5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees 1 ), 2 and they were filled with jealousy. 3
Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin 6 – that is, the whole high council 7 of the Israelites 8 – and sent to the jail to have the apostles 9 brought before them. 10
1 sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.
2 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
3 sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zhlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.
4 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
5 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
6 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
7 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.
8 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
9 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.