Acts 23:9
in Acts 23A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there arose a great clamor: and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?
KJV
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
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This verse in Acts 23
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" These words are obscure or something is missing for the completion of the sentence, which would be, "If a spirit or an angel has told to him what to say in order to avoid …
This site's exposition
there arose a dissension
on Acts 23:7-9
The dissension divides exactly along the doctrinal line Paul named, the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit, denying both as later Pharisaic Judaism affirmed them, while the Pharisees confess both, and the multitude was divided. Some of the Pharisee scribes go so far as to declare Paul innocent, we find no evil in this man, adding the sober caution, if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God, an unexpected defense from natural opponents of a Christian prisoner. The scene stages a real theological fault line inside Second Temple Judaism rather than one unified Jewish position on the resurrection Paul preaches throughout this book.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?" Why did they not plead for him before this? Do you observe, how, when the passions give way, the truth is discovered? Where is the crime, say they, if an angel has spoken to him, or a spirit? Paul gives them no handle against him.
"And the scribes," etc. Look; the tribune also hears that the Pharisees have acquitted him of the charges, and have given sentence in his favor, and with greater confidence carries him off by force.
"If a spirit spoke to him." The statement can be understood in two ways. For something is lacking to complete the sense so that it may be read therefore: If a spirit or an angel spoke to him, it is unclear, he says; or as …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Something is lacking here for the completeness of the thought. The Spirit, it is said, or an Angel suggested to him the content of his speech — it is unknown. Or this is said from the perspective of the Pharisees, and in that case the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And there arose a great cry,....
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The persecuting Pharisees of the church of Rome are not of this spirit: for let a man be ever so sincere and zealous for all the articles of the Christian faith, yet, if he lay not his neck under the yoke of their church's authority, they find evil enough in him to persecute him unto the death.
So much did a fierce furious spirit prevail among all orders of the Jews at this time that every thing was done with clamour and noise; and in such a tumultuous manner were the great principles of their religion stickled for, by which they received little service, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A great cry - A great clamor and tumult. The scribes - The learned men. They would naturally be the chief speakers. Of the Pharisees’ part - Who were Pharisees, or who belonged to that party. The scribes were not a distinct sect, but might be either Pharisees or Sadducees. We find no evil in this man - No opinion which is contrary to the Law of Moses; no conduct in spreading the doctrine of the resurrection which we do not approve.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee--The true reading seems to be, "the son of Pharisees," that is, belonging to a family who from father to son had long been such. of the hope and resurrection of the dead--that is, not the vague hope of immortality, but the definite expectation of the resurrection.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
(The following words, "Let us not fight against God," seem not to belong to the original text, and perhaps are from Ac 5:39. In this case, either the meaning is, "If he has had some divine communication, what of that?" or, the conclusion of the sentence may have been drowned in the hubbub, which Ac 23:10 shows to have been intense).
The scribes - arose, and strove - Διεμαχοντο, They contended forcibly - they came to an open rupture with the Sadducees; and, in order to support their own party against them, they even admitted as truth, St. Paul’s account of his miraculous conversion, and therefore they said, if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, etc. He had previously mentioned that Jesus Christ had appeared to him, when on his way to Damascus; and, though they might not be ready to admit the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection, yet they could, consistently with their own principles, allow that the soul of Christ might appear to him; and they immediately caught at this, as furnishing a strong proof against the doctrine of the Sadducees, who neither believed in angel nor spirit, while the Pharisees confessed both. Let us not fight against God - These words are wanting in ABCE, several others, with the Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, later Syriac, Vulgate, and some of the fathers.
The words behind it
29 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἐγένετο | egeneto | Arose | G1096 → | 667 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| κραυγὴ | krauge | a clamor | G2906 → | |
| μεγάλη· | megale | great; | G3173 → | 243 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀναστάντες | anastantes | having risen up | G450 → | 107 times |
| τινὲς | tines | some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γραμματέων | grammateon | scribes | G1122 → | 62 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μέρους | merous | party | G3313 → | 42 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Φαρισαίων | pharisaion | Pharisees | G5330 → | 97 times |
| διεμάχοντο | diemachonto | they were contending | G1264 → | |
| λέγοντες· | legontes | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| οὐδὲν | ouden | No [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| κακὸν | kakon | evil | G2556 → | 50 times |
| εὑρίσκομεν | heuriskomen | we find | G2147 → | 175 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπῳ | anthropo | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| τούτῳ· | touto | this; | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| εἰ | ei | What if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | a spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἐλάλησεν | elalesen | has spoken | G2980 → | 294 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ἄγγελος | angelos | an angel | G32 → | 175 times |
ἘγένετοArose
egenetoG1096 →667 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
κραυγὴa clamor
kraugeG2906 →
μεγάλη·great;
megaleG3173 →243 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀναστάντεςhaving risen up
anastantesG450 →107 times
τινὲςsome
tinesG5100 →528 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
γραμματέωνscribes
grammateonG1122 →62 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
μέρουςparty
merousG3313 →42 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΦαρισαίωνPharisees
pharisaionG5330 →97 times
διεμάχοντοthey were contending
diemachontoG1264 →
λέγοντες·saying;
legontesG3004 →1325 times
οὐδὲνNo [thing]
oudenG3762 →232 times
κακὸνevil
kakonG2556 →50 times
εὑρίσκομενwe find
heuriskomenG2147 →175 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπῳman
anthropoG444 →549 times
τούτῳ·this;
toutoG3778 →1381 times
εἰWhat if
eiG1487 →508 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
πνεῦμαa spirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
ἐλάλησενhas spoken
elalesenG2980 →294 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ἄγγελοςan angel
angelosG32 →175 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 12:29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.
it leads to
- Job 37:2–5
Listen closely to the thunder of His voice and the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
- Revelation 14:2
And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps.
- Revelation 6:1
Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a thunderous voice, “Come!”
- Job 37:2–5
Through
Acts 26:31On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
it leads to
- Acts 23:29
I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- Acts 23:29
Through
Acts 22:7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
it leads to
- Jeremiah 2:9
Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares the LORD, and I will bring a case against your children’s children.
- Jeremiah 2:9
Through
Mark 2:16When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
it leads to
- Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
- Luke 19:7
And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”
- Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
- Luke 19:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ammonius of Alexandria, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 23.9; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 49; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
