Acts 6:11

6:11 Then they secretly instigated ¹  some men to say, “We have heard this man ²  speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

Acts 6:13

6:13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place ³  and the law. ⁴ 

[6:11]  ¹ tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.

[6:11]  ² tn Grk “heard him”; but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”

[6:13]  ³ sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.

[6:13]  ⁴ sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.