Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin 13 – that is, the whole high council 14 of the Israelites 15 – and sent to the jail to have the apostles 16 brought before them. 17 5:22 But the officers 18 who came for them 19 did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 20 5:23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, 21 we found no one inside.” 5:24 Now when the commander 22 of the temple guard 23 and the chief priests heard this report, 24 they were greatly puzzled concerning it, 25 wondering what this could 26 be. 5:25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts 27 and teaching 28 the people!” 5:26 Then the commander 29 of the temple guard 30 went with the officers 31 and brought the apostles 32 without the use of force 33 (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). 34
5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, 35 and the high priest questioned 36 them, 5:28 saying, “We gave 37 you strict orders 38 not to teach in this name. 39 Look, 40 you have filled Jerusalem 41 with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood 42 on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, 43 “We must obey 44 God rather than people. 45
1 tc The translation reads בִּפְרָתָה (bifratah) with 4QJera as noted in W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:393 instead of בִּפְרָת (bifrat) in the MT.
2 tn Heb “Get from there.” The words “from there” are not necessary to the English sentence. They would lead to a redundancy later in the verse, i.e., “from there…bury there.”
3 tn Heb “dug and took.”
4 tn Heb “And behold.”
5 tn The translation again represents an attempt to break up a long complex Hebrew sentence into equivalent English ones that conform more to contemporary English style: Heb “And as soon as Jeremiah finished saying all that…the priests…grabbed him and said…” The word “some” has been supplied in the translation, because obviously it was not all the priests, the prophets, and all the people, but only some of them. There is, of course, rhetorical intent here to show that all were implicated, although all may not have actually participated. (This is a common figure called synecdoche where all is put for a part – all for all kinds or representatives of all kinds. See E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 614-19, and compare usage in Acts 10:12; Matt 3:5.)
6 tn Or “You must certainly die!” The construction here is again emphatic with the infinitive preceding the finite verb (cf. Joüon 2:423 §123.h, and compare usage in Exod 21:28).
7 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
8 tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw; see L&N 36.14).
9 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
10 tn Or “speak.”
11 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
12 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
13 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
14 tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.
15 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
16 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
18 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants, like attendants to a king, the officers of the Sanhedrin (as here), assistants to magistrates, and (especially in the Gospel of John) Jewish guards in the Jerusalem temple (see L&N 35.20).
19 tn The words “for them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
20 tn Grk “reported, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
21 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
22 tn Or “captain.”
23 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
24 tn Grk “heard these words.”
25 tn Grk “concerning them,” agreeing with the plural antecedent “these words.” Since the phrase “these words” was translated as the singular “this report,” the singular “concerning it” is used here.
26 tn The optative verb here expresses confused uncertainty.
27 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
28 sn Obeying God (see v. 29), the apostles were teaching again (4:18-20; 5:20). They did so despite the risk.
29 tn Or “captain.”
30 tn Grk “the official [of the temple],” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
31 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants. See the note on the word “officers” in v. 22.
32 tn Grk “brought them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 tn Or “without violence.” It is clear, as well, that the apostles did not resist arrest.
34 tn Grk “for they feared lest they be stoned by the people.” The translation uses a less awkward English equivalent. This is an explanatory note by the author.
35 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
36 tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”
37 tc ‡ The majority of
38 tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).
39 sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.
40 tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
41 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
42 sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
43 tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”
44 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].
45 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).