Acts 5:41
in Acts 5The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.
KJV
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
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This verse in Acts 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseLet us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, "who bore our sins in His own body on the tree," "who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth," but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him. Let us then be imitators of His patience; and if we suffer for His name's sake, let us glorify Him. For He has set us this example in Himself, and we have believed that such is the case.
This site's exposition
they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus
on Acts 5:40-42
The council agrees to Gamaliel's caution but cannot let the apostles go without a beating, and they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus before releasing them. The apostles depart rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name, the boldness thread of the book turning suffering itself into cause for joy rather than deterrence. Daily in the temple and in every house they continue without pause to teach and preach Jesus Christ, the command to silence answered by its exact opposite.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Of course, the scourging was no cause of satisfaction, to be sure—rather of pain and distress; but scourging for the sake of God and the grounds on which they were scourged gave rise to satisfaction in them.… Such a powerful and invincible thing is virtue, proving superior even in the course of suffering such torments.
"And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ." What miracles so wonderful as this? Nowhere is the like of this recorded of the old saints: for Jeremiah indeed was scourged for the word of God, and they threatened Elijah, and the rest: but in this case, even by this very thing, and not only by their miracles, these showed forth the power of God. He does not say, that they were not pained, but that though pained they rejoiced. How does this appear? From their boldness afterwards: they were so instant still, even after their beatings, in preaching the word.
See also the apostles' devotion to the better cause. For by the afflictions by which they hoped to be subdued, they were the more exercised, so that they might proceed to a more effective and more fearless doctrine, and not in secret, but immediately even …
The Medieval Church2 voices
And they went rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer insults for the name of Jesus. Behold, Peter rejoices in beatings, who before was afraid at mere words. And he who previously feared when questioned by the voice of a servant girl, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, though beaten, tramples down the powers of rulers. It is fitting to raise the eyes of faith to the power of this craftsman, and to consider here and there the Fathers of the new and old testament. Behold, with these same eyes of faith opened, I gaze upon David, Amos, Daniel, Peter, Paul, Matthew, and I wish to consider what kind of craftsman this Holy Spirit is, but in my very consideration I fall short. For he fills a boy who plays the harp, and makes him a psalmist. He fills a herdsman shepherd picking sycamore figs, and makes him a prophet. He fills an abstinent boy, and makes him a judge of elders. He fills a fisherman, and makes him a preacher. He fills a persecutor, and makes him a teacher of the Gentiles. He fills a tax collector, and makes him an evangelist. O what a craftsman this Spirit is! There is no delay in learning whatever he wills. As soon as he touches the mind, he teaches, and merely to have touched is to have taught. For as soon as he illuminates the human soul, he transforms it; he suddenly takes away what it was, and suddenly produces what it was not.
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 10 · Written before 1153.
proposed
But let us take a look at those who may rightly boast of possessing an abundance of it. "They left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honor of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name of Jesus." They whose gentleness …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The signs and wonders which the apostles wrought were hitherto miracles of mercy; but now comes in a miracle of judgment, and here is an instance of severity following the instances of goodness, that God may be both loved and feared. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira his wife.
And they departed from the presence of the council,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Rejoicing - Nothing to most people would seem more disgraceful than a public whipping. It is a punishment inflicted usually not so much because it gives “pain,” as because it is esteemed to be attended with disgrace. The Jewish rulers doubtless desired that the apostles might be so affected with the sense of this disgrace as to be unwilling to appear again in public, or to preach the gospel anymore. Yet in this they were disappointed. The effect was just the reverse.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
departed . . . rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name--"thought worthy by God to be dishonored by man" (Mt 5:12; 1Pe 4:14, 16) [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. This was their first taste of persecution, and it felt sweet for His sake whose disciples they were.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Rejoicing that they there counted worthy, etc. - The whole verse may be read thus: But they departed rejoicing from the presence of the sanhedrin, because they there deemed worthy to be dishonored on account of The Name. The word, αυτου, his, is omitted by ABCD, several others; Erpen’s Syriac, and the Coptic. The Name, probably, by this time, distinguished both the author of salvation and the sacred system of doctrine which the apostles preached. To rejoice in persecution, and triumph in the midst of pain, shame, disgrace, and various threatened deaths, is the privilege of the New Testament. Nothing of this kind, as far as I can recollect, appears even in the choicest saints under the Old Testament dispensation. Some of them fretted and mourned, and sometimes even murmured; some merely possessed their souls in patience; Christians exulted and triumphed in the God of their salvation. This is no mean proof of the additional light and evidence which the New Testament dispensation affords.
Modern Voices1 voice
If men smiled and sang (as they did) while they were being boiled or torn in pieces, the spectators felt the presence of something more than mere mental honesty: they felt the presence of some new and unintelligible kind of pleasure, which, presumably, came from …
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Οἱ | hoi | They | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ἐπορεύοντο | eporeuonto | were departing | G4198 → | 147 times |
| χαίροντες | chairontes | rejoicing | G5463 → | 74 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| προσώπου | prosopou | [the] presence | G4383 → | 75 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συνεδρίου, | sunedriou | Council, | G4892 → | 22 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| κατηξιώθησαν | katexiothesan | they had been counted worthy | G2661 → | |
| ὑπὲρ | huper | for | G5228 → | 155 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀνόματος | onomatos | Name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| ἀτιμασθῆναι· | atimasthenai | to suffer dishonor; | G818 → |
ΟἱThey
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →176 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
ἐπορεύοντοwere departing
eporeuontoG4198 →147 times
χαίροντεςrejoicing
chairontesG5463 →74 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
προσώπου[the] presence
prosopouG4383 →75 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
συνεδρίου,Council,
sunedriouG4892 →22 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
κατηξιώθησανthey had been counted worthy
katexiothesanG2661 →
ὑπὲρfor
huperG5228 →155 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ὀνόματοςName
onomatosG3686 →227 times
ἀτιμασθῆναι·to suffer dishonor;
atimasthenaiG818 →
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
James 1:2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:6–8
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Matthew 5:10–12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
- Luke 6:22–23
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
- 1 Peter 1:6–8
Through
Luke 6:22Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:22
You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 10:22
Through
Philippians 1:29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
it leads to
- James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- 1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.
- James 1:2
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 13 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); Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 10; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit; GK Chesterton, All Things Considered, The Modern Martyr (1908); Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 30; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 23.6; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 14; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Polycarp of Smyrna, Epistle to the Philippians 8.