Acts 4:2
in Acts 4greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
being sore troubled because they taught the people, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
KJV
Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
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This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
16 notes on this versePeter, together with John, preached to them this plain message of glad tidings, that the promise which God made to the fathers had been fulfilled by Jesus; not certainly proclaiming another god, but the Son of God, who also was made man, and suffered; thus leading Israel into knowledge, and through Jesus preaching the resurrection of the dead, and showing, that whatever the prophets had proclaimed as to the suffering of Christ, these had God fulfilled.
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.
This site's exposition
the resurrection of the dead
Chrysostom observes that the apostles preached a resurrection reaching beyond Christ, since believers also rise through him. Wesley adds that a risen Jesus proved him the Just One and laid his blood on the heads of those who condemned him. The rulers' distress carried guilt as well as doctrine.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"Being grieved that they taught the people." Not merely because they taught, but because they declared, not alone that Christ Himself was risen from the dead, but moreover, that we through Him do rise again. "Because they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead." So mighty was His Resurrection, that to others also He is the cause of a resurrection.
So then at first they did all for the sake of man's opinion or glory: but now another motive was added: that they should not be thought guilty of murder, as they said subsequently, "Do ye wish to bring this man's blood on us?" O the folly! Persuaded that He was risen, and having received this proof of it, they expected that He Whom death could not hold, could be cast into the shade by their machinations! What can match the folly of this! Such is the nature of wickedness: it has no eyes for anything, but on all occasions it is thrown into perturbation. Finding themselves overborne, they felt like persons who have been outwitted: as is the case with people who have been forestalled and made a sport of in some matter.
Which very thing, too, we observe to come from divine authority, that the priest should be chosen in the presence of the people under the eyes of all, and should be approved worthy and suitable by public judgment and testimony; as in the book of Numbers the Lord commanded Moses, saying, "Take Aaron thy brother, and Eleazar his son, and place them in the mount, in the presence of all the assembly, and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and let Aaron die there, and be added to his people." God commands a priest to be appointed in the presence of all the assembly; that is, He instructs and shows that the ordination of priests ought not to be solemnized except with the knowledge of the people standing near, that in the presence of the people either the crimes of the wicked may be disclosed, or the merits of the good may be declared, and the ordination, which shall have been examined by the suffrage and judgment of all, may be just and legitimate. And this is subsequently observed, according to divine instruction, in the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter speaks to the people of ordaining an apostle in the place of Judas. "Peter," it says, "stood up in the midst of the disciples, and the multitude were in one place." Neither do we observe that this was regarded by the apostles only in the ordinations of bishops and priests, but also in those of deacons, of which matter itself also it is written in their Acts: "And they twelve called together," it says, "the whole congregation of the disciples, and said to them; " which was done so diligently and carefully, with the calling together of the whole of the people, surely for this reason, that no unworthy person might creep into the ministry of the altar, or to the office of a priest. […]
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 …
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 …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
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 Awakening4 voices
The priests being grieved - That the name of Jesus was preached to the people; especially they were offended at the doctrine of his resurrection; for as they had put him to death, his rising again proved him to be the Just One, and so brought his blood upon their heads.
Being grieved that they taught the people,....
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved, Ps. cxii. They were grieved at that which they should have rejoiced in, at that which angels rejoice in. Miserable is their case to whom the glory of Christ's kingdom is a grief; for, since the glory of that kingdom is everlasting, it follows of course that their grief will be everlasting too.
"You are rulers and elders, and should know more than others of the signs of the times, and not oppose that which you are bound by the duty of your place to embrace and advance, that is, the kingdom of the Messiah; you are rulers and elders of Israel, God's people, and if you mislead them, and cause them to err, you will have a great deal to answer for." 3.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Being grieved - Διαπονουμενοι, They were thoroughly fatigued with the continuance of this preaching; their minds suffered more labor, through vexation at the success of the apostles, than the bodies of the apostles did in their fatiguing exercise of preaching during the whole day.
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
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Being grieved - The word thus translated occurs in only one other place in the New Testament Act 16:18. It implies more than simple sorrow; it was a mingled emotion of indignation and anger. They did not grieve because they thought it a public calamity, but because it interfered with their authority and opposed their doctrine. It means that it was painful to them, or they could not bear it. It is often the case that bigots, and people in authority, have this kind of grief, at the zeal of people in spreading the truth, and thus undermining their influence and authority. That they taught the people - The ground of their grief was as much the fact that they should presume to instruct the people as the matter which they taught them. They were offended that unlearned Galileans, in no way connected with the priestly office, and unauthorized by them, should presume to set themselves up as religious teachers. They claimed the right to watch over the interests of the people, and to declare who was authorized to instruct the nation. It has been no unusual thing for men in ecclesiastical stations to take exceptions to the ministry of those who have not been commissioned by themselves. Such men easily fancy that all power to instruct others is lodged in their hands, and they oppose others simply from the fact that they have not derived their authority from them. The true question in this case was whether these Galileans gave proof that they were sent by God. The working of the miracle in this case should have been satisfactory. We have here, also, a striking instance of the fact that men may turn away from evidence, and from most important points, and fix their attention on something that opposes their prejudices, and which may be a matter of very little moment. […]
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διαπονούμενοι | diaponoumenoi | being distressed | G1278 → | |
| διὰ | dia | because of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διδάσκειν | didaskein | teaching | G1321 → | 96 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | of theirs | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὸν | ton | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαὸν | laon | people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καταγγέλλειν | katangellein | [their] proclaiming | G2605 → | 17 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνάστασιν | anastasin | resurrection | G386 → | 42 times |
| τὴν | ten | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| νεκρῶν· | nekron | [the] dead; | G3498 → | 128 times |
διαπονούμενοιbeing distressed
diaponoumenoiG1278 →
διὰbecause of
diaG1223 →664 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
διδάσκεινteaching
didaskeinG1321 →96 times
αὐτοὺςof theirs
autousG846 →5565 times
τὸνto the
tonG3588 →19766 times
λαὸνpeople
laonG2992 →141 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καταγγέλλειν[their] proclaiming
katangelleinG2605 →17 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἸησοῦJesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀνάστασινresurrection
anastasinG386 →42 times
τὴνthat
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐκout from
ekG1537 →911 times
νεκρῶν·[the] dead;
nekronG3498 →128 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
1 Corinthians 15:23But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:19
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her…
- Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
- 1 Corinthians 15:52
in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
- 1 Corinthians 15:20
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17
By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.
- Isaiah 26:19
Through
Acts 17:18Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:20–21
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
- Luke 11:53
As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,
- 1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20–21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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 Acts of the Apostles; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyprian, Epistle LXVII; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book III; 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); 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.