John Gill

But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”

“But that it spread no further among the people,.... Meaning not in Jerusalem; for the fame of this miracle was spread among all the inhabitants of that city; but in other parts of the nation: let us straitly threaten them; or "in threatening threaten them"…”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

“And they called them,.... From the apartment where they were; or ordered their servants to call them in to them: and commanded them not to speak at all; either privately or publicly, in the ministry of the word, or in working of miracles, in the…”

For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

“For we cannot but speak,.... It was not physically, but morally impossible; or it was not lawful, and therefore they would not speak any other, and they could not avoid speaking, say they, the things which we have seen and heard; as the miracles and…”

For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

“For the man was above forty years old,.... So that the miracle was the greater, that a man born lame, and who had been so above forty years, should have a cure; and he was the more known to the people, and his testimony met…”

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

“Who by the mouth of thy servant David has said,.... In Psa 2:1 from whence we learn, that that psalm, though it is without a title, and does not bear David's name, yet is one of his and so Kimchi says, that David composed it…”

They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.

“For to do whatsoever thy hand,.... It was not the end of their gathering together against Christ, or it was not their intention and design, to fulfil the purposes and decrees of God, but to fulfil their own lusts, and satiate their rage and malice…”

The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.

“And the multitude of them that believed,.... The Gospel, and in Christ, the substance of it; and a multitude they were, for they were now about eight thousand persons.”

There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,

“Neither was there any among them that lacked,.... Bread to eat, or clothes to wear, or any of the necessaries of life; which shows their great charity, and gives a reason why they were in so much favour with the people, because they took so…”

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.

“But a certain man named Ananias,.... A name common among the Jews, the same with Hananiah, Jer 28:1 it signifies not the humility of the Lord, or the affliction of the Lord, or the answer of the Lord, as say some, as if it was…”

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?

“But Peter said, Ananias,.... Peter, by divine revelation, or by a spirit of discerning, such as Elisha had, who knew what his servant Gehazi had done, knowing what a reserve Ananias had made, calls him by his name, and says to him, why hath Satan…”

Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

“And the young men arose,.... The younger brethren of the church, who were robust, and strong, and fit for the following service: these rose up from their seats at once, not willing that such an awful spectacle should lie long before them: and wound him…”

“Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”

“And Peter answered unto her,.... Who might be inquiring for her husband; though such a way of speaking was common with the Jews, when nothing goes before to which the answer is made; of which there are frequent instances in the sacred writings: tell me…”

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.

“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought,.... That is, by their means, or by them as instruments, or through the imposition of their hands on persons, many miraculous and wonderful cures, as well as other extraordinary actions, were performed…”

Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.

“And believers were the more added to the Lord,.... That is, to the church, as in Act 2:47 over which Christ was Lord and head; for they were added to the Lord before, by believing in him, when they gave up themselves to him, to…”

and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

“And laid their hands on the apostles,.... That is, laid hold on them, and took them, and carried them away; at least their servants did so, by their orders: and put them in the common prison; where malefactors were put; and this both for greater…”

But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

“Then Peter, and the other apostles, answered and said,.... Peter began, as the mouth of the apostles, being the eldest man, and very bold and zealous; and the rest followed, or joined, with him in what he said: we ought to obey God rather than…”

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside…

“Then stood there up one in the council,.... Or "in the sanhedrim", which the high priest had called together; this phrase is left out in the Syriac version: yet certain it is, that the great council was now assembled, and the disciples were now before…”

“Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men.

“And said unto them, ye men of Israel,.... This he said after the apostles were put out, when the council was by themselves; and he addressed them as "men of Israel"; not as distinct from the priests and Levites in the council, but because they…”

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

“But if it be of God,.... If it is according to the counsel of his will; if it is a scheme of his forming, and a work to which he has called these men, and they proceed in it on good principles, and with a…”

At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

“And to him they agreed,.... They were convinced and persuaded by his reasonings, approved of his advice, and agreed to follow it: and when they had called the apostles; into the council again, having sent their servants for them, or ordered them to be brought…”

In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the…

“And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,.... From an hundred and twenty to three thousand more, from thence to five thousand more, and after that a multitude of men and women were added, and still they were increasing; see Act…”

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them

“Wherefore brethren look ye out among you,.... Or "choose out among you", as the Syriac version adds, and as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions render it; which shows that this sort of officers, deacons, must be members of the church, and of the same church…”

They presented these seven to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

“Whom they set before the apostles,.... They did not barely nominate and propose them to them, but they brought them into their presence, and placed them before them, as the persons whom they had chosen, in order to be ordained by them.”

Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”

“Then they suborned men,.... Hired false witnesses, which seems to have been commonly done by the Jews; so they did in the case of Christ: which said, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God; that is, against the law of…”

So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,

“And they stirred up the people,.... The common people, who were easily wrought upon, and soon incensed and provoked, when at any time it was suggested to them that the rituals and ceremonies of the law of Moses were treated with any neglect or contempt…”