Acts 4:21
in Acts 4After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they, when they had further threatened them, let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people; for all men glorified God for that which was done.
KJV
So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
⋯
This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBecause all were praising for what had been done. It is better in Greek: "For all were glorifying God for what had been done." And what in our Codices is added, "for what had happened," is not in the Greek. Indeed, "glorifying" and "praising" are …
This site's exposition
After further threats
on Acts 4:21-22
The council releases them after further threats, unable to punish them because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. Luke adds that the healed man was over forty years old, so the healing cannot be taken for a passing ailment.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done." Again they threatened in vain. So then the people glorified God, but these endeavored to destroy them: such fighters against God were they! Whereby they made them more conspicuous and illustrious. "For My strength," it is said, "is made perfect in weakness."
The Medieval Church1 voice
on account of the people, not on account of God.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
So when they had further threatened them,....
They threatened them, and that was all they did now: when they had done this they let them go, 1. Because they durst not contradict the people, who glorified God for that which was done, and would have been ready (at least they thought so) to pull them out of their seats, if they had punished the apostles for doing it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Finding nothing ... - That is, not being able to devise any way of punishing them without exciting a tumult among the people, and endangering their own authority. The Sanhedrin was frequently influenced by this fear; and it shows that their own authority was much dependent on the caprice of the multitude. Compare Mat 21:26. All men - That is, the great mass or body of the people. Glorified God - Praised God for the miracle. This implies: (1) That they believed that the miracle was genuine.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people--not at a loss for a pretext, but at a loss how to do it so as not to rouse the opposition of the people. PETER AND JOHN DISMISSED FROM THE SANHEDRIM, REPORT THE PROCEEDINGS TO THE ASSEMBLED DISCIPLES--THEY ENGAGE IN PRAYER--THE ASTONISHING ANSWER AND RESULTS.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
When they had farther threatened them - Προσαπειλησαμενοι, When they had added to their former threatenings, repeating the former menaces, and adding new penalties. Finding nothing how they might punish them - Or, as the Codex Bezae reads, μηεὑρισκοντες αιτιαν, πως κολασωνται, not finding a cause why they might punish them. This reading is supported by the Syriac and Arabic. Bp. Pearce says, “This is better sense and better Greek.” Because of the people - The people saw the miracle, confessed the finger of God, believed on the Lord Jesus, and thus became converts to the Christian faith; and the converts were now so numerous that the sanhedrin was afraid to proceed to any extremities, lest an insurrection should be the consequence.
The words behind it
22 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 | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| προσαπειλησάμενοι | prosapeilesamenoi | having further threatened [them] | G4324 → | |
| ἀπέλυσαν | apelusan | they let go | G630 → | 63 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| μηδὲν | meden | nothing | G3367 → | 90 times |
| εὑρίσκοντες | heuriskontes | finding | G2147 → | 175 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πῶς | pos | how | G4459 → | 103 times |
| κολάσωνται | kolasontai | they may punish | G2849 → | |
| αὐτούς, | autous | them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| διὰ | dia | on account of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαόν, | laon | people, | G2992 → | 141 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| πάντες | pantes | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἐδόξαζον | edoxazon | were glorifying | G1392 → | 61 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | for | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῷ | to | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γεγονότι. | gegonoti | having happened. | G1096 → | 667 times |
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
προσαπειλησάμενοιhaving further threatened [them]
prosapeilesamenoiG4324 →
ἀπέλυσανthey let go
apelusanG630 →63 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
μηδὲνnothing
medenG3367 →90 times
εὑρίσκοντεςfinding
heuriskontesG2147 →175 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πῶςhow
posG4459 →103 times
κολάσωνταιthey may punish
kolasontaiG2849 →
αὐτούς,them,
autousG846 →5565 times
διὰon account of
diaG1223 →664 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λαόν,people,
laonG2992 →141 times
ὅτιbecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
πάντεςall
pantesG3956 →1235 times
ἐδόξαζονwere glorifying
edoxazonG1392 →61 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
ἐπὶfor
epiG1909 →883 times
τῷthat
toG3588 →19766 times
γεγονότι.having happened.
gegonotiG1096 →667 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
Matthew 9:8When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
it leads to
- Luke 7:16
A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
- Matthew 15:31
The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
- Luke 23:47
When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
- Mark 2:12
And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything…
- Luke 17:15
When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.
- Luke 7:16
Through
Luke 20:6But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
it leads to
- Matthew 21:26
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 21:26
Through
Matthew 21:46Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.
it leads to
- Matthew 21:11
The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
- Matthew 21:11
Through
Acts 5:26At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.
it leads to
- Acts 5:13
Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them.
- Acts 5:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

This page draws on 10 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); Bede, Retractions on Acts; Hugh of Saint-Cher, Commentary (church-history corpus); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
