Acts 5:18

and laid their hands on the apostles The best MSS. omit their. The whole of the twelve are now seized, for the authorities are roused to activity. It is clear from this that, though St Luke has only mentioned the speeches of Peter, with some slight notice that John also was a speaker, yet all the Apostles were busy, and could have been quoted as preachers and teachers had it been any part of the compiler's purpose to write a history of all the Apostles.

and put them in the common prison The noun is the same as in Acts 4:3, and the notion that of ward, as a place of temporary imprisonment till the formal summoning of the council next day should here be preserved. Read, in public ward. Such confinement was only precautionary and formed no part of the punishment intended by the Sadducees.