John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 4:7
And when they had set them in the midst ,.... Of the assembly, as the Ethiopic version adds; in the middle of the sanhedrim, which sat in a semicircular form; or as the Jews express it, as the half of a round corn floor, or as a half moon, and not in a perfect circle; because it was necessary that the contending parties, and the witnesses, might go in and speak before them all F2 Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 4. sect. 3. & Bartenora in ib. ; so that those that were set before them, were... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 4:6
And Annas the high priest ,.... So called, either because he had been an high priest, though he was not now, but Caiaphas his son-in-law; or because he was the Sagan of the high priest, and had all the other priests under his government; and is mentioned first, because he was father-in-law to Caiaphas; See Gill on Luke 3:2 he could not be called so, because he was נשיא , "prince", or president of the council; for not he, but Gamaliel, was president at this time. And Caiaphas ; who... read more