Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 23:8

Σαδδουκαῖοι μὲν γὰρ λέγουσιν μὴ εἶναι�, for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection. It is said that their teaching had its rise in the thought that ‘God’s servants should not do service with the hope of reward.’ As the life to come would be a reward we are told that their doctrine developed into the denial of the Resurrection. As we meet with them in the New Testament, they are mainly members of the priestly order, and appear to have accepted only the written Law, as distinct from tradition; yet in spite of the mention of angels in the Pentateuch they appear to have explained the language in such wise as to identify these angelic appearances with some manifestation of the divine glory, and thus to have come to deny the existence of any spiritual beings distinct from God Himself. In political matters they were on the side of Rome, and in consequence are found uniting at times with the Herodians.

μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα … ἀμφότερα, neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. Here the ἄγγελος and πνεῦμα are coordinate, and must be taken as together signifying ‘manifestations of a spirit world.’ Then ἀνάστασις is one point, and the rest of the sentence another included under the word ἀμφότερα.

Chrysostom remarks here, καὶ μὴν τρία ἐστί· πῶς οὖν λέγει�; ἢ ὅτι πνεῦμα καὶ ἄγγελος ἔν ἐστι, ἢ ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἡ λέξις δύο, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τριῶν λαμβάνεται. καταχρηστικῶς οὖν οὕν οὕτως εἶπε καὶ οὐ κυριολογῶν.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 23:8

Old Testament

New Testament