27 for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,
On that day there came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, `Go forth, and be going on hence, for Herod doth wish to kill thee;' and he said to them, `Having gone, say to this fox, Lo, I cast forth demons, and perfect cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third `day' I am being perfected; but it behoveth me to-day, and to-morrow, and the `day' following, to go on, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish out of Jerusalem.
And having taken the twelve aside, he said unto them, `Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be completed -- that have been written through the prophets -- to the Son of Man, for he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon, and having scourged they shall put him to death, and on the third day he shall rise again.'
`And the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my son -- the beloved, perhaps having seen this one, they will do reverence; and having seen him, the husbandmen reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, we may kill him, that the inheritance may become ours; and having cast him outside of the vineyard, they killed `him'; what, then, shall the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come, and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.' And having heard, they said, `Let it not be!' and he, having looked upon them, said, `What, then, is this that hath been written: A stone that the builders rejected -- this became head of a corner? every one who hath fallen on that stone shall be broken, and on whom it may fall, it will crush him to pieces.' And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him in that hour, and they feared the people, for they knew that against them he spake this simile.
And the feast of the unleavened food was coming nigh, that is called Passover, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they may take him up, for they were afraid of the people. And the Adversary entered into Judas, who is surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve, and he, having gone away, spake with the chief priests and the magistrates, how he might deliver him up to them, and they rejoiced, and covenanted to give him money, and he agreed, and was seeking a favourable season to deliver him up to them without tumult.
And while he is speaking, lo, a multitude, and he who is called Judas, one of the twelve, was coming before them, and he came nigh to Jesus to kiss him, and Jesus said to him, `Judas, with a kiss the Son of Man dost thou deliver up?' And those about him, having seen what was about to be, said to him, `Sir, shall we smite with a sword?' And a certain one of them smote the servant of the chief priest, and took off his right ear, and Jesus answering said, `Suffer ye thus far,' and having touched his ear, he healed him. And Jesus said to those having come upon him -- chief priests, and magistrates of the temple, and elders -- `As upon a robber have ye come forth, with swords and sticks?
and having known that he is from the jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him back unto Herod, he being also in Jerusalem in those days. And Herod having seen Jesus did rejoice exceedingly, for he was wishing for a long `time' to see him, because of hearing many things about him, and he was hoping some sign to see done by him, and was questioning him in many words, and he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes stood vehemently accusing him, and Herod with his soldiers having set him at nought, and having mocked, having put around him gorgeous apparel, did send him back to Pilate, and both Pilate and Herod became friends on that day with one another, for they were before at enmity between themselves. And Pilate having called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, said unto them, `Ye brought to me this man as perverting the people, and lo, I before you having examined, found in this man no fault in those things ye bring forward against him; no, nor yet Herod, for I sent you back unto him, and lo, nothing worthy of death is having been done by him; having chastised, therefore, I will release him,' for it was necessary for him to release to them one at every feast, and they cried out -- the whole multitude -- saying, `Away with this one, and release to us Barabbas,' who had been, because of a certain sedition made in the city, and murder, cast into prison. Pilate again then -- wishing to release Jesus -- called to them, but they were calling out, saying, `Crucify, crucify him.' And he a third time said unto them, `Why, what evil did he? no cause of death did I find in him; having chastised him, then, I will release `him'.' And they were pressing with loud voices asking him to be crucified, and their voices, and those of the chief priests, were prevailing, and Pilate gave judgment for their request being done, and he released him who because of sedition and murder hath been cast into the prison, whom they were asking, and Jesus he gave up to their will. And as they led him away, having taken hold on Simon, a certain Cyrenian, coming from the field, they put on him the cross, to bear `it' behind Jesus. And there was following him a great multitude of the people, and of women, who also were beating themselves and lamenting him, and Jesus having turned unto them, said, `Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves weep ye, and for your children; for, lo, days do come, in which they shall say, Happy the barren, and wombs that did not bare, and paps that did not give suck; then they shall begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us; -- for, if in the green tree they do these things -- in the dry what may happen?' And there were also others -- two evil-doers -- with him, to be put to death; and when they came to the place that is called Skull, there they crucified him and the evil-doers, one on the right hand and one on the left. And Jesus said, `Father, forgive them, for they have not known what they do;' and parting his garments they cast a lot. And the people were standing, looking on, and the rulers also were sneering with them, saying, `Others he saved, let him save himself, if this be the Christ, the choice one of God.' And mocking him also were the soldiers, coming near and offering vinegar to him, and saying, `If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.' And there was also a superscription written over him, in letters of Greek, and Roman, and Hebrew, `This is the King of the Jews.'
These things having said, Jesus went forth with his disciples beyond the brook of Kedron, where was a garden, into which he entered, himself and his disciples, and Judas also, who delivered him up, had known the place, because many times did Jesus assemble there with his disciples. Judas, therefore, having taken the band and officers out of the chief priests and Pharisees, doth come thither with torches and lamps, and weapons; Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that are coming upon him, having gone forth, said to them, `Whom do ye seek?' they answered him, `Jesus the Nazarene;' Jesus saith to them, `I am `he';' -- and Judas who delivered him up was standing with them; -- when, therefore, he said to them -- `I am `he',' they went away backward, and fell to the ground. Again, therefore, he questioned them, `Whom do ye seek?' and they said, `Jesus the Nazarene;' Jesus answered, `I said to you that I am `he'; if, then, me ye seek, suffer these to go away;' that the word might be fulfilled that he said -- `Those whom Thou hast given to me, I did not lose of them even one.' Simon Peter, therefore, having a sword, drew it, and struck the chief priest's servant, and cut off his right ear -- and the name of the servant was Malchus -- Jesus, therefore, said to Peter, `Put the sword into the sheath; the cup that the Father hath given to me, may I not drink it?' The band, therefore, and the captain, and the officers of the Jews, took hold on Jesus, and bound him, and they led him away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was chief priest of that year, and Caiaphas was he who gave counsel to the Jews, that it is good for one man to perish for the people.
The chief priests, therefore, questioned Jesus concerning his disciples, and concerning his teaching; Jesus answered him, `I spake freely to the world, I did always teach in a synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews do always come together; and in secret I spake nothing; why me dost thou question? question those having heard what I spake to them; lo, these have known what I said.' And he having said these things, one of the officers standing by did give Jesus a slap, saying, `Thus dost thou answer the chief priest?' Jesus answered him, `If I spake ill, testify concerning the ill; and if well, why me dost thou smite?' Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the chief priest.
`The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, did glorify His child Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, he having given judgment to release `him', and ye the Holy and Righteous One did deny, and desired a man -- a murderer -- to be granted to you,
`Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the nations to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify, and the third day he will rise again.'
And I feed the flock of slaughter, even you, ye afflicted of the flock; and I take to me two staves, the one I have called Pleasantness, and the other I have called Bands, and I feed the flock. And I cut off the three shepherds in one month, and my soul is grieved with them, and also their soul hath abhorred me.
And on their having withdrawn, lo, a messenger of the Lord doth appear in a dream to Joseph, saying, `Having risen, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there till I may speak to thee, for Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.' And he, having risen, took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt, and he was there till the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, `Out of Egypt I did call My Son.' Then Herod, having seen that he was deceived by the mages, was very wroth, and having sent forth, he slew all the male children in Beth-Lehem, and in all its borders, from two years and under, according to the time that he inquired exactly from the mages.
Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, to the court of the chief priest who was called Caiaphas; and they consulted together that they might take Jesus by guile, and kill `him',
And the chief priests, and the elders, and all the council, were seeking false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and they did not find; and many false witnesses having come near, they did not find; and at last two false witnesses having come near, said, `This one said, I am able to throw down the sanctuary of God, and after three days to build it.' And the chief priest having stood up, said to him, `Nothing thou dost answer! what do these witness against thee? and Jesus was silent. And the chief priest answering said to him, `I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou mayest say to us, if thou art the Christ -- the Son of God.' Jesus saith to him, `Thou hast said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming upon the clouds, of the heaven.' Then the chief priest rent his garments, saying, -- `He hath spoken evil; what need have we yet of witnesses? lo, now ye heard his evil speaking; what think ye?' and they answering said, `He is worthy of death.' Then did they spit in his face and buffet him, and others did slap, saying, `Declare to us, O Christ, who he is that struck thee?'
And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor did question him, saying, `Art thou the king of the Jews!' And Jesus said to him, `Thou sayest.' And in his being accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not answer any thing, then saith Pilate to him, `Dost thou not hear how many things they witness against thee?' And he did not answer him, not even to one word, so that the governor did wonder greatly. And at the feast the governor had been accustomed to release one to the multitude, a prisoner, whom they willed, and they had then a noted prisoner, called Barabbas, they therefore having been gathered together, Pilate said to them, `Whom will ye I shall release to you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?' for he had known that because of envy they had delivered him up. And as he is sitting on the tribunal, his wife sent unto him, saying, `Nothing -- to thee and to that righteous one, for many things did I suffer to-day in a dream because of him.' And the chief priests and the elders did persuade the multitudes that they might ask for themselves Barabbas, and might destroy Jesus; and the governor answering said to them, `Which of the two will ye `that' I shall release to you?' And they said, `Barabbas.' Pilate saith to them, `What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all say to him, `Let be crucified!' And the governor said, `Why, what evil did he?' and they were crying out the more, saying, `Let be crucified.' And Pilate having seen that it profiteth nothing, but rather a tumult is made, having taken water, he did wash the hands before the multitude, saying, `I am innocent from the blood of this righteous one; ye -- ye shall see;' and all the people answering said, `His blood `is' upon us, and upon our children!' Then did he release to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered `him' up that he may be crucified; then the soldiers of the governor having taken Jesus to the Praetorium, did gather to him all the band; and having unclothed him, they put around him a crimson cloak, and having plaited him a crown out of thorns they put `it' on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and having kneeled before him, they were mocking him, saying, `Hail, the king of the Jews.' And having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head; and when they had mocked him, they took off from him the cloak, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify `him'. And coming forth, they found a man, a Cyrenian, by name Simon: him they impressed that he might bear his cross; and having come to a place called Golgotha, that is called Place of a Skull, they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with gall, and having tasted, he would not drink. And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet, `They divided my garments to themselves, and over my vesture they cast a lot;' and sitting down, they were watching him there,
and saying, `Thou that art throwing down the sanctuary, and in three days building `it', save thyself; if Son thou art of God, come down from the cross.' And in like manner also the chief priests mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, `Others he saved; himself he is not able to save! If he be King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him; he hath trusted on God, let Him now deliver him, if He wish him, because he said -- Son of God I am;'
And the passover and the unleavened food were after two days, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, by guile, having taken hold of him, they might kill him; and they said, `Not in the feast, lest there shall be a tumult of the people.'
And immediately -- while he is yet speaking -- cometh near Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude, with swords and sticks, from the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders; and he who is delivering him up had given a token to them, saying, `Whomsoever I shall kiss, he it is, lay hold on him, and lead him away safely,' and having come, immediately, having gone near him, he saith, `Rabbi, Rabbi,' and kissed him. And they laid on him their hands, and kept hold on him; and a certain one of those standing by, having drawn the sword, struck the servant of the chief priest, and took off his ear. And Jesus answering said to them, `As against a robber ye came out, with swords and sticks, to take me! daily I was with you in the temple teaching, and ye did not lay hold on me -- but that the Writings may be fulfilled.' And having left him they all fled; and a certain young man was following him, having put a linen cloth about `his' naked body, and the young men lay hold on him, and he, having left the linen cloth, did flee from them naked. And they led away Jesus unto the chief priest, and come together to him do all the chief priests, and the elders, and the scribes; and Peter afar off did follow him, to the inside of the hall of the chief priest, and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself near the fire. And the chief priests and all the sanhedrim were seeking against Jesus testimony -- to put him to death, and they were not finding, for many were bearing false testimony against him, and their testimonies were not alike. And certain having risen up, were bearing false testimony against him, saying -- `We heard him saying -- I will throw down this sanctuary made with hands, and by three days, another made without hands I will build;' and neither so was their testimony alike. And the chief priest, having risen up in the midst, questioned Jesus, saying, `Thou dost not answer anything! what do these testify against thee?' and he was keeping silent, and did not answer anything. Again the chief priest was questioning him, and saith to him, `Art thou the Christ -- the Son of the Blessed?' and Jesus said, `I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming with the clouds, of the heaven.' And the chief priest, having rent his garments, saith, `What need have we yet of witnesses? Ye heard the evil speaking, what appeareth to you?' and they all condemned him to be worthy of death, and certain began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say to him, `Prophesy;' and the officers were striking him with their palms.
And immediately, in the morning, the chief priests having made a consultation, with the elders, and scribes, and the whole sanhedrim, having bound Jesus, did lead away, and delivered `him' to Pilate; and Pilate questioned him, `Art thou the king of the Jews?' and he answering said to him, `Thou dost say `it'.' And the chief priests were accusing him of many things, `but he answered nothing.' And Pilate again questioned him, saying, `Thou dost not answer anything! lo, how many things they do testify against thee!' and Jesus did no more answer anything, so that Pilate wondered. And at every feast he was releasing to them one prisoner, whomsoever they were asking; and there was `one' named Barabbas, bound with those making insurrection with him, who had in the insurrection committed murder. And the multitude having cried out, began to ask for themselves as he was always doing to them, and Pilate answered them, saying, `Will ye `that' I shall release to you the king of the Jews?' for he knew that because of envy the chief priests had delivered him up; and the chief priests did move the multitude, that he might rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate answering, again said to them, `What, then, will ye `that' I shall do to him whom ye call king of the Jews?' and they again cried out, `Crucify him.' And Pilate said to them, `Why -- what evil did he?' and they cried out the more vehemently, `Crucify him;' and Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus -- having scourged `him' -- that he might be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, which is Praetorium, and call together the whole band, and clothe him with purple, and having plaited a crown of thorns, they put `it' on him, and began to salute him, `Hail, King of the Jews.' And they were smiting him on the head with a reed, and were spitting on him, and having bent the knee, were bowing to him, and when they `had' mocked him, they took the purple from off him, and clothed him in his own garments, and they led him forth, that they may crucify him. And they impress a certain one passing by -- Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus -- that he may bear his cross, and they bring him to the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, `Place of a skull;' and they were giving him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, and he did not receive. And having crucified him, they were dividing his garments, casting a lot upon them, what each may take; and it was the third hour, and they crucified him; and the inscription of his accusation was written above -- `The King of the Jews.' And with him they crucify two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on his left,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 4
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 Disciples—They Engage in Prayer—The 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.