Acts 5:29-33

5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, ¹  “We must obey ²  God rather than people. ³  5:30 The God of our forefathers ⁴  raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. ⁵  5:31 God exalted him ⁶  to his right hand as Leader ⁷  and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ⁸  5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, ⁹  and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey ¹⁰  him.”

5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious ¹¹  and wanted to execute them. ¹² 

¹ tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”

² sn Obey. See 4:19. This response has Jewish roots (Dan 3:16-18; 2 Macc 7:2; Josephus, Ant. 17.6.3 [17.159].

³ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

⁴ tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”

⁵ tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the first century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.

⁶ tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).

⁷ tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).

⁸ tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”

⁹ tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.

¹⁰ sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.

¹¹ sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.

¹² sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).