The "Council" ( Acts 4:15) before which soldiers brought Peter and John the next day was the Sanhedrin, which was the senate and supreme court of Israel. It consisted of the high priest, who served as its presiding officer, and70 other men. Its aristocratic members, the majority, were Sadducees, and its lay leaders were Pharisees. Most of the experts in the Jewish law were Pharisees who were also nationalistic, but the Sadducees supported Rome. The Sadducees were more conservative, though rationalistic theologically, and the Pharisees were more liberal since they accepted oral traditions as authoritative in addition to the Old Testament. [source][source][source]
The Sanhedrin normally held its meetings, including the one described in this chapter, in a hall adjoining the southwest part of the temple courtyard, the Chamber of Hewn Stone. [1] "Rulers" were priests who represented the24priestly courses (cf. Acts 23:5; Matthew 16:21), "elders" were tribal and influential family heads of the people, and "scribes" were teachers of the law. Individuals from these three groups made up this body (cf. Luke 9:22). The rulers and elders were mainly Sadducees while most of the scribes were Pharisees. [source][source][source]
"The Sanhedrin was acting within its jurisdiction when it convened to examine Peter and John. The Mosaic Law specified that whenever someone performed a miracle and used it as the basis for teaching, he was to be examined, and if the teaching were used to lead men away from the God of their fathers, the nation was responsible to stone him ( Deuteronomy 13:1-5). On the other hand, if his message was doctrinally sound, the miracle-worker was to be accepted as coming with a message from God." [2][source]
This is the first of four times some of Jesus" followers stood before the Sanhedrin according to Acts. The others were Peter and the apostles ( Acts 5:27), Stephen ( Acts 6:12), and Paul ( Acts 22:30). [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Acts 4:1-12 - The Name Above Every Name
The Sadducees are particularly mentioned, because they were the agnostics of the age, and had no belief in the unseen and eternal. The fact of our Lord's resurrection was, therefore, especially obnoxious to them. The captain of the Temple, who was head of the Levitical guard, was probably their nominee. How weak man shows himself when he sets himself against God! All that they could do was to shut the Apostles up; but they could not bind nor imprison the Living Spirit or the speech of one saved soul to another, and so the numbers of disciples kept mounting up.
Peter must have contrasted this with his former appearance in that hall. Then he trusted his own power; now he was specially filled with the Holy Spirit for a great and noble confession. The name of Jesus stands for His glorious being. It was because the man had come into vital union with the ever-living Christ, that disease was stayed and health restored. The name of Jesus rings through these chapters like a sweet refrain. Evidently He was living and at hand, or the streams of power and grace could not have poured forth to make desert lives begin to blossom as the garden of the Lord. [source]
Chapter Summary: Acts 4
1The rulers of the Jews, offended with Peter's sermon, 3imprison him and John 5After, upon examination 8Peter boldly avouching the lame man to be healed by the name of Jesus, 11and that only by the same Jesus we must be eternally saved, 13they threaten him and John to preach no more in that name, 23whereupon the church flees to prayer 31And God, by moving the place where they were assembled, testifies that he heard their prayer; 34confirming the church with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and with mutual love and charity
Greek Commentary for Acts 4:5
Rulers and elders and scribes [τους αρχοντας και τους πρεσβυτερους και τους γραμματεις] The three classes composing the Sanhedrin (rulers=chief priests who were Sadducees, the scribes usually Pharisees, the elders not in either class: 24 priests, 24 elders, 22 scribes). [source]
Were gathered together [συναχτηναι] First aorist passive infinitive of συναγω sunagō with accusative of general reference and the subject of εγενετο egeneto f0). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 4:5
Luke 10:35On the morrow [επι την αυριον] Towards the morrow as in Acts 4:5. (Cf. also Acts 3:1). Syriac Sinaitic has it “at dawn of the day.” An unusual use of επι epi out Second aorist active participle of εκβαλλω ekballō It could mean, “fling out,” but probably only means “drew out.” Common verb. [source]
Acts 22:5All the estate of the elders [παν το πρεσβυτεριον] All the eldership or the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:5) of which Paul was probably then a member (Acts 26:10). Possibly some of those present were members of the Sanhedrin then (some 20 odd years ago). From whom (παρ ων par' hōn). The high priest and the Sanhedrin. Letters unto the brethren Paul still can tactfully call the Jews his “brothers” as he did in Romans 9:3. There is no bitterness in his heart. Journeyed (επορευομην eporeuomēn). Imperfect middle indicative of πορευομαι poreuomai and a vivid reality to Paul still as he was going on towards Damascus. To bring also Future active participle of αγω agō to express purpose, one of the few N.T. examples of this classic idiom (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1118). Them which were there (τους εκεισε οντας tous ekeise ontas). Constructio praegnans. The usual word would be εκει ekei (there), not εκεισε ekeise (thither). Possibly the Christians who had fled to Damascus, and so were there (Robertson, Grammar, p. 548). In bonds Perfect passive participle of δεω deō predicate position, “bound.” For to be punished (ινα τιμωρητωσιν hina timōrēthōsin). First aorist passive subjunctive of τιμωρεω timōreō old verb to avenge, to take vengeance on. In the N.T. only here, and Acts 26:11. Pure final clause with ινα hina He carried his persecution outside of Palestine just as later he carried the gospel over the Roman empire. [source]
What do the individual words in Acts 4:5 mean?
It came to passthenonthenext daywere gathered togethertheir-rulersandeldersscribesinJerusalem
Greek Commentary for Acts 4:5
The three classes composing the Sanhedrin (rulers=chief priests who were Sadducees, the scribes usually Pharisees, the elders not in either class: 24 priests, 24 elders, 22 scribes). [source]
First aorist passive infinitive of συναγω sunagō with accusative of general reference and the subject of εγενετο egeneto f0). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 4:5
Towards the morrow as in Acts 4:5. (Cf. also Acts 3:1). Syriac Sinaitic has it “at dawn of the day.” An unusual use of επι epi out Second aorist active participle of εκβαλλω ekballō It could mean, “fling out,” but probably only means “drew out.” Common verb. [source]
All the eldership or the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:5) of which Paul was probably then a member (Acts 26:10). Possibly some of those present were members of the Sanhedrin then (some 20 odd years ago). From whom (παρ ων par' hōn). The high priest and the Sanhedrin. Letters unto the brethren Paul still can tactfully call the Jews his “brothers” as he did in Romans 9:3. There is no bitterness in his heart. Journeyed (επορευομην eporeuomēn). Imperfect middle indicative of πορευομαι poreuomai and a vivid reality to Paul still as he was going on towards Damascus. To bring also Future active participle of αγω agō to express purpose, one of the few N.T. examples of this classic idiom (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1118). Them which were there (τους εκεισε οντας tous ekeise ontas). Constructio praegnans. The usual word would be εκει ekei (there), not εκεισε ekeise (thither). Possibly the Christians who had fled to Damascus, and so were there (Robertson, Grammar, p. 548). In bonds Perfect passive participle of δεω deō predicate position, “bound.” For to be punished (ινα τιμωρητωσιν hina timōrēthōsin). First aorist passive subjunctive of τιμωρεω timōreō old verb to avenge, to take vengeance on. In the N.T. only here, and Acts 26:11. Pure final clause with ινα hina He carried his persecution outside of Palestine just as later he carried the gospel over the Roman empire. [source]