Acts 5:29-33
Context5:29 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
[5:29] 1 tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”
[5:29] 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].
[5:29] 3 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
[5:30] 4 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
[5:30] 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.
[5:31] 6 tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).
[5:31] 7 tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).
[5:31] 8 tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
[5:32] 9 tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.
[5:32] 10 sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.
[5:33] 11 sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.
[5:33] 12 sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).