Acts 4:18
in Acts 4Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
KJV
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
⋯
This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd 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 city, or in the country: nor teach in the name of Jesus; any doctrine whatever; or "the name of Jesus", as the Arabic version reads; that is, the doctrine of Jesus, that which respects his person, his carnation, his offices, his sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead.
This site's exposition
commanded them not to speak
on Acts 4:18-20
Peter and John ask the council to judge whether it is right in God's sight to listen to it rather than God. Their ground is eyewitness, for they cannot stop speaking about what they have seen and heard.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach, in the name of Jesus." See what effrontery is shown by these, and what greatness of mind by the Apostles.
"And they called them, and commanded them," etc. It had been much better for them to let them go.
Yet they do not lead the apostles before Pilate as they did Christ, but they themselves judge: first indeed affected by shame and modesty, then fearing for fear that they too be accused by these concerning him.
The Reformation1 voice
They were not able to keep the dead Jesus in the tomb- and they try to entomb a name, though a name is something that invariably becomes better known after death.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
We do not find that they give them any reason why the doctrine of Christ must be suppressed; they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency, and they are ashamed to own the true reason, that it testifies against their hypocrisy and wickedness, and shocks their tyranny.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They could not prove that they had said or done any thing amiss, and yet they must no more say nor do what they have done. All their care is that the doctrine of Christ spread no further among the people; as if that healing institution were a plague begun, the contagion of which must be stopped.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Not to speak ...nor teach in the name of Jesus - Any other doctrine, and any other name, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites and infidels will bear, but the doctrine which is according to godliness, proclaiming salvation through the blood of Christ crucified, they will not bear. If their doctrine were not the truth of God it could not be so unpopular; there is such an enmity in human nature against all that is good and true, that whatever comes from God is generally rejected by wicked men.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καλέσαντες | kalesantes | having called | G2564 → | 147 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| παρήγγειλαν | parengeilan | they commanded | G3853 → | 31 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καθόλου | katholou | at | G2527 → | |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| φθέγγεσθαι | phthengesthai | to speak | G5350 → | |
| μηδὲ | mede | nor | G3366 → | |
| διδάσκειν | didaskein | to teach | G1321 → | 96 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | in | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀνόματι | onomati | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦ.¶ | iesou | of Jesus. | G2424 → | 908 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καλέσαντεςhaving called
kalesantesG2564 →147 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
παρήγγειλανthey commanded
parengeilanG3853 →31 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
καθόλουat
katholouG2527 →
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
φθέγγεσθαιto speak
phthengesthaiG5350 →
μηδὲnor
medeG3366 →
διδάσκεινto teach
didaskeinG1321 →96 times
ἐπὶin
epiG1909 →883 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀνόματιname
onomatiG3686 →227 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Ἰησοῦ.¶of Jesus.
iesouG2424 →908 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 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
it leads to
- Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
- Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Romans 15:19
by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
- Acts 4:33
With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.
- Acts 5:32
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
- Matthew 28:19
Through
Acts 5:20“Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
it leads to
- John 6:63
The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
- John 6:68
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
- 1 John 5:11–12
And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
- John 6:63
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Erasmus of Rotterdam, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 10; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts.