears from the express mention of him, and the vain attempts of the kings of the earth against him; from the decree and resolution of God to make and declare him king of Zion, notwithstanding their utmost efforts; from his having the Gentiles for his inheritance, which is true of no other; and especially from that reverence, adoration, and worship, which were to be given to him, and that trust and confidence to be placed in him, which can by no means agree with David, nor with any mere creature. The Syriac version reads, "who in the Holy Ghost, by the mouth", &c. and so read Beza's most ancient copy, and five other manuscripts of his; and the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, read, "who in the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David", &c. and the Alexandrian copy, but does not seem to be a genuine reading; since the Jews were not used to call David, but Abraham, their father; nor is it, with propriety, expressed, that God the Father said in, or by the Spirit, what follows,
why did the Heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? that is, the Gentiles, and the people of the Jews, Pilate, and his council, with the Roman soldiers, and the Jewish sanhedrim, with the common people; who raged against Christ, seized him in a furious manner, led him as a malefactor, and hurried him from bar to bar, in a tumultuous way, and with great noise and clamour urged the crucifixion of him; nor did their rage cease until they had put him to death: yet it was a vain thing in them to imagine he should be held under the power of death; or that this would put a stop to the spread of his doctrine, and the enlargement of his kingdom and interest; since he rose from the dead, as a triumphant conqueror, over all his enemies, and pouring forth his Spirit, in an extraordinary way, he spread his Gospel, and his glory throughout the earth.
The kings of the earth stood up,.... Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, sometimes called a king, Mark 6:14 and Pilate the Roman governor, who represented his master Caesar; these stood, or rose up in an hostile manner, and set themselves against, and opposed themselves to the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth:
and the rulers were gathered together; the Jewish rulers, Annas, Caiaphas, and the rest of the members of the sanhedrim, who met together more than once; and particularly at the high priest's palace, to consult how they should take Jesus and put him to death; and who also gathered together at the same place, when he was taken, to arraign, examine, and condemn him. And this opposition, and these conspiracies and consultations, were
against the Lord: Jehovah, the Father of Christ, who sent him, and anointed him; so that what was done against Christ, was done against the Lord, their views and designs, their interest and glory, being the same:
and against his Christ; or anointed one, who was anointed by him, with the Holy Ghost, from his birth, and at his baptism, to be prophet, priest, and King.
For of a truth, against thy holy child Jesus,.... This is the interpretation of the above passages in Psalm 2:1 and the application of them to Jesus; who is called the "child" of God, because the human nature of Christ was taken into union with the second person, who is the Son of God: unless the word should rather be rendered "servant", as it is in Acts 4:25 and which is a character that belongs to Christ, and is often given him as Mediator, who, as such, is God's righteous servant; and he is called "holy", because he was so in his conception and birth, and in his life and conversation, being free both from original sin, and actual transgression; and which is an aggravation of the sin and guilt of these men, that they should rise up, and gather together against him; and yet it was a clear case, a notorious fact, a certain truth, that could not be denied: and for the further aggravation of their crime, as well as for the sake of explaining the phrase "his, Christ", it is added,
whom thou hast anointed; with the oil of gladness, above his fellows. Christ was, in some sense, anointed to be prophet, priest, and King, from eternity, being so early set up as Mediator, or called unto, and invested with that office; see Proverbs 8:22 and he was anointed in time, both at his incarnation and baptism, having the Spirit without measure given unto him, which is that anointing, that teacheth all things.
Both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together. This Herod was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great, and who beheaded John the Baptist; and Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea, at the time of Christ's death; the Gentiles were those of Pilate's council, and the Roman soldiers;
and the people of Israel, were the Jews, both the rulers, and the common people; the Syriac version renders it, "the synagogue of Israel": and these, though they were of different nations, and of different interests, yea enemies to one another, as the Jews and Gentiles in general were; and as were Herod and Pontius Pilate in particular; yet all gathered, consented, and agreed together to mock, scourge, and crucify this innocent and holy person. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions add, "in this city"; and so the above copies of Beza's, and others; meaning, in the city of Jerusalem, where the apostles now were, and where the above persons met together, and from whence a prophet could only perish. The Alexandrian copy reads, "in this thy city": which was called the city of God, and the holy city; and yet in this was this wicked convention, and all this wickedness done.
For to do whatsoever thy hand,.... It was not the end of their gathering together against Christ, or it was not their intention and design, to fulfil the purposes and decrees of God, but to fulfil their own lusts, and satiate their rage and malice against him; but it was so in the event, according to the wise disposal of providence, that by their gathering together, by their consultations and conspiracies, they brought about what God in his everlasting council had decreed. By "the hand" of the Lord here is not meant, the grace and favour of God; or the power and providence of God; or his word of precept, his revealed will; but his secret will, the counsel of his will, the hidden purpose of his heart, the wise consultation of his mind, which is formed according to his infinite wisdom: so in 2 Samuel 14:19 it is said, "is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?" that is, the head of Joab, the wise counsel of Joab; and so the Jewish writers interpret it, עצתו, "his counsel"F15Kimchi in loc. & R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 36. 2. : and so the word is explained here immediately; for it follows,
and thy counsel determined before to be done: God's decrees are from eternity; there is nothing comes to pass in time but what he has beforetime determined should be done, either by effecting it himself, or doing it by others, or suffering it to be done, as in the case here. Whatever was done to Christ, either by Jews or Gentiles, by Herod or Pontius Pilate, was according to the secret will of God, the covenant he made with Christ, and the council of peace that was between them both: what they wickedly did, God designed for good, and hereby brought about the redemption and salvation of his people: this neither makes God the author of sin, nor excuses the sinful actions of men, or infringes the liberty of their wills in acting.
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings,.... Meaning not with his eye of omniscience, which he could not but do; but that he would so take notice of them, as in his providence to rebuke them for them, or restrain them, or make them fearless of them:
and grant unto thy servants; the apostles, and all the ministers of the word, who are the servants of the most high God, and who serve him in the Gospel of his Son, with great cheerfulness and faithfulness:
that with all boldness they may speak thy word; and not their own, or another's; the Gospel, which is God's speech, or a word, a message of grace and mercy from him to sinful creatures. The request of the whole church is, that the ministers of the word might not be intimidated by the menaces of the sanhedrim; but go on to declare it with all freedom of expression, with all boldness, courage, and intrepidity of mind, and all openness and faithfulness, and in the most public manner. And such a petition shows, that as it is gift of God to speak his word, or preach his Gospel, so it also is, to speak it freely, boldly, and faithfully, as it should be spoken.
By stretching forth thine hand to heal,.... That is, by exerting his power in healing sicknesses, diseases, and lameness, as in the above instance, by the hands of the apostles; which, as it would be contrary to the schemes of the Jewish sanhedrim, and would confirm the doctrines of the Gospel; so it would animate the preachers of the word to preach it with more readiness, cheerfulness, and firmness of mind;
and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus; as had been done already, and by whose name particularly the lame man at the temple had received a cure, and in whose name the sanhedrim had forbid the apostles to preach, or to make use of it, in doing any other miracle.
And when they had prayed,.... Either while they were praying, or as soon as they had done; for sometimes, as here, prayer is immediately heard, and an answer is returned, whilst the saints are speaking, or as soon as prayer is ended:
the place was shaken where they were assembled together; which, whether it was a private house, or the temple, is not certain: the latter seems more probable, because their number was so great, that no private house could hold them; and since this was the place where they used to assemble; this was now shaken with a rushing mighty wind, as on the day of Pentecost, and was a symbol of the divine presence, and a token that their prayers were heard, and an emblem of the shaking of the world by the ministry of the apostles:
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, even with extraordinary ones, such as speaking with divers tongues, as before on the day of Pentecost; see Acts 2:4 and this was the case not only of the apostles, but of the other ministers of the word, and it may be of the whole church:
and they spoke the word of God with all boldness; that is, the apostles, and preachers of the Gospel, spoke it with great freedom, and without fear, not only privately, in their community, but publicly, in the temple: this was what was particularly prayed for, and in which they had a remarkable answer.
And the multitude of them that believed,.... The Gospel, and in Christ, the substance of it; and a multitude they were, for they were now about eight thousand persons. And though their number was so great, they
were of one heart and of one soul; there was an entire consent and agreement in doctrine, in matters of faith they were all of one mind and judgment, and there was a perfect harmony in their practice, they all performed the same duties, and observed the same commands and ordinances; and all pursued the same interest, and had the same ends and views; and there was a strict union of their affections to each other; their souls were knit to one another; so that there was, but as it were, one soul in this large body of Christians. Aristotle, being asked what a friend was, answered, one soul dwelling in two bodiesF16Diog. Laert. in vit. Aristot. l, 5. 313. : and so the Jews say, it is fit and proper that lovers or friends should be בלב אחד כאיש אחד, "of one heart, as one man"F17Tzeror Hammor, fol. 21. 3. & 162. 4. ; and such friends and hearty lovers were these.
Neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; though he had a peculiar right unto them, yet he did not claim that right, nor insist on it, nor so much as speak of it, nor make use of his substance as if it was his own, reserving it for himself, or even disposing of it himself; but exposed it to the free use of the whole body, to enjoy it equally with himself:
but they had all things common; which was what they were not obliged to, but it was a free and voluntary action of their own, and so is not binding on others; nor indeed is their practice to be imitated, in the direct manner in which they did it, for their case was peculiar. They were not only every day liable to persecutions and to have their possessions seized, and their goods confiscated; but they also knew, that in process of time, Jerusalem would be destroyed, and they could not tell how soon; and therefore judged it right to sell off their possessions, and throw the money into one common stock, for their mutual support, and for the carrying on the common cause of Christ.
And with great power,.... Either in a very powerful way, with great fervency of spirit, and ardour of mind, and uncommon zeal; or with great efficacy on the souls of men; or with many miracles, and powerful operations in healing the sick, casting out devils, &c.
gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; which they were chosen to be witnesses, and were eyewitnesses of; and which is a fundamental article of the Gospel, and was what the Sadducees were particularly disturbed at, and on account of which they forbade them to preach any more in Christ's name.
And great grace was upon them all; not only upon the apostles and ministers, but upon the whole church: and which may be understood either of the large gifts of the Spirit of God, which were poured out upon them, and plentifully bestowed on them; or of the gracious protection of God over them, preserving them from the rage and malice of men; or of that grace and favour which they had among thee people in common; or of that charity, liberality and beneficence, which were among them, which sense is confirmed by what follows; though it may be all these senses may be taken in.
Neither was there any among them that lacked,.... Bread to eat, or clothes to wear, or any of the necessaries of life; which shows their great charity, and gives a reason why they were in so much favour with the people, because they took so much care of their poor; and this flowed from the grace of God bestowed upon them:
for as many as were possessors of lands and houses; or "vineyards", as the Ethiopic version reads, whether in Jerusalem or elsewhere;
sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold; whether lands, houses, or vineyards.
And laid them down at the apostles' feet,.... Showing great veneration and respect to the apostles, and a sort of neglect and contempt of their worldly substance; and signifying that they entirely delivered them to the apostles, and subjected them to their disposal:
and distribution was made unto every man, according as he had need; though they had all things in common, yet there was an order observed; a man might not go to the common stock and take out of it what he would; but as all was committed to the care of the apostles, and was in their power; the distribution was made by them, to every man, to the original proprietors, as well as to others, and that not as much as a man would have, or he might crave; but as much as he needed, for the present, of which the apostles were the judges.
And Joses,.... The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read "Joseph", and so do Beza's most ancient copy, and two of his manuscripts, and the Alexandrian copy, and others; for "Jose", or "Joses", is only an abbreviation or contraction of "Joseph"; though according to others it is the same with "Josiah": there is one of this name, who was the sort of Alphaeus, and brother to two of the apostles, James and Jude, Matthew 13:55 and another called "Joses Barsabas"; and it may be to distinguish the one from the other this is called "Joses Barnabas"; for so it follows,
who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas: his name before his conversion was "Joses", or "Joseph", or "Josiah"; and afterwards, or at least after he came to be acquainted with the apostles, and to be in their company, they called him "Barnabas", The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "who was of the apostles"; and so Barnabas is spoken of as if he was an apostle, 1 Corinthians 9:5
which is, being interpreted, the son of consolation; or "of exhortation"; from the excellent gift and talent he had at exhorting; see Acts 11:23 and from the use he was of for the comforting of distressed minds; for נבא, "Naba, to prophesy", includes both exhortation and comfort; and he having the gift of prophecy or preaching the Gospel, was called ברנבא, "Barnabas", a son of comfort, or a comforter, or an exhorter: and so JeromF18De Nominibus Hebraicis, fol. 105. I. interprets it, "the son of a prophet". Drusius conjectures that his right name was בר נחמא, "Bar Nachama", and by contraction "Barnama", and with a Greek termination "Barnamas"; which properly signifies, in the Chaldee and Syriac languages, "the son of consolation", as it is here interpreted; and he observes, that the letters "M" and "B" are sometimes used one for an other: thus one and the same man is called "Berodach" and "Merodach", 2 Kings 20:12 and the same river is called "Abana", 2 Kings 5:12 and in the margent "Amana"; but others think he had his name from the same word that Noah had his, and which signifies rest and comfort, as appears from the reason of his name. "This same shall comfort us", &c. And so the name of this man in the Chaldee or Syriac language was בר נח אבא, which may be literally rendered "the son of the fathers' rest", or "comfort". And this man is said to be
a Levite; of the tribe of Levi, and of the priestly race:
and of the country of Cyprus; or "by birth", or "nation, a Cyprian"; for though he was a Jew, as is clear from his being of the tribe of Levi, and was born of Jewish parents, yet in Cyprus, and so was a native of that place. The Ethiopic version renders it, "of the city of Cyprus"; but Cyprus was not a city, but a country; wherefore the Syriac version renders it, "of the place, or country of Cyprus", as we do: it was an island in the further part of the Mediterranean sea; it had its name from the plant Cyprus, and is now by the Turks called "Kibris". According to PlinyF19Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 31. , it lay to the east and west of Cilicia, and was opposite Syria, and was formerly the seat of nine kingdoms; its circumference was three hundred and seventy miles, and had been called by various names; as Acamantis, Cerastis, Aspella, Amathusia, Macaria, Crypton, and Colinia; in it were fifteen towns or cities, which wcre Paphos, Palsepaphos, Curias, Citium, Corineum, Salamis, Amethus, Lapethos, Solce, Tamaseus, Epidarum, Chytri, Arsinoe, Carpasium, and Golgi. According to the same writerF20Ib. l. 2. c. 88. , it was by an earthquake divided from Syria; and that part of it which lay to the east from Syria, is said to be less than a hundred miles distant from it. And according to MelaF21De Orbis Situ, l. 2. p. 66. , its chief cities were Salamis and Paphos, mentioned in Acts 13:5. And according to PtolomyF23Geograph. l. 5. c. 14. , it had on the west Pamphylia, on the south the Egyptian and Syrian seas, and on the east the Syrian sea, and on the north the straits of Cilicia: it was inhabited by people of various nations, and, among the rest, by Jews; and R. Benjamin makes mention of Jewish Rubbans in Cyprus, in his timeF24Itinerar. p. 30. .
Having land, sold it,.... Whether this was in Cyprus, or in Judea, is not certain; nor how he came by it, whether he had bought it, as the priests and Levites might, and as Jeremiah, who was of the priests, bought a field at Anathoth, Jeremiah 32:9 or, whether it was his wife's dowry; for the Levites had nothing by inheritance: they had forty two cities, and the six cities of refuge to dwell in, and the field of the suburbs of these cities; which field or land was never to be sold, but to be a perpetual possession, Leviticus 25:34 but now the ceremonial law was abolished, and this precept was not attended to, if the land was of this sort. Moreover, the Jewish doctors interpret the above law otherwise; and understand it only of changing, and not of selling, which they allow of; one of their canons runs thusF25Misn. Eracin, c. 9. sect. 8. ,
"the priests and Levites, מוכרים, "sell" always, and redeem always, as it is said, Leviticus 25:32, "the Levites may redeem at any time".'
Upon which canon, one of their commentatorsF26Bartenora in Misn. Eracin. says,
"they sell always; and not as an Israelite, who cannot sell less than two years before the jubilee;--but these "sell" even near the jubilee; "and they redeem always": if they sell houses in walled towns, they are not confirmed at the end of the year, as the houses in the walled towns of Israelites; and if "they sell fields", it is not necessary that they should remain in the hands of the buyer two years, but they may redeem them immediately, if they will.'
And another of themF1Mainton. in ib. has this observation,
"all agree that the Levites may not change a city, or suburb, or field, which are theirs, because it is said, Leviticus 25:34 "but the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold"; and the wise men of blessed memory say, the meaning of it is, it shall not be changed, for they do not change anything from what it was before.'
And agreeably to this is what MaimonidesF2Hilchot Shemitta Veyobel, c. 13. sect. 4, 5, 7. elsewhere says,
"they do not make in the cities of the Levites a city a suburb, or a suburb a city, or a suburb a field, or a field a suburb, as it is said, Leviticus 25:34 "but the field of the suburbs of their cities shall not be sold"; from report (or tradition) we learn, that that is said, "shall not be sold", means, shall not be changed; but the field, suburbs, and city, everyone of these three shall be as they are for ever. Priests and Levites who "sell" a field, of the fields of their cities, or an house of any of the houses of their walled towns, do not redeem according to this order (i.e. as the other Israelites), but "they sell fields"; and even near to the jubilee, and redeem them immediately.'
So that if this land of Barnabas lay in Judea, as is most likely, it might be sold, and much more, if in Cyprus. But, be it what and where it will, he sold it:
and brought the money; from Cyprus or Judea, or that part of the land of Canaan where it lay, and where he had sold it:
and laid it at the apostles' feet; perhaps he might be the first person that did so, and set an example which was universally followed; however, he is particularly mentioned, being a man of note among the apostles, and of great usefulness in after times, and of whom frequent mention is made in other places.