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Acts 5:36

in Acts 5

Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

For before these days rose up Theudas, giving himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nought.

KJV

For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

This verse in Acts 5

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

He brings two examples and mentions not ancient events, but recent ones, because these latter are more powerful for persuasion. Therefore, pointing to them, Gamaliel said "before these days." Knowing other examples as well, he was satisfied with these two, that is, the example of …

This site's exposition

rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody

on Acts 5:36-39

Gamaliel cites two failed movements, Theudas with about four hundred followers and Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, both scattered once their leaders were slain, as evidence that a merely human enterprise burns itself out. Josephus records a Theudas under the procurator Fadus in the mid-forties, a date that falls after this speech is set, and the bench names the standard resolutions honestly, an earlier Theudas otherwise unrecorded, a common name behind two distinct men, or a memory lapse in either source, without settling which. Gamaliel's own conclusion, if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even to fight against God, is the test he offers the council, and it is a test rather than an endorsement of the apostles' message.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

Then, bringing examples of those who have acted thoughtlessly in such matters and to their own ruin, he adduces Theudas and Judas the Galilean, who did not reach a favorable end for themselves. The examples are not old but recent, and many eyewitnesses to them …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 14 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

By examples he teaches them prudence; and, by way of encouragement, mentions last the man who seduced the greatest number. And he mentions not one instance, but a second also: "for," saith the Scripture, "in the mouth of two witnesses": and yet he had it in his power to mention even three. "Refrain from these men." See how mild his manner is, and his speech not long, but concise, and his mention even of those impostors how free from passion: "And all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered." And for all this he does not blaspheme Christ.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

For before these days Theudas rose up, etc. This Theudas persuaded many, as Josephus reports, taking their possessions from the city, to occupy the banks of the Jordan. And since he was a magician, he claimed to be a prophet and that he could provide …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

For before these days rose up Theudas,.....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Rose up Theudas - Josephus, Ant. lib. xx. cap. 4, sect. 1, mentions one named Theudas who was the author of an insurrection; about whom there has been much controversy whether he were the person spoken of here by Gamaliel. Every circumstance, as related by Josephus agrees well enough with what is referred to here, except the chronology; for the Theudas mentioned by Josephus made his insurrection when Fadus was governor of Judea; which was at least ten years after the time in which the apostles were brought before this council.
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

For before those days - The “advice” of Gamaliel was to permit these men to go on. The “arguments” by which he enforced his advice were: (1) That there were cases or precedents in point Act 5:36-37; and, (2) That if it should turn out to be truly of God, it would be a solemn affair to be involved in the consequences of opposing him. How long before “these days” this transaction occurred, cannot now be determined, as it is not certain to what case Gamaliel refers. Rose up - That is, commenced or excited an insurrection. Theudas - This was a name quite common among the Jews. Of this man nothing more is known than is here recorded. Josephus (Antiq., book 20, chapter 5) mentions one “Theudas,” in the time of “Fadus,” the procurator of Judea, in the reign of the Emperor Claudius (45 or 46 a.d.), who persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with them and follow him to the river Jordan. He told them he was a prophet, and that he would divide the river and lead them over. Fadus, however, came suddenly upon them, and slew many of them. Theudas was taken alive and conveyed to Jerusalem, and there beheaded. But this occurred at least ten or fifteen years after this discourse of Gamaliel. Many efforts have been made to reconcile Luke and Josephus, on the supposition that they refer to the same man. Lightfoot supposed that Josephus had made an error in chronology. But there is no reason to suppose that there is reference to the same event; and the fact that Josephus has not recorded the insurrection referred to by Gamaliel does not militate at all against the account in the Acts . For: (1) Luke, for anything that appears to the contrary, is quite as credible an historian as Josephus. (2) The name “Theudas” was a common name among the Jews; and there is no improbability that there were “two” leaders of an insurrection of this name. […]

The words behind it

29 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Galatians 6:3

    If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 26:12

      Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

    • 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 8:2

      The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

    • Romans 12:3

      For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure…

    • 2 Corinthians 3:5

      Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

  • Through

    Acts 8:9

    Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,

    it leads to

    • Acts 13:6

      They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

  • Through

    Revelation 17:3

    And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten…

    it leads to

    • Revelation 12:3

      Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.

  • Through

    2 Peter 2:2

    Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.

    it leads to

    • Romans 2:24

      As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

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, Commentary on Acts; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 14; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.