The Meaning of Acts 5:21 Explained

Acts 5:21

KJV: And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

YLT: and having heard, they did enter at the dawn into the temple, and were teaching. And the chief priest having come, and those with him, they called together the sanhedrim and all the senate of the sons of Israel, and they sent to the prison to have them brought,

Darby: And when they heard it, they entered very early into the temple and taught. And when the high priest was come, and they that were with him, they called together the council and all the elderhood of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

ASV: And when they heard this , they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison-house to have them brought.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when they heard  [that], they entered  into  the temple  early in the morning,  and  taught.  But  the high priest  came,  and  they that were with  him,  and called  the council  together,  and  all  the senate  of the children  of Israel,  and  sent  to  the prison  to have  them  brought. 

What does Acts 5:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The apostles obeyed their instructor and began teaching in the temple again early the next morning. At the same time the full Sanhedrin assembled to try the apostles whom they assumed were still in jail.

Context Summary

Acts 5:12-26 - Delivered To Testify
While the Holy Spirit works mightily within the Church, He co-operates with it in its outward operations by adding men and women to the Lord. None should be added to the Church roll who have not already been led into living union with Jesus. Through the Church, as His body, the risen Savior works such miracles as are here narrated, filling the hearts of the humble with love and joy, and exciting inveterate hatred in His foes.
The angel of God comes to open prison doors. Are you in sore trouble, from which there is no apparent deliverance? Are you imprisoned in the dungeon of doubt and black despair? Are you being heavily persecuted? Oh, wrap around you the divine protection! Dare to believe that the doors will open as by unseen hands. Nothing can stay the purposes of God. Only use your God-given liberty to go forth to teach the people. The gospel is a message to the people. Let us preach to the hungry, needy crowds. Philosophers, scientists, the wise and prudent of the age, may mock, but the people know the gospel when they hear it. Let us give it to them! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 5

1  After that Ananias and Sapphira his wife,
3  at Peter's rebuke had fallen down dead;
12  and that the rest of the apostles had wrought many miracles;
14  to the increase of the faith;
17  the apostles are again imprisoned;
19  but delivered by an angel bidding them preach openly to all;
21  when, after their teaching accordingly in the temple,
29  and before the council,
33  they are in danger to be killed;
34  but through the advice of Gamaliel, they are kept alive, and are only beaten;
41  for which they glorify God, and cease no day from preaching

Greek Commentary for Acts 5:21

About daybreak [υπο τον ορτρον]
From ορνυμι — ornumi to stir up, to arouse, so the dawn (Luke 24:1; John 8:2). Old word, but in the N.T. only these three passages. “Under the dawn” or “about dawn.” Sub lucem. The temple doors would be open for early worshippers and traffickers (John 2:14). [source]
Taught [εδιδασκον]
Imperfect active, began to teach. The council (το συνεδριον — to sunedrion). The Sanhedrin. The senate From γερων — gerōn an old man, just as the Latin senatus is from senex, old. Like the γεροντες — gerontes in Homer and the Elder Statesmen in Japan. Apparently the senate of the people were also part of the Sanhedrin and the use of “and” See also Acts 5:22, Acts 5:23, Acts 5:25. This from δεσμος — desmos bond, and τηρεω — tēreō to keep, place where bound men are kept. [source]
The council [το συνεδριον]
The Sanhedrin. [source]
The senate [την γερουσιαν]
From γερων — gerōn an old man, just as the Latin senatus is from senex, old. Like the γεροντες — gerontes in Homer and the Elder Statesmen in Japan. Apparently the senate of the people were also part of the Sanhedrin and the use of “and” See also Acts 5:22, Acts 5:23, Acts 5:25. This from δεσμος — desmos bond, and τηρεω — tēreō to keep, place where bound men are kept. [source]
To the prison house [εις το δεσμωτηριον]
See also Acts 5:22, Acts 5:23, Acts 5:25. This from δεσμος — desmos bond, and τηρεω — tēreō to keep, place where bound men are kept. [source]
Early in the morning [ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον]
Ὑπό , beneath, is often used in the sense of just about, or near. Ὄρθρον , is from ὄρνυμι , to cause to arise: the dawn.See on Luke 24:1. Render as Rev., about daybreak. [source]
Taught [ἐδίδασκον]
Imperfect: began teaching. [source]
The council [συνέδριον]
The Sanhedrim. [source]
The senate [γερουσίαν]
From γέρων , an old man, like the Latin senatus, from senex, old. Taking on very early an official sense, the notion of age being merged in that of dignity. Thus in Homer γέροντες are the chiefs who form the king's council. Compare the Latin patres, fathers, the title used in addressing the Roman senate. The word in this passage is the name of the Spartan assembly, Gerousia, the assembly of elders, consisting of thirty members, with the two kings. “The well-known term,” as Meyer remarks, “is fittingly transferred from the college of the Greek gerontesto that of the Jewish presbyters.” They summoned, not only those elders of the people who were likewise members of the Sanhedrim, but the whole council (all the senate ) of the representatives of the people.Prison ( δεσμωτήριον )Still another word for prison. Compare Acts 5:18, Acts 5:19. Rev., prison-house. The different words emphasize different aspects of confinement. Τήρησις is keeping, as the result of guarding. See on Acts 5:18. Φυλακή emphasizes the being put under guard, and δεσμωτήριον the being put in bonds. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 5:21

Matthew 11:2 John heard in the prison [ο δε Ιωανης ακουσας εν τωι δεσμωτηριωι]
Probably (Luke 7:18) the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. The word for prison here is the place where one was kept bound (Acts 5:21, Acts 5:23; Acts 16:26). See note on Matthew 4:12. It was in Machaerus east of the Dead Sea which at this time belonged to the rule of Herod Antipas (Jos. Ant. XVIII. v.2). John‘s disciples had access to him. So he sent word by (δια — dia not δυο — duo as in Luke 7:19) them to Jesus. [source]
John 3:24 Prison [τὴν φυλακὴν]
See on Acts 5:18, Acts 5:21. [source]
John 8:2 Early in the morning [ορτρου]
Genitive of time, ορτρος — orthros meaning daybreak, old word, not in John, though in Luke 24:1; Acts 5:21. John uses πρωι — prōi (John 18:28; John 20:1; John 21:4). He came again into the temple If the paragraph is genuine, the time is the next day after the eighth and last day of the feast. If not genuine, there is no way of telling the time of this apparently true incident. And all the people came unto him Imperfect middle of ερχομαι — erchomai picturing the enthusiasm of the whole Imperfect active of διδασκω — didaskō He took his seat So the picture. [source]
Acts 16:23 Prison []
See on Acts 5:21. [source]
Acts 16:26 So that the foundations of the prison house were shaken [ωστε σαλευτηναι τα τεμελια του δεσμωτηριου]
Regular construction of the first aorist passive infinitive and the accusative of general reference with ωστε — hōste for actual result just like the indicative. This old word for prison house already in Matthew 11:2; Acts 5:21, Acts 5:23 which see. Τεμελια — Themelia is neuter plural of the adjective τεμελιος — themelios from τεμα — thema (thing laid down from τιτημι — tithēmi). So already in Luke 6:48; Luke 14:29. If the prison was excavated from rocks in the hillside, as was often the case, the earthquake would easily have slipped the bars of the doors loose and the chains would have fallen out of the walls. Were opened First aorist passive indicative of ανοιγω — anoigō (or νυμι — ̇numi) with triple augment (η ε ω — ēανετη — e), ανιημι — ōwhile there is no augment in anethē (first aorist passive indicative of aniēmi were loosed), old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Acts 27:40; Ephesians 6:9; Hebrews 13:5. [source]
2 Corinthians 6:5 Imprisonments [φυλακαῖς]
See on Acts 5:21. [source]
Revelation 2:10 Prison [φυλακὴν]
See on Acts 5:21. [source]
Revelation 18:2 Hold [φυλακὴ]
See on 1 Peter 3:19, and see on Acts 5:21. Rev., in margin, prison. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 5:21 mean?

Having heard now they entered at the dawn into the temple and were teaching Having come the high priest those with him they called together Council even all the Senate of the sons of Israel sent to prison house to bring them
Ἀκούσαντες δὲ εἰσῆλθον ὑπὸ τὸν ὄρθρον εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ἐδίδασκον Παραγενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ συνεκάλεσαν συνέδριον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ ἀπέστειλαν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἀχθῆναι αὐτούς

Ἀκούσαντες  Having  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
εἰσῆλθον  they  entered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
ὑπὸ  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπό  
Sense: by, under.
ὄρθρον  dawn 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄρθρος  
Sense: daybreak, dawn.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
ἱερὸν  temple 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἱερόν  
Sense: a sacred place, temple.
ἐδίδασκον  were  teaching 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διδάσκω  
Sense: to teach.
Παραγενόμενος  Having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παραγίνομαι  
Sense: to be present, to come near, approach.
ἀρχιερεὺς  high  priest 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
συνεκάλεσαν  they  called  together 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: συγκαλέω  
Sense: to call together, assemble.
συνέδριον  Council 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: συνέδριον  
Sense: any assembly (esp.
καὶ  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
γερουσίαν  Senate 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γερουσία  
Sense: a senate, council of elders.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
υἱῶν  sons 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
Ἰσραήλ  of  Israel 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰσραήλ  
Sense: the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name).
ἀπέστειλαν  sent 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀποστέλλω 
Sense: to order (one) to go to a place appointed.
δεσμωτήριον  prison  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: δεσμωτήριον  
Sense: a prison, a jail.
ἀχθῆναι  to  bring 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: ἄγω  
Sense: to lead, take with one.