The Meaning of Acts 5:39 Explained

Acts 5:39

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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  if  it be  of  God,  ye cannot  overthrow  it;  lest haply  ye be found  even  to fight against God. 

What does Acts 5:39 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 5:27-42 - Folly Of Fighting Against God
The high priest and his party could not forget the imprecation of Matthew 27:25. It haunted them. Compare Peter's description of the Cross as the tree with Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13; also his own usage of the phrase in 1 Peter 2:24. Notice in Acts 5:31 the divine order-Jesus must be Prince, if He is to be Savior. It is because that order is not observed, and men therefore seek to derive His benefits before they concede His rights, that He is unable to deliver them. Christ must be the enthroned Lord and Master of your life, if you want to be saved to the uttermost. See Romans 10:9, r.v. Repentance is His gift equally as forgiveness. Mark that reference to the witness of the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:32. Let us never stand in pulpit or class without being first assured that the truth we utter is such that He can endorse.
Gamaliel had been Paul's teacher. He was very astute and non-committal. He said, "Let us wait and see; the truth will conquer." He expected that the new enthusiasm would die down if it were let alone. He knew that a draught of wind fans a fire. But he lived to see his mistake. We must be warned by Acts 5:42 not only to preach Christ as king in the Temple, but also at home. [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 5:39

But if it is of God [ει δε εκ τεου εστιν]
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]
To fight against God [θεομάχοι]
Lit., to be God- fighters. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 5:39

Acts 23:9 What if a spirit, etc []
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]
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed [βλεπετε]
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]

What do the individual words in Acts 5:39 mean?

if however from God it is not you will be able to overthrow them lest ever also fighting against God You would be found
εἰ δὲ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐστιν οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς μή‿ ποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε

δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Θεοῦ  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἐστιν  it  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
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.
καταλῦσαι  to  overthrow 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: καταλύω  
Sense: to dissolve, disunite.
μή‿  lest 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μή 
Sense: no, not lest.
ποτε  ever 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: πότε  
Sense: when?, at what time?.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
θεομάχοι  fighting  against  God 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: θεομάχος  
Sense: fighting against God, resisting God.
εὑρεθῆτε  You  would  be  found 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.