Acts 5:21

Act_5:21-26

And when they heard that they entered into the temple … But the high priest … called the council together.

The characteristics of opposition to the truth

The contrast is very graphic. The apostles in public disseminating the truth: the Jewish authorities at the same moment plotting in private for its suppression. The conference suggests at once the characteristics which mark opposition to the truth, and the motives by which the opponents are actuated. Sometimes, in a given conflict, the characteristics are displayed in the same natural order of development as here. At other times each mark distinguishes some individual or movement.

I. Confidence (Act_5:21). The apostles were locked up and therefore safe. It only remained to summon and sentence them. Then all would be over: the position of the authorities secured, and Christianity a thing of the past. So, in effect, have persecutors argued all through time. Christ was a babe at Bethlehem. All the babes at Bethlehem were murdered; therefore Herod was safe. Diocletian inscribed on pillars that the name of Christian was everywhere destroyed. Intellectual opponents have argued in the same way. How many times has Christianity been killed and buried from the time of Celsas and Porphyry to those of Voltaire and Tom Paine.

II. Disappointment. The prison doors were locked, and the sentries were at their posts, but the prisoners were gone, So, in effect, has it ever been found. Doors do not always open and close at an angels bidding to set the prisoner free; but his influence and his message finds its way somehow through the thickest walls. Paul was not less effective in a dungeon, nor was Bunyan. And though opponents may be permitted to wreak their full vengeance on their prisoner, martyrdom only enhances power. John the Baptists influence is all the greater for his tragic death, and Christ lifted up on the Cross is drawing all men unto Him. Bishop Tunstall may burn Tyndales Bibles, but that only provides Tyndale with the means of publishing more.

III. Bafflement (Act_5:23-24). The authorities felt themselves fairly brought to bay, and began to cherish the secret suspicion that these Galilean peasants would in the long run be too strong for them. And no wonder. The possibilities of the men for whom prison doors would open were boundless, and so they doubted whereunto these things would grow. And now the information comes that they were not only at liberty, but were doing in the most public place the very thing for which they had been imprisoned. This would only increase the bafflement. It was the same in the great persecutions of the early Church. The doubt whereunto these things would grow made even the philosophic Hadrian a persecutor, but eventually made the politic Constantine a Christian. The same doubt agitates the heathen as he sees his cherished convictions and constitutions crumbling and Christianity slowly but surely rising on their ruins. The same doubt agitates the sceptic as he sees his books dwindling in circulation and Bibles multiplying.

IV. Fear.

1. Seen in the method of arrest (Act_5:26).

2. But more powerfully in the dread lest their own imprecation, His blood be upon us, should be fulfilled (Act_5:28). Conscience makes cowards of us all. Nor can it be denied that a large share of the anti-Christian attack all through the centuries is due to the fear of consequences. This will explain a good deal of its virulence.

Conclusion:

1. Christians must expect the truth to be opposed. What concord hath Christ with Belial.

2. In spite of opposition Christians must maintain the truth. It is a sacred deposit to be defended at all costs.

3. Let Christians be animated by the thought that truth is mighty and will prevail. (J. W. Burn.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 5:21. Γερουσίαν) A word of the Septuagint.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_5:21-23. Ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον] about the dawn of day. On ὄρθρος, see Lobeck, ad Phryn. 275 f.; and on ὑπό, used of nearness in time, see Bernhardy, p. 267. Often so in Thuc.; see Krüger on i. 100. 3. Comp. 3Ma_5:2; Tob_7:11. The ἀκούσαντες is simply a continuation of the narrative: after they heard that, etc., as in Act_2:37, Act_11:18, and frequently.

παραγενόμενος] namely, into the chamber where the Sanhedrim sat, as is evident from what follows. They resorted thither, unacquainted with the liberation of the apostles which had occurred in the past night, and caused the Sanhedrim and the whole eldership to be convoked, in order to try the prisoners.

καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γερουσίαν] The importance which they assigned to the matter (comp. on Act_4:6) induced them to summon not only those elders of the people who were likewise members of the Sanhedrim, but the whole body of elders generally, the whole council of representatives of the people. The well-known term γερουσία is fittingly[170] transferred from the college of the Greek gerontes (Dem. 489. 19; Polyb. xxxviii. 5. 1; Herm. Staatsalterth. § 24. 186) to that of the Jewish presbyters. Heinrichs (following Vitringa, Archisynag. p. 356) considers πᾶσ. τ. γερουσ. as equivalent to ΤῸ ΣΥΝΈΔΡΙΟΝ, to which it is added as honorificentissima compellatio. Warranted by usage (1Ma_12:6; 2Ma_1:10; 2Ma_4:44; Jdt_4:8; Jdt_11:14; Jdt_15:8; Loesner, p. 178); but after the quite definite and well-known τὸ συνέδριον, the addition would have no force.

Act_5:23 contains quite the artless expression of the official report.

[170] Although nowhere else in the N. T.; hence here, perhaps, to be derived from the source used by Luke.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 5:21 . ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον , “about day-break,” R.V., i.e. , without delay they obeyed the angel’s command (Weiss). The words may also indicate the customary usage of Palestine where the heat was great in the daytime. The people rose early and came to our Lord to hear Him, Luk 21:38 (Joh 8:2 ). ὑπὸ = sub, circa (of time), so in classical Greek, Blass, Grammatik des N. G. , p. 132. The first sacrifice took place in the Temple very early, Edersheim, Temple and its Services , p. 132, and it may be that the Apostles went to catch the people at the hour of their early devotions (Plumptre). ὑπό is used nowhere else in the N.T. with an accusative in this sense, cf. Tob 7:11 , , al ; ὑπὸ τὴν νύκτα , 3Ma 5:2 παραγενόμενος : having come, i.e. , to the place where the Sadducees met, not merely pleonastic; the verb may fairly be regarded as characteristic of St. Luke in both his writings it occurs eight times in his Gospel and thirty in the Acts, and frequently absolutely as here elsewhere in N.T. only eight or nine times, frequent in LXX. τὸ συνέδριον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γερουσίαν : does γερουσία represent an assembly or body in addition to the συνέδριον , or do the two words represent the same Court? The word γερ . appears nowhere else in the N.T., but in the LXX it is used in several places of the Jewish Sanhedrim, 1Ma 12:6 , 2MMal 1:10 ; 2Ma 4:44 ; 2Ma 11:27 , Jdg 4:8 ; Jdg 14:4 ; Jdg 15:8 . In the N.T. the Sanhedrim is also called πρεσβυτέριον , Luk 22:66 , Act 22:5 . If the two words denote the same body καὶ must be regarded as merely explicative (so Wendt as against Meyer) to emphasise the solemn importance and representative nature of the assembly (so Grimm-Thayer to signify the full Sanhedrim sub v. γερ . and so apparently Blass). If we adopt Rendall’s view καί may still be explicative, but in another way, specifying the comprehensive character of this meeting as compared with the hasty and informal gathering in Act 4:5-6 ( cf. Kuinoel’s view, in loco ). The difficulty has caused others to suggest that γερ . refers to men of age and experience who were asked to join the Council as assessors, or to some other assembly larger than the Sanhedrim and only summoned on special occasions. For the former view, Lumby and Plumptre (see also Page’s note) refer to Mishna, Joma , i., 1, where mention is made of “the chamber of the assessors,” parhedrin = πάρεδροι . Further we may note, Schürer, Jewish People , div. ii., vol. i., p. 172, E.T., in a note on this passage points out that as there can be no doubt as to the identity of the two conceptions συνέδριον and γερουσία (so too Zöckler and Weiss, in loco ), καί must be taken as explanatory, or St. Luke makes a mistake in assuming that the συνέδριον was of a less comprehensive character than the γερουσία , “the Sanhedrin and all the elders of the people together”. Schürer prefers the latter alternative, but the former may reasonably be maintained not only from the Greek text but also because St. Luke’s information admittedly derived from a Jewish-Christian source is not likely to have been inaccurate. Hilgenfeld agrees with Weiss that in the source the O.T. expression γερουσία , Exo 3:16 ; Exo 4:29 ; Exo 12:21 , stood alone, but that the reviser prefixed the usual expression συνέδριον which in Act 5:27 ; Act 5:34 is found without any addition. On “Synhedrion,” see Hamburger, Real-Encyclopädie des Judentums , ii., 8, 1149, and “Aelteste,” i., 1, pp. 59, 60, and O. Holtzmann, Neutestamentliche Zeitgeschichte , pp. 175, 176 (1895). δεσμωτήριον , Act 16:26 ; Thuc. vi. 60 and LXX, Gen 39:20-23 ; Gen 40:3-5 . On the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrim and its right to order arrests by its own officers, and to dispose of cases not involving capital punishment, Schürer, Jewish People , div. ii., vol. i., 187, 188, E.T., O. Holtzmann, u. s. , p. 173.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

God mocketh his enemies’ attempts from above.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

entered into the temple, &c.--How self-possessed! the indwelling Spirit raising them above fear.

called . . . all the senate, &c.--an unusually general convention, though hastily summoned.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 21. Called the council together] συνεδριον The sanhedrin, all the senate; την γερουσιαν, the elders, or what we would call the aldermen. How these differed from the πρεσβυτεριον, presbytery, if they did differ, is not now known.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. And when the chief priest came. The chief priest calleth all the council together now, lest, if giving the honor to his own sect, he omit others, and be not able to bear the burden; therefore, he is enforced by fear to call the multitude together, notwithstanding they observe diligently and straitly the form of law. The elders are called who did govern, that nothing may be done but according to the sentence and authority of the council. Who would not have hoped for a moderate end, seeing they began thus? and surely they pretend what color they can, lest they seem to oppress the truth violently and tyrannously; but when they hear that the apostles teach in the temple, howsoever they know that they came not out by deceit of man, but miraculously, yet they hold on still in their purpose; where appeareth, together with the ungodliness of behavior and contempt of God, horrible fury and want of reason. Therefore, the beautiful colors of right and equity do never so cover hypocrites, but that they do at length betray their wickedness. They must need certainly gather by all circumstances, that it is the work of God that the prison was opened, yet they do not doubt openly to rage against God.

These things are also meet for our time. We know how proudly the Papists boast of that maxim of theirs, that lawful councils must be obeyed, because they represent the Church. Moreover, they call those lawful councils, and they will have them so accounted, wherein nothing is wanting touching the external form, and such a council was this whereof Luke speaketh in this place; and yet, notwithstanding, we know that it was gathered to put out the name of Christ; for although the priests did then creep in unto honor by subtlety, or by inordinate suit, to win the favor of men, or by other wicked policies, or whether they burst in unto the same by bribery, or murder, yet the dignity of the priesthood did continue as yet until Christ was revealed. There was in the assembly of the elders a representing of the Church; but where the truth of God is not sought, all outward appearance is nothing else but a mere visor. Therefore, it is in vain for the Papists to cover their abominations with the shadow of this buckler, because it is not sufficient for those to be gathered together who are rulers of the Church, unless they do this in the name of Christ, otherwise forasmuch as it is an usual policy of Satan to transform himself into an angel of light, (2 Corinthians 11:14,) we will grant him as fit a covert under the title of the Church as he can wish.

He brought them without violence. We have spoken somewhat before of the captain of the temple. For I do not think that it was lawful for the Jews to set and appoint whom they would to rule the temple, but that the president of the province did appoint one to have the government of the temple. And he saith, that they were brought without violence, that is, that they were not drawn violently, lest any tumult should arise, so that, whereas they neither fear nor reverence God, they are afraid of men. The apostles also do show their modesty in that, that whereas they are guided with a great number of men, yet do they suffer themselves to be led away by the officers, lest they should be authors of any tumult.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(21) Early in the morning.—Probably at day-break, when the worshippers would be going up to the Temple for their early devotions, or, though less probable, at the third hour, the time of the morning sacrifice.

They that were with him.—Probably those named in Act_4:6, who seem to have acted as a kind of cabinet or committee.

All the senate. . . .—Literally the word means, like senate, the assembly of old men, or elders. They are here distinguished from the Sanhedrin, which itself included elders, in the official sense of the word, and were probably a body of assessors—how chosen we do not know—specially qualified by age and experience, called in on special occasions. They may have been identical with the “whole estate of the elders” of Act_22:5.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. early in the morning] The words indicate a time as soon as possible after day dawn. They lost no time in obeying the command. How early it was possible for them to come to the Temple we find from the directions in the Talmud concerning the morning sacrifice. It is said (Mishna Joma iii. 1), “The Memunneh (see note on Act_4:1) said to them: Go ye out (on to the Temple wall or roof) and see whether the time for killing the sacrifice has arrived. If it had arrived, the out-looker said, ‘It has flashed forth’ (i.e. day has dawned). Matthia ben Shemuel said [that the form of question was] ‘Has the whole face of the east become lit up as far as to Hebron? And the man answered, Yes.’ So that the first sacrifice took place at the very peep of day.” A like explanation is found Mishna Tamid iii. 2.

But the high priest came] i.e. into the council chamber, to consult on what should be done with the prisoners, of whose release they had as yet heard nothing.

called the council together] This was evidently deemed a case of the utmost consequence, and all pains are bestowed to gather to the hearing the combined wisdom of the whole authorities, for now, as is seen from Gamaliel’s presence, not Sadducees alone were called. The word here rendered council means probably the smaller Sanhedrin.

and all the senate of the children of Israel] Senate is here used in its original sense = the older men, and is a literal rendering of the Greek gerousia, meaning the great Sanhedrin of 71 elders. The name indicates that these were assessors added to the council by reason of their age and weight of character. We find from the Jewish literature that such assessors were often appointed. In the extract Mishna Joma i. 1, quoted on Act_4:6, the word for “assessors” is parhedrin, i.e. the Greek πάρεδροι, and the adoption of such a word into the Jewish vocabulary shews that the office was not Jewish in origin but had become so firmly grafted among them as to justify the adoption of a foreign expression to describe it.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But when the officers came,.... The Arabic version adds, "to it"; that is, to the prison;

and found them not in the prison. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "the prison being opened they found them not"; when they came to the prison, they opened the doors of it, or the keepers for them; for though the angel had opened them for the apostles, yet he shut them again, as he brought them out; for these men found the doors shut, as the following verse shows, and who upon opening them and searching the prison, for the apostles, could find none of them in it; wherefore they returned; the Arabic version reads, "to them"; to the sanhedrim:

and told; that is, them, as both the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Ver. 21. They entered into the temple early, &c.] True obedience is prompt and present, ready and speedy, without delays and consults, Psa 119:60; Mar 1:18; Zec 5:9, they had wings and wind in their wings, to note, as Junius observes, their ready obedience.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Early in the morning - Greek: at the break of day. Compare Luk 24:1; Joh 8:2.

Called the council together - The Sanhedrin, or the Great Council of the nation. This was clearly for the purpose of “trying” the apostles for disregarding their commandments.

And all the senate - Greek: “eldership.” Probably these were not a part of the Sanhedrin, but were people of age and experience, who in Act 4:8; Act 25:15, are called “elders of the Jews,” and who were present for the sake of counsel Canal advice in a case of emergency.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

When they heard that; having received a command from God, they resolved to obey him rather than man.

Early in the morning; taking the first opportunity, though they could not but be sensible of the danger they ran into.

The council; the sanhedrim, or great council.

The senate; the judges of their inferior courts, or the chief amongst the priests or senators; either living in the city, or coming thither upon that festival occasion.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. Early in the morning—Literally, at daybreak. (See note on Luk_21:38.)

High priest came—Came not to the temple, but to Gazith, the hall of the Sanhedrin at the southwest corner of the Court of Israel.

With him—Probably the parties named in Act_4:6.

The council—The Sanhedrin.

Senate—The Greek word for senate here used is γερουσια, (derived from γερων, an old man, as the Latin word senatus is derived from a word of the same meaning, senex,) and is equivalent etymologically to eldership. This word is in the Apocrypha applied to the Sanhedrin itself, and perhaps even here it is but a magnifying phrase for the council or Sanhedrin already mentioned.

All the senate—The most imposing body possible to the Jewish state was summoned together on this occasion; not solely because a most solemn question under the old Mosaic law was to be tried, namely, whether the workers of certain miracles were prophets of God or agents of Beelzebub. It was also because the contest now was with the people, who were largely on the side of the apostles, endangering the predominancy, as was feared, of the ruling Sadducean powers.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This for that, A.V.; about day. break for early in the morning, A.V.; prison-house for prison, A.V About daybreak. In the hot climate of Jerusalem people are about very early in the meriting. (comp. Mat_26:57, Mat_26:75) But the high priest, etc. The narrative would run more clearly if the passage were translated more literally, Now when the high priest and they that were with him were come (to the council-chamber the next day) they called together, etc. The narrative is taken up from vers. 17, 18. Having (ver. 18) put the apostles in prison, they met the next morning to decide how to punish them. The council (todrion); i.e. in the Hebraeo-Greek, the Sanhedrim, the great council of the nation, consisting of seventy-two members, usually presided over by the high priest. It is frequently mentioned in the New Testament. (Mat_5:22 Mat_26:59; Mar_14:55, etc.; and Act_22:30 Act_23:1, etc.; above Act_4:15) On the present occasion, besides the members of the Sanhedrim, there were gathered together all the senate (gerousia) of the children of Israel, an expression which occurs only here, but which seems to comprise all the elders of the Jews, even though they were not members of the Sanhedrim. But some (Schleusner, Heinrich, etc.) understand it as merely another phrase for the Sanhedrim, added for explanation and amplification. The council, of course, were ignorant of the escape of the prisoners. The prison-house (desmwthrion); "prison" (A.V) represents fulakh in the next verse.

Vers. 21-24. The hopelessness of fighting against God.

The narrative indicates that the Sanhedrim had fully entered on the work of checking and crushing the party of Christ"s disciples. Gamaliel expressed what the nature of their action might possibly prove to be it might be even a "fighting against God." Some effort should be made to realize what they thought about their work, and how they deluded themselves with the notion that they alone were guardians of the truth of God, and in opposing the Christian party were really fighting for God. It is one of the saddest effects of cherished exclusiveness and self-confidence that these things actually blind men, and make it impossible for them to receive truth as newly presented to them. A little self-criticism, a little skill in testing their own motives, would have revealed to these men the low and unworthy passions and prejudices by which they were permitting themselves to be ruled. So often we need to "see ourselves as others see us," and may thankfully welcome any light that reveals ourselves to ourselves. These men were really "fighting against God.

I IN FIGHTING AGAINST GOD MAN MAY WIN APPARENT AND TEMPORARY SUCCESSES. Only apparent, because they always lead men on to attempt further schemes, which involve them in utter ruin. Only temporary, because God has the long ages in which to secure the outworking of his purposes. Illustrate by the success of the Sanhedrim in the conviction and death of our Lord, and in the imprisonment of the apostles.

II IN FIGHTING AGAINST GOD MAN DEALS WITH FORCES BEYOND HIS REACH. And they are sure to master him. Compare man"s range of power with God"s. Illustrate from the treatment of Christ; death was man"s limit, resurrection was in God"s power. So with apostles; imprisonment was man"s limit, angel-deliverance was in God"s power. God"s miracles then, God"s providences and overrulings now, surely mate and master man"s utmost antagonism. This is true of persecutions, infidelity, or other forms of attack on Christian men, the Christian faith, or the spread of the Redeemer"s kingdom. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Sadducees receive a surprise:

v. 21. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the Council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

v. 22. But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told,

v. 23. saying, the prison, truly, found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors; but when we had opened, we found no man within.

v. 24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them where unto this would grow.

v. 25. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the Temple and teaching the people.

The next morning the high priest was stirring betimes. Having come to the place where the Sadducees met, he and his henchmen called a meeting, not only of the entire Sanhedrin, the highest ecclesiastical court of the Jews, but also the presbytery of the children of Israel, the old and experienced teachers of the nation that were no members of the Council. But when they now, after all this formal and impressive introduction, sent servants over to the prison to get the prisoners, the latter were not in evidence. The servants returned with the information that they had found the prison locked up and made secure in approved fashion, that the guards had been occupying their accustomed places, but when they had opened the doors, there had been no prisoners. The angel of the Lord had therefore not only smitten the keepers of the prison with temporary blindness, but he had also relocked the doors to remove all evidence of the miraculous deliverance of the apostles. This message produced a great deal of consternation in the Sanhedrin. And it perplexed not only the members of the Council themselves, but also the "man of the Temple mount," the chief of the Temple police. Clearly the hand of God had here intervened, as they admitted indirectly in their perplexity, not knowing whereunto this might grow, where it would all end at the present rate of progress. Meanwhile a man came and announced to them that the men whom they had thrown into prison were standing in the Temple, openly and boldly engaged in teaching the people. Thus many an enemy of the Lord and His Word has found himself baffled by the manner in which the Lord protects them that are His, and takes care of His own interests. It is a good plan, a safe plan, to put all trust in Him.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Observe here, 1. No sooner were the apostles out of prison, but they enter into the temple and preach, with a redoubled zeal and diligence; no doubt, Satan had better have let these holy men alone, than have cast them into prison; for the cold blasts of persecution and imprisonment beating upon their outward man, by a spiritual anitiperistasis, augmented the heat of grace within. There is no such way to be even with the devil and his instruments, for all their spite and malice against us, as by doing all the good we can to the souls of men.

Observe, 2. How the deliverance which God wrought for the apostles, in bringing them miraculously out of prison by the conduct of an angel, did confound the council which laid them in: They were nonplussed and horribly perplexed at it: They doubted whereunto this would grow. They stood amused and amazed, and knew not what measures to take; but were at their wits-end, Sin oft-times brings men into straits, but straits do not always bring men off from their sins.

Thus here, notwithstanding their present perplexity of spirit, they spur on, and bring them again before the council, Then went the captain with the officers of the temple, and brought them without violence. Act 5:26

Observe, 3. The crimes which the holy apostles were unjustly accused of; namely, obstinacy and sedition. They are charged with obstinacy for persisting to preach the gospel, when they had strictly (but very wickedly) forbidden them: And they are accused of sedition, as if they endeavoured to stir up the people to avenge the blood of Christ upon the rulers, as being unjustly shed by them. The greatest innocency cannot protect the holiest persons from slander and false accusation. The best of men have sometimes been charged withe the blackest crimes. No wonder that the Sanhedrin, or great counsel, which charged Christ himself with imposture and blasphemy, did accuse the apostles of sedition and contumacy; The disciple is not above his Master.

Observe, 4. The contumelious reflection which they had made upon our Lord Jesus Christ himself: You intend, says the council, to bring this man’s blood upon us: As if the holy Jesus had not been worthy the naming by them. Christ told his disciples, Luk 6:22. that the world should cast out their name as evil. Behold! his own is used no better: He is homo nullius nominis. This man, this fellow, this deceiver, were the opprobrious titles which the learned Rabbies thought fit to impose upon the best man that ever the world had. Lord! how can we be abased enough for thee, who wast so degraded and debased for us?

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 19

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. Called the council. The Sanhedrim, for the trial of the apostles, supposing them still in prison. All the senate. Many think that a body of elders and other influential leaders were called to assist in the deliberations.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

21. ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον, at break of day. The words indicate a time as soon as possible after day dawn. They lost no time in obeying the command. How early it was possible for them to come to the Temple we find from the directions in the Talmud concerning the morning sacrifice. It is said (Mishna Joma III. 1) ‘The Memunneh (see note on Act 4:1) said to them: Go ye out (on to the Temple wall or roof) and see whether the time for killing the sacrifice has arrived. If it had arrived, the outlooker said, “It has flashed forth” (i.e. day has dawned). Matthia ben Shemuel said [that the form of question was], “Has the whole face of the east become lit up as far as to Hebron? And the man answered, Yes.” So that the first sacrifice took place at the very peep of day.’ A like explanation is found Mishna Tamid III. 2.

παραγενόμενος, having come, i.e. into the council-chamber, to consider what steps to take about their prisoners.

συνεκάλεσαν τὸ συνέδριον, they called together the council; i.e. the Sanhedrin proper. This was evidently deemed to be a matter of the gravest character, for, as we see from Gamaliel’s presence, it was not the Sadducees alone who were summoned to the council.

τὴν γερουσίαν. The word occurs many times in LXX. of the Pentateuch, and in the Apocryphal books, and is variously rendered clders, council, or senate (see 1Ma 12:6; 2Ma 1:10; 2Ma 4:44; 2Ma 11:27). The name indicates that they were older men, who probably were invited as assessors to join the council by reason of their age and consequent weight of character. We can find from the Jewish literature that such assessors were often appointed. In the extract Mishna Joma I. 1, quoted on iv. 6, the word for ‘assessors’ is parhedrin, i.e. the Greek πάρεδροι, and the adoption of such a word into the Jewish vocabulary shews that the institution which it describes was of so permanent a nature as to justify the adoption of a foreign expression to describe it.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21.] ὑπὸ τ ὄρθρ., at daybreak: see reff.

παραγενόμενος] to the ordinary session chamber in the Temple, on the south side of it (Winer, Realw.): and therefore, if the Apostles were teaching in Solomon’s porch (ver. 12), not in their immediate vicinity. Perhaps the παραγενόμενος … συνεκάλεσαν …, implying that the summons was not issued till after the arrival of the H. P. and his friends, may point to a meeting of the Sanhedrim hurriedly and insufficiently called, for the purpose of ‘packing’ it against the Apostles. If so, they did not succeed, see ver. 40: perhaps on account of the arrival of some who had been listeners to the Apostles’ preaching.

πᾶσαν τ. γερουσίαν] Probably the πρεσβύτεροι, including perhaps some who were not members of the Sanhedrim; the well-known foes of Jesus and his doctrine. The expression π. τ. γερους. τῶν υἱ. Ἰσραήλ, common in the LXX, is perhaps translated from the form of words in which they were summoned. γερουσία, being the ordinary word for the πρεσβύτεροι, would be the Hellenistic formal expression.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Early in the morning [υπο τον ορθρον] . 'Upo, beneath, is often used in the sense of just about, or near. Orqron is from ornumi, to cause to arise : the dawn. See on Luk 24:1. Render as Rev., about daybreak.

Taught [εδιδασκον] . Imperfect : began teaching.

The council [συνεδριον] . The Sanhedrim.

The senate [γερουσιαν] . From gerwn, an old man, like the Latin senatus, from senex, old. Taking on very early an official sense, the notion of age being merged in that of dignity. Thus in Homer gerontev are the chiefs who form the king's council. Compare the Latin patres, fathers, the title used in addressing the Roman senate. The word in this passage is the name of the Spartan assembly, Gerousia, the assembly of elders, consisting of thirty members, with the two kings. "The well - known term," as Meyer remarks, "is fittingly transferred from the college of the Greek gerontes to that of the Jewish presbyters." They summoned, not only those elders of the people who were likewise members of the Sanhedrim, but the whole council (all the senate) of the representatives of the people. Prison [δεσμωτηριον] . Still another word for prison. Compare vv. 18, 19. Rev., prison - house. The different words emphasize different aspects of confinement. Thrhsiv is keeping, as the result of guarding. See on ver.

Act 5:18Fulakh emphasizes the being put under guard, and desmwthrion the being put in bonds.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.