Acts 5:28-33

5:28 saying, “We gave ¹  you strict orders ²  not to teach in this name. ³  Look, ⁴  you have filled Jerusalem ⁵  with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood ⁶  on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, ⁷  “We must obey ⁸  God rather than people. ⁹  5:30 The God of our forefathers ¹⁰  raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. ¹¹  5:31 God exalted him ¹²  to his right hand as Leader ¹³  and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ¹⁴  5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, ¹⁵  and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey ¹⁶  him.”

5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious ¹⁷  and wanted to execute them. ¹⁸ 

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¹ tc ‡ The majority of mss, including a few important witnesses (א² D E [Ψ] 1739 Ï sy sa), have the negative particle οὐ (ou) here, effectively turning the high priest’s words into a question: “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name?” But the earliest and most important mss, along with some others (Ì⁷⁴ א* A B 1175 lat bo), lack the particle, making this a strong statement rather than a question. Scribes may have been tempted to omit the particle to strengthen the contrast between official Judaism and the new faith, but the fact that v. 27 introduces the quotation with ἐπηρώτησεν (ephrwthsen, “he questioned”) may well have prompted scribes to add οὐ to convert the rebuke into a question. Further, that excellent witnesses affirm the shorter reading is sufficient ground for accepting it as most probably authentic. NA²⁷ includes the particle in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

² tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).

³ sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.

⁴ 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.

⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶ sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”

⁷ tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”

⁸ 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].

⁹ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

¹⁰ tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”

¹¹ 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.

¹² tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).

¹³ tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).

¹⁴ tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”

¹⁵ tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.

¹⁶ sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.

¹⁷ sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.

¹⁸ sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).