Acts 5:38

Refrain (ἀπόστητε) Lit., stand off. Of men (ἐξ ἀνθρώπων) Out of men, proceeding out of their devices. It will come to naught (καταλυθήσεται) Lit., be loosened down. Used of the dilapidation of the temple (Luke 21:6), and of the dissolution of the body under the figure of striking a tent (2 Corinthians 5:1). See on Mark 13:2.

Acts 5:38-39 . And now I say unto you — I, therefore, with regard to the present affair, give it as my most serious and deliberate advice; Refrain from these men, and let them alone — In a cause which is manifestly good, we should immediately join. In a cause, on the other hand, which is manifestly evil, we should immediately oppose. But in a sudden, new, doubtful occurrence, this advice of Gamaliel is proper and eminently useful. For if this counsel or this work — He seems to correct himself, as if it were some sudden work, rather than a counsel, or design. And so it was. For the apostles had no counsel, plan, or design of their own; but were mere instruments in the hand of God, working just as he led them from day to day. If it be of men — If it be a merely human contrivance, and matter of deceit; it will come to naught — It will soon sink, and come to nothing of itself; some incident will arise to discredit it, and the whole interest of this Jesus will moulder away, as that of Theudas and of Judas did, both which seem to have been much more strongly supported by human power.

But if it be of God — If it be really his cause, which does not appear to me impossible, ye cannot overthrow it, whatever power or policy you use; for though even these particular instruments should be taken off, he will, undoubtedly, raise up others: lest haply ye be found even to fight against God — Against his almighty power, and infinitely wise and ever watchful providence; an undertaking which must prove dreadfully fatal to all who are so rash and unhappy as to engage in it.

And now I say unto you; he undertakes to advise them what they should do in the present case. Refrain from these men; have nothing to do with them, as Pilate’s wife advised him concerning our Saviour, Matthew 27:19 . Gamaliel interposes, partly out of his moderate and mild disposition; partly out of fear, lest if they slew the apostles they might incense the Romans, who were very jealous of their authority, and had taken away the power of capital punishments from the Jews. For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought; this argument, or dilemma, which Gamaliel uses for the sparing of the apostles, is of force either way; as that question our Saviour propounds concerning the baptism of John, Matthew 21:25 . This first part is evident, for that building must needs fall which is built upon the sand, Matthew 7:27 .

Acts 5:38 . Λέγω ὑμῖν , I say unto you ) This formula in this passage has in it something of a bland, rather than a severe character.— ἐάσατε , let them alone, allow them ) viz. to do what they are doing. We ought to give our assent to a cause that is manifestly good: we ought to resist one that is manifestly bad. But in the case of a matter sudden, new, and doubtful, and in relation to adversaries inflamed with anger, the counsel of Gamaliel is a pre-eminently salutary one.— ἢ , or ) He means to say by this word, that it should be rather termed a work than a counsel . At least the apostles were doing all things, not by their own, but by the Divine counsel .— καταλυθήσεται , it will be dissolved , or come to nought ) It both can and will be dissolved, either by you or by others, or of itself.

And now I say unto you, {n} Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of {o} men, it will come to nought: (n) He dissuades his fellows from murdering the apostles, neither does he think it good to refer the matter to the Roman magistrate, for the Jews could endure nothing worse than to have the tyranny of the Romans confirmed. (o) If it is counterfeit and devised.

(38) Refrain from these men. —The advice implies something like a suppressed conviction not bold enough to utter itself. Gamaliel takes his place in the class, at all times numerous, of waiters upon Providence, who are neutral till a cause is successful, and then come forward with a tardy sympathy, but who, above all, shrink from committing themselves while there seems any possibility of failure. In 1Thessalonians 2:13 , St. Paul seems almost to contrast the readiness of his disciples in receiving his gospel, not as “of man,” but as “of God,” with the timid caution of his Master. As a prudential dilemma, the argument was forcible enough. Resistance was either needless or it was hopeless. If needless, it was a waste of energy; if hopeless, it involved a fatal risk besides that of mere failure. We may legitimately think of the fiery disciple as listening impatiently to this temporising counsel, and as stirred by it to greater vehemence. It will come to nought.—Better, it will be overthrown, so as to preserve the emphasis of the repetition of the same verb in the next clause of the dilemma.

Acts 5:38-40 . Καί ] is the simple copula of the train of thought; τὰ νῦν as in Acts 4:29 . ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ] of human origin (comp. Matthew 21:25 ), not proceeding from the will and arrangement of God (not ἐκ Θεοῦ ). ἡ βουλὴ αὕτη ἢ τὸ ἔργ . τοῦτο ] “Disjunctio non ad diversas res, sed ad diversa, quibus res appellatur, vocabula pertinet.” Fritzsche, ad Marc. p. 277. This project or (in order to denote the matter in question still more definitely) this work (as already in the act of being executed). καταλυθήσεται ] namely, without your interference. This conception results from the antithesis in the second clause: οὐ δύνασθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς . For similar expressions from the Rabbins ( Pirke Aboth , iv. 11, al. ), see Schoettgen. Comp. Herod. ix. 16 : ὅ , τι δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ , ἀμήχανον ἀποτρέψαι ἀνθρώπῳ . Eur. Hippol: 476. The reference of καταλύειν to persons ( αὐτούς , see the critical remarks) who are overthrown, ruined , is also current in classical authors. Xen. Cyr. viii. 5. 24; Plat. Legg. iv. p. 714 C; Lucian. Gall. 23. Comp. κατάλυσις τοῦ τυράννου , Polyb. x. 25. 3, etc. Notice, further, the difference in meaning of the two conditional clauses: ἐὰν ᾗ and εἰ … ἐστιν (comp. Galatians 1:8-9 ; and see Winer, p. 277 f. [E. T. 369]; Stallb. ad Plat.

Phaed. p. 93 B), according to which the second case put appeared to Gamaliel as the more probable. μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε ] although grammatically to be explained by a σκεπτέου , προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ( Luke 21:34 ), or some similar phrase floating before the mind, is an independent warning: that ye only be not found even fighters against God . See Hom. Il. i. 26, ii. 195; Matthew 25:9 (Elz.); Romans 11:21 ; Baeumlein, Partik. p. 283; Nägelsb. on the Iliad , p. 18, ed. 3. Valckenaer and Lachmann (after Pricaeus and Hammond) construe otherwise, referring μήποτε to ἐάσατε αὐτούς , and treating ὅτι … αὐτούς as a parenthesis. A superfluous interruption, to which also the manifest reference of θεομάχοι to the directly preceding εἰ δὲ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐστιν κ . τ . λ . is opposed. καί ] is to be explained elliptically: not only with men, but also further, in addition . See Hartung, Partikell. I. p. 134. θεομάχοι ] Symm. Proverbs 9:18 ; Proverbs 21:16 ; Job 26:5 ; Heraclid. Alleg. 1; Lucian. Jov. Tr. 45. On the thing itself, comp. Hom. Il. vi. 129: οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγε θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισι μαχοίμην . ἐπείσθησαν ] even if only in tantum ; and yet how greatly to their self-conviction on account of their recent condemnation of Jesus!