KJV: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
YLT: and if it be of God, ye are not able to overthrow it, lest perhaps also ye be found fighting against God.'
Darby: but if it be from God, ye will not be able to put them down, lest ye be found also fighters against God.
ASV: but if it is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God.
δὲ | however |
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc. |
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Θεοῦ | God |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: θεός Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities. |
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ἐστιν | it is |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: εἰμί Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present. |
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δυνήσεσθε | you will be able |
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Plural Root: δύναμαι Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom. |
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καταλῦσαι | to overthrow |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active Root: καταλύω Sense: to dissolve, disunite. |
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μή‿ | lest |
Parse: Adverb Root: μή Sense: no, not lest. |
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ποτε | ever |
Parse: Conjunction Root: πότε Sense: when?, at what time?. |
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καὶ | also |
Parse: Conjunction Root: καί Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but. |
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θεομάχοι | fighting against God |
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: θεομάχος Sense: fighting against God, resisting God. |
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εὑρεθῆτε | You would be found |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 2nd Person Plural Root: εὑρίσκω Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with. |
Greek Commentary for Acts 5:39
The second alternative is a condition of the first class, determined as fulfilled, ει ei with the present indicative. By the use of this idiom Gamaliel does put the case more strongly in favor of the apostles than against them. This condition assumes that the thing is so without affirming it to be true. On the basis of this alternative Gamaliel warns the Sanhedrin that they cannot “overthrow” (καταλυσαι katalusai) these men for they in that case must “overthrow” God, lest haply ye be found (μη ποτευρετητε mē potė̇hurethēte negative purpose with first aorist passive subjunctive) even to be fighting against God (και τεομαχοι kai theomachoi late adjective from τεος theos and μαχομαι machomai in lxx and here only in the N.T.). [source]
Lit., to be God- fighters. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 5:39
Neither the A. V. nor Rev. give the precise form of this expression. The words form a broken sentence, followed by a significant silence, which leaves the hearers to supply the omission for themselves: “But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him … ” The words which the A. V. supplies to complete the sentence, let us not fight against God, are spurious, borrowed from Acts 5:39. [source]
Present active imperative as in Philemon 3:2 (three times) of βλεπω blepō in place of the more usual ορατε horate Solemn warning to the Jewish Christians from the experience of the Israelites as told in Psalm 95:1-11. Lest haply there shall be Negative purpose with μη ποτε mē pote and the future indicative as in Mark 14:2. But we have in Colossians 2:8 μη τις εσται mē tis estai as in Hebrews 12:25; μη mē occurs with the aorist subjunctive, and μη ποτε mē pote with present subjunctive (Hebrews 4:1) or aorist subjunctive (Acts 5:39). In any one of you The application is personal and pointed. An evil heart of unbelief A remarkable combination. Heart Απιστιας Apistias is more than mere unbelief, here rather disbelief, refusal to believe, genitive case describing the evil heart marked by disbelief which is no mark of intelligence then or now. In falling away from the living God “In the falling away” (locative case with εν en of the second aorist active (intransitive) infinitive of απιστημι aphistēmi to stand off from, to step aside from “Remember that to apostatize from Christ in whom you have found God is to apostatize from God” (Dods). That is true today. See Ezekiel 20:8 for this use of the verb. [source]