Acts 4:1
in Acts 4While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
KJV
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
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This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The priests - It is probable that these priests were a part of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation. It is evident that they claimed some authority for preventing the preaching of the apostles. The captain of the temple - See the Mat 26:47; Luk 22:4 note. This was the commander of the guard stationed chiefly in the tower Antonia, especially during the great feasts; and it was his duty to preserve order and prevent any tumult.
This site's exposition
the priests and the captain
on Acts 4:1-4
The priests, the Sadducees and the captain of the temple guard made an official arrest. The Sadducees denied any resurrection, so preaching in Jesus the resurrection of the dead gave them their own reason to stop it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"And as they were speaking these words to the people," etc. The princes and the priests, and the rest of the high-ranking men among the Jews, seeing that about five thousand men had believed the apostles, decided to jail them, to prevent the whole crowd …
See how matters are managed. First they were all mocked together. Then, after they became respected in the public speeches and afterward wrought a great marvel, therefore indeed thereafter, having grown bold, God permitting, they enter into dangers, and undertake the contests. See the progress …
Ere yet they had time to take breath after their first trials, straightway they enter into others. And observe how the events are disposed. First, they were all mocked together; this was no small trial: secondly, they enter into dangers. And these two things do not take place in immediate succession; but when first the Apostles have won admiration by their two discourses, and after that have performed a notable miracle, thereupon it is that, after they are waxen bold, through God's disposal, they enter the lists. But I wish you to consider, how those same persons, who in the case of Christ must need look out for one to deliver Him up to them, now with their own hands arrest the Apostles, having become more audacious and more impudent since the Crucifixion. In truth, sin, while it is yet struggling to the birth, is attended with some sense of shame; but when once fully born, it makes those more shameless who practise it. "And the captain of the temple," it is said. The object again was to attach a public criminality to what was doing, and not to prosecute it as the act of private individuals: such in fact was constantly their plan of proceeding.
While the apostles had not yet recovered from their previous afflictions, they fell into other ones by a certain providential way. For at first they were all mocked as drunk, suspected of the operation of languages unknown to them. Secondly, they enter into dangers. And …
The Medieval Church1 voice
While they were speaking to the people, the priests and the magistrates of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, and so on. And the priests and the magistrates, or the temple prefect, as another edition says, who seemed to be the teachers and …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
The priests and magistrates of the temple arrived. "Magistratus" should be read in the singular, as is clear from the Greek, where "στρατηγὸς" is written in the singular: for which, in Latin, some Codices have "praepositum templi," while others more correctly have "praetorem templi." For …
The apostles had not yet had time to catch their breath from the previous trials before they fell into others. And see how the events are arranged. First the apostles were mocked all together; then they fall into dangers, but not suddenly. First they defend …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And as they spake unto the people,....
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, (1.) Was verified in Jesus; this they proved, that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, as the first, the chief, that should rise from the dead, ch. xxvi. They preached the resurrection of Christ as their warrant for what they did. Or, (2.) It is secured by him to all believers.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the captain--of the Levitical guard. of the temple--annoyed at the disturbance created around it. and the Sadducees--who "say that there is no resurrection" (Ac 23:8), irritated at the apostles "preaching through (rather, 'in') Jesus the resurrection from the dead"; for the resurrection of Christ, if a fact, effectually overthrew the Sadducean doctrine.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The priests - These persons had evidenced the most implacable enmity against Christ from the beginning. The captain of the temple - See this office particularly explained in the note on Luk 22:4 (note). The Sadducees - Whose whole system was now in danger by the preaching of the resurrection of Christ; for they believed not in the immortality of the soul, nor in any future world. These made a common cause with the priests, etc., to suppress the evidence of Christ’s resurrection, and silence the apostles.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Λαλούντων | lalounton | When are speaking | G2980 → | 294 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | they | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαὸν | laon | people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| ἐπέστησαν | epestesan | came | G2186 → | 21 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | upon them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱερεῖς | hi'ereis | priests | G2409 → | 30 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στρατηγὸς | strategos | captain | G4755 → | 10 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱεροῦ | hi'erou | temple | G2411 → | 70 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Σαδδουκαῖοι, | saddoukaioi | Sadducees, | G4523 → | 14 times |
ΛαλούντωνWhen are speaking
lalountonG2980 →294 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
αὐτῶνthey
autonG846 →5565 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λαὸνpeople
laonG2992 →141 times
ἐπέστησανcame
epestesanG2186 →21 times
αὐτοῖςupon them
autoisG846 →5565 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἱερεῖςpriests
hi'ereisG2409 →30 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
στρατηγὸςcaptain
strategosG4755 →10 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἱεροῦtemple
hi'erouG2411 →70 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
Σαδδουκαῖοι,Sadducees,
saddoukaioiG4523 →14 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
Acts 5:24When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening.
it leads to
Through
Acts 6:12So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
- Acts 14:2
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
- Matthew 26:57
Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.
- Proverbs 15:18
Through
Acts 5:26At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.
it leads to
Through
Luke 22:4And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.
it leads to
- Acts 5:24
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening.
- Acts 5:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
About Acts
This page draws on 12 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); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 10; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.