Acts / Chapter 4

Acts 4

37 verses • SBL Greek New Testament

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Acts 4 recounts the arrest of Peter and John by the temple authorities following the healing in chapter 3. Brought before the Sanhedrin, Peter boldly declares that the healing was done in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom they crucified but God raised. He proclaims that salvation is found in no one else. The council, unable to deny the miracle but unwilling to accept the message, threatens the apostles and releases them. Peter and John return to the believing community, which prays for boldness. The Spirit shakes the meeting place, and the chapter closes with a description of the community's radical sharing of possessions.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

Peter's declaration in verse 12 — 'There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved' — is one of the most definitive christological claims in the New Testament. The Sanhedrin's dilemma in verses 14-16 is striking: the healed man stands before them as undeniable evidence, yet they cannot accept its implications. The community prayer in verses 24-30 quotes Psalm 2 and provides the first recorded instance of the early church interpreting its persecution through the lens of the Psalms. Barnabas appears for the first time (v. 36).

Translation Friction

The number of believers reaches 'about five thousand men' (v. 4), raising questions about whether this includes only males or the total community. Peter is described as 'filled with the Holy Spirit' (v. 8) though he was already filled at Pentecost — Luke presents Spirit-filling as repeated rather than one-time. The community's property sharing (vv. 32-37) is idealized and will be complicated by the Ananias and Sapphira episode in chapter 5.

Connections

The Sanhedrin trial echoes Jesus's own trial before the same body (Luke 22:66-71). Peter's use of Psalm 118:22 (the rejected stone) connects to Jesus's use of the same text (Luke 20:17). The community prayer's citation of Psalm 2 (vv. 25-26) provides the theological framework for understanding opposition to the church. The sharing of possessions continues the pattern from 2:44-45 and anticipates 5:1-11.

Acts 4:1

Λαλούντων δὲ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἐπέστησαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι,

While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees confronted them,

KJV And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'captain of the temple' (ho stratēgos tou hierou) was the sagan, the second-ranking temple official after the high priest, responsible for temple security. The Sadducees appear as the primary opponents because the apostles' preaching of resurrection directly challenged Sadducean theology, which denied resurrection (Luke 20:27). The verb epestēsan ('confronted, stood over, came upon') has a hostile overtone — this is an official intervention, not a casual interruption.
Acts 4:2

διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν,

They were deeply disturbed that the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming that the resurrection of the dead had been proven through Jesus.

KJV Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The participle diaponoumenoi ('greatly annoyed, deeply disturbed, indignant') reveals the emotional motivation behind the arrest — this is not calm judicial procedure but irritated reaction. The phrase 'proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead' (katangelein en tō Iēsou tēn anastasin) can mean either 'proclaiming the resurrection through Jesus' (Jesus as the agent) or 'proclaiming in the case of Jesus the resurrection' (Jesus as the example). Both readings are theologically valid.
Acts 4:3

καὶ ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ἔθεντο εἰς τήρησιν εἰς τὴν αὔριον· ἦν γὰρ ἑσπέρα ἤδη.

They seized them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

KJV And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jewish law prohibited trials at night (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:1), so Peter and John are held overnight. The phrase epebalon tas cheiras ('laid hands on, seized') indicates physical arrest. The detail 'it was already evening' (ēn gar hespera ēdē) explains the delay and shows that Peter's sermon lasted through the afternoon.
Acts 4:4

πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν ἀκουσάντων τὸν λόγον ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὡς χιλιάδες πέντε.

But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

KJV Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Despite the arrest, the message spreads — Luke consistently shows that persecution cannot stop the gospel's advance. The number 'about five thousand' (hōs chiliades pente) likely refers to the total male believers, not just those converted this day. The word andrōn ('men') may indicate a male-only count following Jewish census conventions, meaning the total community including women and children would be significantly larger.
Acts 4:5

ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον συναχθῆναι αὐτῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ τοὺς γραμματεῖς εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ,

The next day their rulers and elders and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,

KJV And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The three groups — rulers (archontas), elders (presbyterous), and scribes (grammateis) — constitute the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council. This is the same body that tried Jesus. Luke's description of a formal assembly emphasizes the gravity of the proceedings.
Acts 4:6

καὶ Ἅννας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ Καϊάφας καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐκ γένους ἀρχιερατικοῦ,

Annas the elevated priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as numerous as were of the kindred of the elevated priest, were gathered as one at Jerusalem.

KJV And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Annas served as high priest from AD 6-15 and remained the power behind the office, which was held by his son-in-law Caiaphas (AD 18-36). Luke calls Annas 'the high priest' reflecting his continued authority and influence. John and Alexander are otherwise unknown — they may be sons of Annas who later held the office. The phrase 'high-priestly family' (genous archieratikou) indicates the aristocratic priestly clan that controlled the temple.
Acts 4:7

καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἐπυνθάνοντο· ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς;

They placed them in the center and began to question them: "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

KJV And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The positioning 'in the center' (en tō mesō) reflects formal judicial proceedings — the accused stand surrounded by the seated council. The question about 'power' (dynamei) and 'name' (onomati) is legally significant: they want to know the source of authority behind the miracle. Ironically, their question plays directly into Peter's hands, giving him the opportunity to proclaim the name of Jesus before the highest authority in Israel.
Acts 4:8

τότε Πέτρος πλησθεὶς πνεύματος ἁγίου εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ πρεσβύτεροι,

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,

KJV Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase 'filled with the Holy Spirit' (plēstheis pneumatos hagiou) marks this as Spirit-empowered testimony, fulfilling Jesus's promise in Luke 12:11-12 that the Spirit would teach them what to say when brought before authorities. This is a fresh filling for a specific moment, not a reference back to Pentecost — Luke presents the Spirit's empowerment as dynamic and situational.
Acts 4:9

εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσωσται,

If we are being questioned today about an act of kindness shown to a disabled man and how he was healed,

KJV If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Peter's opening is rhetorically masterful: he reframes the trial as an absurdity — they are being interrogated for performing a 'good deed' (euergesia, 'act of beneficence'). The word sesōstai ('has been healed/saved') is deliberately ambiguous: sōzō means both 'to heal' and 'to save,' and Peter will exploit this double meaning in verse 12.
Acts 4:10

γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής.

Be it known to you all, and to every one of the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand here before you whole.

KJV Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Peter answers the council's question from verse 7 with maximum directness: the name is Jesus Christ the Nazarene. The parallel clauses 'whom you crucified / whom God raised' compress the entire gospel into a single antithesis. The healed man standing before them (parestēken... hygiēs) is living evidence that cannot be cross-examined away. Peter addresses both the council ('all of you') and the broader nation ('all the people of Israel').
Acts 4:11

οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενηθεὶς ὑφ' ὑμῶν τῶν οἰκοδόμων, ὁ γενόμενος εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας.

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

KJV This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Peter quotes Psalm 118:22, a text Jesus himself applied to his own rejection (Luke 20:17). The 'builders' (oikodomōn) are now explicitly identified as the council members themselves — 'by you, the builders' (hyph' hymōn tōn oikodomōn). The 'cornerstone' (kephalēn gōnias, literally 'head of the corner') is the foundational or capstone that holds the structure together. The one the builders rejected has become the most important stone.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Psalms 118:22. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Acts 4:12

καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία, οὐδὲ γὰρ ὄνομά ἐστιν ἕτερον ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν τὸ δεδομένον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."

KJV Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

σωτηρία sōtēria
"salvation" — salvation, deliverance, rescue, preservation, healing

Peter exploits the semantic range of sōzō/sōtēria: the same power that 'saved' (healed) the lame man is the only power that can 'save' (deliver) humanity. Physical healing is a sign of the greater salvation available in Jesus's name.

Translator Notes

  1. This verse is the theological climax of Peter's defense. The double negative construction — 'salvation in no one else' (ouk estin en allō oudeni hē sōtēria) and 'no other name' (oude onoma estin heteron) — is emphatic and exclusive. The word sōtēria ('salvation') now carries its full theological weight, expanding from the physical healing of the lame man to cosmic salvation. The verb dei ('it is necessary, must') indicates divine necessity — salvation through Jesus is not one option among many but the singular provision of God.
Acts 4:13

Θεωροῦντες δὲ τὴν τοῦ Πέτρου παρρησίαν καὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ καταλαβόμενοι ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ἀγράμματοί εἰσιν καὶ ἰδιῶται, ἐθαύμαζον, ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε αὐτοὺς ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated, ordinary men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

KJV Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word parrhēsian ('boldness, frank speech, freedom of expression') was prized in Greek democratic culture as the right of free citizens. The council expects deference from agrammatoi ('uneducated, unlettered' — meaning without formal rabbinic training) and idiōtai ('ordinary, untrained, laymen'). The final recognition — 'they had been with Jesus' (syn tō Iēsou ēsan) — is both identification and explanation: their boldness comes from the same source as their former master's.
Acts 4:14

τὸν τε ἄνθρωπον βλέποντες σὺν αὐτοῖς ἑστῶτα τὸν τεθεραπευμένον οὐδὲν εἶχον ἀντειπεῖν.

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

KJV And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The healed man's physical presence is the unanswerable argument. The verb tetherapeumenon ('having been healed') is a perfect participle — the healing is a completed fact with ongoing results. The phrase ouden eichon anteipein ('they had nothing to say against it') captures the council's impotence: they cannot deny the miracle, cannot discredit the witnesses, and cannot refute the theology.
Acts 4:15

κελεύσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔξω τοῦ συνεδρίου ἀπελθεῖν συνέβαλλον πρὸς ἀλλήλους

After ordering them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,

KJV But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The private deliberation (syneballon pros allēlous, 'conferred with one another') reveals the political nature of the proceedings. The Sanhedrin is not seeking truth but managing a crisis. Luke's ability to report their private discussion may come from later sources, possibly including council members who became believers (cf. 6:7, 'a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith').
Acts 4:16

λέγοντες· τί ποιήσωμεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις; ὅτι μὲν γὰρ γνωστὸν σημεῖον γέγονεν δι' αὐτῶν πᾶσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἰερουσαλὴμ φανερόν, καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀρνεῖσθαι·

"What should we do with these men?" they asked. "Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a remarkable miracle, and we cannot deny it."

KJV Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The council's admission is extraordinary: 'a remarkable sign' (gnōston sēmeion) that is 'evident to all' (phaneron) and 'we cannot deny it' (ou dynametha arneisthai). They acknowledge the miracle's reality while seeking to suppress its implications. The word sēmeion ('sign') rather than teras ('wonder') is significant — a sign points beyond itself to a greater reality, which the council refuses to follow.
Acts 4:17

ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν, ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων.

But so that it does not spread any further among the people, let us warn them with threats to speak no longer to anyone in this name."

KJV But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The council's strategy is containment: stop the message from spreading (dianeēthē, 'to spread, to distribute'). Their concern is not theological truth but public order and their own authority. The phrase 'this name' (tō onomati toutō) — they avoid saying 'Jesus' — betrays their awareness that the name itself carries power. The irony is thick: threatening people for performing an act of mercy.
Acts 4:18

καὶ καλέσαντες αὐτοὺς παρήγγειλαν τὸ καθόλου μὴ φθέγγεσθαι μηδὲ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.

So they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

KJV And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The prohibition covers both informal speech (phtheggesthai, 'to utter, to speak out') and formal instruction (didaskein, 'to teach'). The phrase to katholou ('at all, entirely') makes the ban absolute. This is a direct attempt to silence the apostolic witness — the very thing Jesus commissioned them to do in 1:8.
Acts 4:19

ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀποκριθέντες εἶπον πρὸς αὐτούς· εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀκούειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ θεοῦ, κρίνατε·

But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.

KJV But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Peter and John's response establishes the principle of divine authority over human authority — when the two conflict, God takes precedence. The phrase 'in the sight of God' (enōpion tou theou) appeals to the council's own religious convictions. The invitation 'you must judge' (krinate) turns the tables: the judges are now asked to judge their own judgment. This principle of civil disobedience on religious grounds echoes the Hebrew midwives (Exodus 1:17) and Daniel's companions (Daniel 3:16-18).
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 1:17. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Daniel 3:16-18. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Acts 4:20

οὐ δυνάμεθα γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδαμεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν.

For we are not able to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."

KJV For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The double negative ou dynametha... mē lalein ('we are not able not to speak') expresses compulsion: the apostles literally cannot stop themselves. Their witness is not a choice that can be turned off but an inner necessity driven by what they have personally experienced (eidamen, 'we saw'; ēkousamen, 'we heard'). The eyewitness nature of their testimony is again emphasized.
Acts 4:21

οἱ δὲ προσαπειλησάμενοι ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς, μηδὲν εὑρίσκοντες τὸ πῶς κολάσωνται αὐτούς, διὰ τὸν λαόν, ὅτι πάντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι·

After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for everyone was glorifying God for what had happened.

KJV So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The council is caught between their desire to punish and their fear of the people (dia ton laon). Public opinion constrains their power — the same dynamic that protected Jesus during his ministry (Luke 20:19). The phrase 'everyone was glorifying God' (pantes edoxazon ton theon) shows that popular sentiment sided with the apostles and their miracle.
Acts 4:22

ἐτῶν γὰρ ἦν πλειόνων τεσσεράκοντα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐφ' ὃν γεγόνει τὸ σημεῖον τοῦτο τῆς ἰάσεως.

For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

KJV For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Luke adds this detail to emphasize the miracle's magnitude: the man had been lame for over forty years, making the healing all the more remarkable and undeniable. The age also echoes Israel's forty years in the wilderness — a symbolic period of waiting that ends in restoration.
Acts 4:23

Ἀπολυθέντες δὲ ἦλθον πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ὅσα πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι εἶπαν.

When they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

KJV And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase 'their own people' (tous idious) designates the believing community — a distinct group identity is forming. The apostles' first instinct after release is corporate: they return to the community to share and to pray. The response that follows (vv. 24-30) is communal, not individual.
Acts 4:24

οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπαν· δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς,

When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,

KJV And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word homothymadon ('with one accord, together') is the characteristic Lukan term for early church unity. The address despota ('Sovereign Lord, Master') is distinct from kyrios ('Lord') — it emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and is used in contexts of prayer under persecution (cf. Revelation 6:10). The creation language echoes Exodus 20:11 and Psalm 146:6, establishing God's authority as Creator before addressing the specific crisis.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 20:11. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Psalm 146:6. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Acts 4:25

ὁ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου στόματος Δαυὶδ παιδός σου εἰπών· ἱνατί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;

Who by the mouth of your servant David hast stated, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain matters?

KJV Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The community quotes Psalm 2:1-2, a royal psalm traditionally read at the coronation of Davidic kings. The attribution is triply layered: God spoke through the Holy Spirit through David — a rich statement of inspiration. David is called pais ('servant'), the same title applied to Jesus in verse 27 and 3:13, creating a servant-parallel between David and Jesus. The Greek text here is grammatically difficult in the manuscripts; we follow the SBLGNT reading.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Psalms 2:1-2 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
Acts 4:26

παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.

The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.'

KJV The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Psalm speaks of 'kings' and 'rulers' conspiring against 'the LORD and his Anointed' (christou, 'Christ/Messiah'). The community will apply these four categories to specific historical actors in verses 27-28. The phrase 'his Anointed One' (tou christou autou) preserves the messianic title in its original context before the christological application.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Psalms 2:1-2. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Acts 4:27

συνήχθησαν γὰρ ἐπ' ἀληθείας ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον παῖδά σου Ἰησοῦν ὃν ἔχρισας, Ἡρῴδης τε καὶ Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος σὺν ἔθνεσιν καὶ λαοῖς Ἰσραήλ,

For truly in this city there gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

KJV For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Psalm's categories are now mapped onto the passion narrative: 'kings' = Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-12), 'rulers' = Pontius Pilate, 'nations' = the Gentile (Roman) soldiers, 'peoples' = the peoples of Israel. The verb echrisas ('you anointed') connects Jesus's title 'Christ/Anointed' to a specific divine act — God anointed Jesus, making the conspiracy against him a conspiracy against God's own chosen one.
Acts 4:28

ποιῆσαι ὅσα ἡ χείρ σου καὶ ἡ βουλή σου προώρισεν γενέσθαι.

For to do whatsoever your hand and your counsel determined prior to to be done.

KJV For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The community affirms what Peter stated in 2:23: the crucifixion was simultaneously a human crime and a divine plan. The verb proōrisen ('predestined, determined beforehand') is a strong predestination term. 'Your hand and your plan' (hē cheir sou kai hē boulē sou) attributes both the power and the purpose to God. The prayer finds comfort not in denying the opposition's reality but in placing it within God's sovereign design.
Acts 4:29

καὶ τὰ νῦν, κύριε, ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παρρησίας πάσης λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου,

And now, Lord, consider their threats and grant your servants the ability to speak your word with all boldness,

KJV And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The prayer's request is remarkable for what it does not ask for: they do not pray for the persecution to stop, for their enemies to be punished, or for deliverance from danger. They pray for boldness (parrhēsias) — the same quality the council noticed in Peter and John (v. 13). The word doulois ('servants, slaves') expresses their self-understanding as God's owned people, contrasting with the authority claims of the Sanhedrin.
Acts 4:30

ἐν τῷ τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐκτείνειν σε εἰς ἴασιν καὶ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἁγίου παιδός σου Ἰησοῦ.

Indeed, by stretching forth your hand to heal. And that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.

KJV By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The prayer ends by requesting continued miraculous activity 'through the name of your holy servant Jesus' — the very name the council tried to suppress. 'Stretching out your hand' (tēn cheira sou ekteinein) is an Old Testament image of divine intervention (Exodus 6:6, Deuteronomy 4:34). The prayer boldly asks for more of exactly what provoked the persecution.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 6:6 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Deuteronomy 4:34 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
Acts 4:31

καὶ δεηθέντων αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύθη ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ ἐλάλουν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ παρρησίας.

When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

KJV And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The physical shaking (esaleuthē) of the meeting place recalls Sinai (Exodus 19:18) and serves as divine confirmation of the prayer. This is a second Pentecost-like experience — the community is again filled with the Spirit, confirming that Spirit-filling is repeatable and responsive to prayer. The prayer asked for boldness (v. 29); the answer is immediate: they 'began to speak the word of God with boldness' (elaloun ton logon tou theou meta parrhēsias). Prayer requested, God granted.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Exodus 19:18. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Acts 4:32

Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι ἀλλ' ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά.

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of their possessions was their own, but they held everything in common.

KJV And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase 'one heart and soul' (kardia kai psychē mia) echoes Deuteronomy 6:5 ('with all your heart and all your soul') — the community's unity fulfills the Shema's call to wholehearted devotion. The radical economic sharing — no one claiming private ownership — is described as voluntary disposition ('no one said,' elegen, indicating attitude) rather than compulsion. This idealizing summary will be qualified by the Ananias and Sapphira episode in 5:1-11.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Deuteronomy 6:5. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Acts 4:33

καὶ δυνάμει μεγάλῃ ἀπεδίδουν τὸ μαρτύριον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, χάρις τε μεγάλη ἦν ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτούς.

With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

KJV And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The twin superlatives — 'great power' (dynamei megalē) and 'great grace' (charis megalē) — characterize the community. The apostles' central message remains the resurrection (tēs anastaseōs tou kyriou Iēsou). The 'great grace' upon them could refer to divine favor, the community's generosity, or both — Luke allows the ambiguity to stand.
Acts 4:34

οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδεής τις ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅσοι γὰρ κτήτορες χωρίων ἢ οἰκιῶν ὑπῆρχον, πωλοῦντες ἔφερον τὰς τιμὰς τῶν πιπρασκομένων

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of what was sold

KJV Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase 'not a needy person among them' (oude endees tis ēn en autois) echoes Deuteronomy 15:4, where Moses envisions a community with no poor 'if you carefully obey the LORD your God.' The early church is presented as fulfilling the Deuteronomic ideal. Property owners voluntarily liquidated assets to fund communal welfare. The imperfect tenses (pōlountes epheron) indicate repeated, ongoing action over time.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Deuteronomy 15:4. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Acts 4:35

καὶ ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων, διεδίδετο δὲ ἑκάστῳ καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν.

Laid them down at the apostles' feet — and distribution was appointed to every man according as he had need.

KJV And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Placing funds 'at the apostles' feet' (para tous podas tōn apostolōn) is a gesture of deference and trust — the apostles served as administrators of the communal fund. Distribution was need-based (kathoti an tis chreian eichen), not equal — the principle was sufficiency, not uniformity. This administrative arrangement will later require modification as the community grows (6:1-6).
Acts 4:36

Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρναβᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον υἱὸς παρακλήσεως, Λευίτης, Κύπριος τῷ γένει,

Joseph, who was called Barnabas by the apostles (which means 'Son of Encouragement'), a Levite and a native of Cyprus,

KJV And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Barnabas is introduced here and will become one of the most important figures in Acts (chapters 9-15). His given name is Joseph; 'Barnabas' is a nickname meaning 'Son of Encouragement' (huios paraklēseōs) or 'Son of Consolation' — the Aramaic bar-nabas. The etymology is debated: nabas may relate to Aramaic or Hebrew words for 'prophecy' or 'consolation.' As a Levite, he would have had temple responsibilities; as a Cypriot, he represents the diaspora Jewish community.
Acts 4:37

ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ πωλήσας ἤνεγκεν τὸ χρῆμα καὶ ἔθηκεν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων.

Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and placed it at the messengers' feet.

KJV Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Barnabas serves as the positive example of communal generosity, standing in deliberate contrast to Ananias and Sapphira in the immediately following passage (5:1-11). His action — selling property and giving the full proceeds — illustrates the ideal described in verses 34-35. The fact that Luke names him specifically, among many who presumably did the same, suggests that Barnabas's generosity was especially notable or that his later prominence warranted this introduction.
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