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 ministrati... [ Continue Reading ]
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, O... [ Continue Reading ]
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 cust... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 o... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Caiapha... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, a... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Psalms 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 bui... [ Continue Reading ]
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 r... [ Continue Reading ]
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 lan... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, w... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ca... [ Continue Reading ]
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 impr... [ Continue Reading ]
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 JE... [ Continue Reading ]
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, jus... [ Continue Reading ]
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 de... [ Continue Reading ]
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 the... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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;... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BY THE MOUTH OF THY SERVANT DAVID HAS SAID,.... In Psalms 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 comp... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Naza... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OF A TRUTH, AGAINST THY HOLY CHILD JESUS,.... This is the interpretation of the above passages in Psalms 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 w... [ Continue Reading ]
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 t... [ Continue Reading ]
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 a... [ Continue Reading ]
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 i... [ Continue Reading ]
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, w... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 RESU... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 E... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Levite... [ Continue Reading ]