Acts 5:34

ἀνθρώπους for ἀποστόλους with אAB. Vulg. ‘homines.’

34. ἀναστὰς δέ τις, but there stood up one, &c. See note on Acts 5:25. Gamaliel rose to oppose the plan or wish.

Φαρισαῖος. It may very well be believed that some small sympathy towards the Christian teachers would be roused in the breast of a Pharisee, because they maintained, as he did, the doctrine of a resurrection, but there is nothing in the speech of this Pharisee beyond a policy of inactivity, bred perhaps of despair.

Γαμαλιήλ. This Gamaliel, called here νομοδιδάσκαλος, is no doubt the same person who is mentioned (Acts 22:3) as the teacher of St Paul. He is known in Jewish writings as Gamaliel ha-Zaken (i.e. the old), and was the grandson of Hillel. He was alive during the time when Herod was beautifying the Temple. For in Tosephta Shabbath xiv. we read, ‘Rabbi Jose said, It happened that Rabbi Khalaphta went to Rabban Gamaliel (the younger, and grandson of the Gamaliel in our text) to Tiberias, and found him sitting at the table of Rabbi Jochanan ben-Nozâph, and in his (Gamaliel’s) hand was the book of Job in Targum (i.e. in the Chaldee paraphrase), and he (Gamaliel) was reading in it. Rabbi Khalaphta said to him, I remember concerning Rabban Gamaliel the elder, the father of thy father, that he was sitting on a step in the Temple mount, and they brought before him the book of Job, in Targum, and he said to the builder, “Sink it (bury it) under this course of the wall.” ’ This could only have been when the walls were in building.

Gamaliel is said to have died 18 years before the Temple was destroyed.
In T. B. Abodah Zarah 11 a, in allusion to the custom of burning beds, clothes, and other things, at the funerals of great men (see Jeremiah 34:5), it is said, ‘When Rabban Gamaliel the elder died, Onkelos the proselyte burned in his honour the worth of 70 minæ of Tyrian money.’

So great was Gamaliel’s fame that we read (Mishna Sotah IX. 15) when he died ‘the glory of the Torah ceased, and purity and sanctity died out also.’ We can therefore understand that he was ‘had in reputation among all the people.’

βραχύ τι, a little space, i.e. for a short time. He could then say more unrestrainedly what he wished to say to his colleagues.

τοὺς�, the men. In Gamaliel’s mouth they would not be styled apostles.