Acts 4:23

Acts 4:23-28 . And being let go — Being dismissed from their examination by the rulers; they went to their own company — Who, probably, were at this time met together, praying for them; and reported all that the chief priests had said — Adding, no doubt, what they were enabled by the grace of God to reply to them, and how their trial issued. And when they heard that — A divine inspiration coming upon all that were present in an extraordinary manner; they lifted up their voice to God with one accord — All unanimously joining in the following petition, as being all influenced by the same spirit, though, perhaps, only one speaking in the name of the rest: or, as Dr. Doddridge supposes, all their voices joining by immediate inspiration, a circumstance which he thinks was graciously adapted to encourage them to suffer the greatest extremities in this cause. And said, Lord, thou art God, &c. — The sense is, Lord, thou hast all power, and thy word is fulfilled: men rage against thee, but it is in vain. See notes on Psalm 2:1-5 .

For of a truth, &c. — For we now see the prediction of thy servant David truly and literally accomplished; since against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed — With the Holy Ghost and with power, to accomplish the glorious work of erecting thy kingdom among men; both Herod, &c., with the Gentiles — The idolatrous heathen; and the people of Israel — Professing to worship thee, the true God; were gathered together — Combined in the impious attempt of opposing thy designs. For to do whatsoever thy hand, &c., determined before to be done — That is, says Dr. Hammond, “the Roman governors and Jewish sanhedrim have joined their malicious counsels against thy holy Son; to act in the crucifying of him, and so (though little meaning it) to be the instruments of thy gracious providence and disposal, who didst determine to give thy only Son to die for us.” The sense evidently is, But they (the enemies of God and Christ) could do no more than thou wast pleased to permit, according to thy determinate counsel, to save mankind by the sufferings of thy Son. And what was needful for this end, thou didst before determine to permit to be done.

They went to their own company, the rest of the apostles and believers, who have a special propriety and delight in one another; sheep with sheep, and goats with goats: though the separation will be made at the last day, the foundation of it is laid here. And reported all; to forewarn them of what they might expect, and encourage them to hope for the like deliverance. Chief priests; to what hath been said concerning them might be added, that these, it may be, were the first or chief in the courses, which David divided the priests into, which division was observed till our Saviour’s time, Luke 1:5 .

Acts 4:23 . Ἀπήγγειλαν , they reported ) Although the rulers were opposed to their doing so, yet it was no sin on the part of the apostles.— οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι , the chief priests and elders ) The Sadducees are not named, who partly are contained under them, ch. Acts 5:17 , partly were not assessors in the council.

Ac 4:23-37. Peter and John Dismissed from the Samhedrim, 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.

23–31 . The Apostles released. Their Prayer and its Answer 23 . to their own company ] Perhaps still abiding in the upper room which they had occupied before Pentecost. Because St Peter on a later occasion ( Acts 12:12 ) made his way, after his deliverance from prison, to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark where many were gathered together praying, some have thought that this was the house where the Apostles had dwelt from the first. Such men at such a time would have neither means (see Acts 3:6 ) nor inclination to change from house to house. And Christ’s injunction ( Luke 10:7 ), “Go not from house to house,” was given with a purpose which the Apostles would be likely to bear in mind and act upon.

(23) They went to their own company. —Literally, their own people. The statement implies a recognised place of meeting, where the members of the new society met at fixed times. All that the chief priests.—The word is probably used in its more extended meaning, as including, not only Annas and Caiaphas, but the heads of the four-and-twenty courses (see Note on Matthew 2:4), and others who were members of the Sanhedrin.

Acts 4:23-24 . Πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους ] to those belonging to them, i.e. to their fellow-apostles . This explanation (Syr. Beza) is verified partly by Acts 4:31 , where it is said of all , that they proclaimed the doctrine of God; partly by Acts 4:32 , where the multitude of believers are contrasted with these . Hence neither are we to understand, with Kuinoel, Baumgarten, and others, the Christian church in general, nor, with Olshausen, the church in the house of the apostles, or an assembly as in Acts 12:12 (van Hengel, Gave d. talen , p. 68). ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν ] Thus all with one accord spoke aloud the following prayer; and not possibly Peter alone. The attempts to explain this away (Kuinoel, comp.