Acts 5:29
in Acts 5But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.
KJV
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
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This verse in Acts 5
Commentary
15 notes on this verseThen 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 men; this is said in answer to the charge of disobedience to the orders and commands of the council: men, civil magistrates, and ecclesiastical rulers, are to be obeyed in things which are not repugnant to the will of God; but in things that are, God is to be obeyed, and not men.
This site's exposition
We must obey God
on Acts 5:29-32
Peter answers for the apostles that they must obey God rather than men, setting a limit to obedience where a command stands against God's. Their testimony is joined to the Spirit's, whom God has given to those who obey Him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
See how great was the modesty of those who were questioned: for they did not answer with fierceness; since they were instructors, they were not outraged, but had pity on them, and they attempted to free them from error. For they did not quarrel against …
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
A hermit said, 'If anyone, in humility and the fear of God, orders a monk to do something, the very word, spoken for God's sake, makes the monk ready, and obedient to the command. But if he gives the command because he wants to give …
A commentator
Dionysius of AlexandriaEpistle X.-Against Bishop Germanus · Written before 264.
proposed
I came to Aemilianus not alone; for there accompanied me also my co-presbyter Maximus, and the deacons Faustus and Eusebius and Chaeremon; and one of the brethren who had come from Rome went also with us. Aemilianus, then, did not lead off by saying to …
A commentator
Polycrates Of EphesusThe Church History of Eusebius, Book 5, Chapter 24 · Written before 196.
proposed
All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have …
High magnanimity! He shows them too that they are fighting against God. For, he says, Whom ye killed, Him hath God raised up.
8 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
And they no longer say to them, "Judge ye:" for they are not contentious for glory; but they repeat again the same story,-the Cross, the Resurrection. And they tell not, wherefore He was crucified-that it was for our sakes: but they hint at this indeed, but not openly as yet, wishing to terrify them awhile.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Certainly, this very pastor of the Church, at whose most sacred body we are seated, let the servant girl who was the doorkeeper, when questioned, tell how great was his weakness and how great his fear before the coming of the Spirit. For struck by the voice of one woman, while he feared to die, he denied the Life. And then Peter denied on earth, while the thief confessed on the cross. But let us hear what kind of man this person of such great fear became after the coming of the Spirit.
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 20 · Written before 1153.
proposed
Peter, who had been corrected, later when the sad prophecy was repeated, no longer objected to death but promised he would die with him. But he could not fulfill this promise because he had not yet reached that third degree where he would love with …
We must obey God rather than men. It is read interrogatively in Greek: Should we obey God rather than men? and the Apostles fittingly refuted the foolish and rash questioning of the high priest with a firm and prudent response.
The apostles answer without harshness, both because they were teachers and because they were not angry at the Jews, but pitied them and wished to free them from delusion and pride.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then Peter - In the name of all the apostles, said - He does not now give them the titles of honour, which he did before, chap. iv, 8; but enters directly upon the subject, and justifies what he had done. This is, as it were, a continuation of that discourse, but with an increase of severity.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
We ought to obey God rather than men - The same answer they gave before, Act 4:19, founded on the same reason, which still stood good. We have received our commission from God; we dare not lay it down at the desire or command of men. See the note on Act 4:19.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
We ought to obey ... - See the notes on Act 4:19.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀποκριθεὶς | apokritheis | Answering | G611 → | 231 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Πέτρος | petros | Peter | G4074 → | 155 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀπόστολοι | apostoloi | apostles | G652 → | 79 times |
| εἶπαν· | eipan | said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| πειθαρχεῖν | peitharchein | To obey | G3980 → | 4 times |
| δεῖ | dei | it is necessary | G1163 → | 101 times |
| θεῷ | theo | to God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| μᾶλλον | mallon | rather | G3123 → | 81 times |
| ἢ | e | than | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ἀνθρώποις. | anthropois | to men. | G444 → | 549 times |
ἈποκριθεὶςAnswering
apokritheisG611 →231 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠέτροςPeter
petrosG4074 →155 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀπόστολοιapostles
apostoloiG652 →79 times
εἶπαν·said;
eipanG2036 →925 times
πειθαρχεῖνTo obey
peitharcheinG3980 →4 times
δεῖit is necessary
deiG1163 →101 times
θεῷto God
theoG2316 →1312 times
μᾶλλονrather
mallonG3123 →81 times
ἢthan
eG2228 →342 times
ἀνθρώποις.to men.
anthropoisG444 →549 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
Genesis 3:17And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because…
it leads to
- Romans 8:20–22
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope
- Genesis 5:29
And he named him Noah, saying, “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed.”
- Isaiah 24:5–6
The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.
- Ecclesiastes 2:22–23
For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
- John 16:33
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
- Romans 8:20–22
Through
Acts 4:19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.
it leads to
- Exodus 1:17
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.
- 1 Corinthians 10:15
I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.
- Exodus 1:17
Through
1 Samuel 15:24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
- 2 Samuel 12:13
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Obedience35 verses
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
About Acts
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Retractions on Acts; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 20; Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistle X.-Against Bishop Germanus; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 30; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 13; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Polycrates Of Ephesus, The Church History of Eusebius, Book 5, Chapter 24 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.