Acts 5:17-32

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 5:17-25

Never did any good work go on with any hope of success, but it met with opposition; those that are bent to do mischief cannot be reconciled to those who make it their business to do good. Satan, the destroyer of mankind, ever was, and will be, an adversary to those who are the benefactors of mankind; and it would have been strange if the apostles had gone on thus teaching and healing and had had no check. In these verses we have the malice of hell and the grace of heaven struggling about them,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 5:26-42

We are not told what it was that the apostles preached to the people; no doubt it was according to the direction of the angel?the words of this life; but what passed between them and the council we have here an account of; for in their sufferings there appeared more of a divine power and energy than even in their preaching. Now here we have, I. The seizing of the apostles a second time. We may think, if God designed this, ?Why were they rescued from their first imprisonment?? But this was... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 5:17-32

5:17-32 But the high priest and his party (the local sect of the Sadducees) were filled with envy, and they laid hands on the apostles and put them under public arrest. But through the night the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and said, "Go, stand in the Temple and tell the people all the words of this life." When they heard this they came into the Temple very early and began to teach. When the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:17

Then the high priest rose up ,.... Annas, or rather Caiaphas; See Gill on Acts 4:6 he having heard what miracles were wrought by the apostles, and what additions were made to them, rose up from his seat and went out of the sanhedrim, in great haste, and in much wrath and passion: and all they that were with him ; in council, that were of his kindred or his party, as John and Alexander, and others, Acts 4:6 which is the sect of the Sadducees ; who denied the resurrection of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:18

And laid their hands on the apostles ,.... That is, laid hold on them, and took them, and carried them away; at least their servants did so, by their orders: and put them in the common prison ; where malefactors were put; and this both for greater security, and for greater disgrace. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:19

But the angel of the Lord ,.... Or "of God", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, whether Michael, as some have thought, or Gabriel, or what particular angel, is not material to know. However, it was a good angel, an elect angel, one of those ministering spirits sent by God to minister to the heirs of promise; one of those angels that excel in strength, as appears by what he did: for he by night opened the prison doors ; where the apostles were put, and which had more doors than... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:20

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people ,.... They were not delivered out of prison, in order to go and secure themselves from danger; but to go about the work they were called to, to preach the Gospel "in the temple", the place of worship; and a proper place to meet with persons to preach to, being a public place, whither the Jews always resorted; and there they were to stand, and continue with courage and intrepidity, not fearing the reproach and wrath of men, seeing they had both... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:21

And when they heard that ,.... Or "his word", as the Arabic version supplies; that is, the word of the angel, the orders enjoined them by him, to go to the temple, and there preach the Gospel; this clause is left out in the Syriac version: they entered into the temple early in the morning ; they were obedient to the command of the angel, believing him to be a messenger of God, who declared his will, which they readily complied with, and were indeed eager of doing it; and therefore early... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:22

But when the officers came ,.... The Arabic version adds, "to it"; that is, to the prison; and found them not in the prison . The Vulgate Latin version reads, "the prison being opened they found them not"; when they came to the prison, they opened the doors of it, or the keepers for them; for though the angel had opened them for the apostles, yet he shut them again, as he brought them out; for these men found the doors shut, as the following verse shows, and who upon opening them and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:23

Saying, the prison truly found we shut with all safety ,.... Locked, barred and bolted; and the keepers standing without before the doors ; both inner and outer in their proper places, diligently discharging their office: but when we had opened we found no man within ; that is, none of the apostles, for there might be other prisoners in it, who were not released by this means. read more

Group of Brands