Verse 21
21. Early in the morning Literally, at daybreak. (See note on Luke 21:38.)
High priest came Came not to the temple, but to Gazith, the hall of the Sanhedrin at the southwest corner of the Court of Israel.
With him Probably the parties named in Acts 4:6.
The council The Sanhedrin.
Senate The Greek word for senate here used is γερουσια , (derived from γερων , an old man, as the Latin word senatus is derived from a word of the same meaning, senex,) and is equivalent etymologically to eldership. This word is in the Apocrypha applied to the Sanhedrin itself, and perhaps even here it is but a magnifying phrase for the council or Sanhedrin already mentioned.
All the senate The most imposing body possible to the Jewish state was summoned together on this occasion; not solely because a most solemn question under the old Mosaic law was to be tried, namely, whether the workers of certain miracles were prophets of God or agents of Beelzebub. It was also because the contest now was with the people, who were largely on the side of the apostles, endangering the predominancy, as was feared, of the ruling Sadducean powers.
Be the first to react on this!
