Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Acts » Chapter 4 » Verse 25-29

Acts 4:25-29 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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

Commentary on Acts 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 4

Ac 4:1-13. Peter and John before the Sanhedrin.

1-12. the captain—of the Levitical guard.

of the temple—annoyed at the disturbance created around it.

and the Sadducees—who "say that there is no resurrection" (Ac 23:8), irritated at the apostles "preaching through (rather, 'in') Jesus the resurrection from the dead"; for the resurrection of Christ, if a fact, effectually overthrew the Sadducean doctrine.

4. the number of the men—or males, exclusive of women; though the word sometimes includes both.

about five thousand—and this in Jerusalem, where the means of detecting the imposture or crushing the fanaticism, if such it had been, were within everyone's reach, and where there was every inducement to sift it to the bottom.

5. their rulers, &c.—This was a regular meeting of the Sanhedrim (see on Mt 2:4).

6. Annas … and Caiaphas—(See on Lu 3:2).

John and Alexander—of whom nothing is known.

7. By what power or … name have ye done this—thus admitting the reality of the miracle, which afterwards they confess themselves unable to deny (Ac 4:16).

8. Then, filled with the Holy Ghost, said—(See Mr 13:11; Lu 21:15).

10. Be it known unto you … and to all the people of Israel—as if emitting a formal judicial testimony to the entire nation through its rulers now convened.

by the name of Jesus, &c.—(See on Ac 3:13, &c.).

even by him doth this man stand before you whole—for from Ac 4:14 it appears that the healed man was at that moment before their eyes.

11. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, &c.—This application of Ps 118:22, already made by our Lord Himself before some of the same "builders" (Mt 21:42), is here repeated with peculiar propriety after the deed of rejection had been consummated, and the rejected One had, by His exaltation to the right hand of the Majesty on high, 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—How sublimely does the apostle, in these closing words, shut up these rulers of Israel to Jesus for salvation, and in what universal and emphatic terms does he hold up his Lord as the one Hope of men!

13-17. perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men—that is, uninstructed in the learning of the Jewish schools, and of the common sort; men in private life, untrained to teaching.

took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus—recognized them as having been in His company; remembering possibly, that they had seen them with Him [Meyer, Bloomfield, Alford]; but, more probably, perceiving in their whole bearing what identified them with Jesus: that is, "We thought we had got rid of Him; but lo! He reappears in these men, and all that troubled us in the Nazarene Himself has yet to be put down in these His disciples." What a testimony to these primitive witnesses! Would that the same could be said of their successors!

16. a notable miracle … done by them is manifest to all … in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it—And why should ye wish to deny it, O ye rulers, but that ye hate the light, and will not come to the light lest your deeds should be reproved?

17. But that it spread no further … let us straitly—strictly.

threaten … that they speak henceforth to no man in this name—Impotent device! Little knew they the fire that was burning in the bones of those heroic disciples.

18-22. Whether it be right … to hearken to you more than … God, judge ye.

20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard—There is here a wonderful union of sober, respectful appeal to the better reason of their judges, and calm, deep determination to abide the consequences of a constrained testimony, which betokens a power above their own resting upon them, according to promise.

21. finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people—not at a loss for a pretext, but at a loss how to do it so as not to rouse the opposition of the people.

Ac 4:23-37. Peter and John Dismissed from the Sanhedrin, Report the Proceedings to the Assembled DisciplesThey Engage in PrayerThe Astonishing Answer and Results.

23-30. being let go, they went to their own company—Observe the two opposite classes, representing the two interests which were about to come into deadly conflict.

24. they lifted up their voice—the assembled disciples, on hearing Peter's report.

with one accord—the breasts of all present echoing every word of this sublime prayer.

Lord—(See on Lu 2:29). Applied to God, the term expresses absolute authority.

God which hast made heaven and earth—against whom, therefore, all creatures are powerless.

25. by the mouth of … David—to whom the Jews ascribed the second Psalm, though anonymous; and internal evidence confirms it. David's spirit sees with astonishment "the heathen, the people, the kings and princes of the earth," in deadly combination against the sway of Jehovah and His Anointed (his Messiah, or Christ), and asks "why" it is. This fierce confederacy our praying disciples see in full operation, in the "gathering together of Herod and Pilate, the Gentiles (the Roman authority), and the people of Israel, against God's holy Child ('Servant') Jesus." (See on Ac 3:13). The best ancient copies read, after "were gathered together," "in this city," which probably answers to "upon my holy hill of Zion," in the Ps 2:6.

28. thy hand and thy counsel determined … to be done—that is, "Thy counsel" determined to be done by "Thy hand."

29. now, Lord, behold their threatenings—Recognizing in the threatenings of the Sanhedrim a declaration of war by the combined powers of the world against their infant cause, they seek not enthusiastically to hide from themselves its critical position, but calmly ask the Lord of heaven and earth to "look upon their threatenings."

that with all boldness they may speak thy word—Rising above self, they ask only fearless courage to testify for their Master, and divine attestation to their testimony by miracles of healing, &c., in His name.

31-37. place was shaken—glorious token of the commotion which the Gospel was to make (Ac 17:6; compare Ac 16:26), and the overthrow of all opposing powers in which this was to issue.

they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake, &c.—The Spirit rested upon the entire community, first, in the very way they had asked, so that they "spake the word with boldness" (Ac 4:29, 31); next, in melting down all selfishness, and absorbing even the feeling of individuality in an intense and glowing realization of Christian unity. The community of goods was but an outward expression of this, and natural in such circumstances.

33. with great power—effect on men's minds.

great grace was upon them all—The grace of God copiously rested on the whole community.

35. laid … at the apostles' feet—sitting, it may be, above the rest. But the expression may be merely derived from that practice, and here meant figuratively.

36. Joses, &c.—This is specified merely as an eminent example of that spirit of generous sacrifice which pervaded all.

son of consolation—no doubt so surnamed from the character of his ministry.

a Levite—who, though as a tribe having no inheritance, might and did acquire property as individuals (De 18:8).

Cyprus—a well-known island in the Mediterranean.