Acts 4:3
in Acts 4They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they laid hands on them, and put them in ward unto the morrow: for it was now eventide.
KJV
And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
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This verse in Acts 4
Commentary
11 notes on this verse"And they put them in custody until the morning." So the Jews dealt with the apostles and guarded them, wishing to humble them, while the prolonged time made the apostles all the more fearless.
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
they put them in custody
Barnes explains that the council did not usually assemble at the hour of the evening sacrifice, so the apostles were held overnight. Chrysostom contrasts this with the arrest of Jesus, who was seized at midnight and led away at once. Theophylact says the delay only made them bolder.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
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 …
"By their teaching the people." For already they were in ill repute with them by reason of what they had done to Christ; so that they were rather increasing their own obloquy. "And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold until the morrow; for it was now eventide." In the case of Christ, however, they did not so; but having taken Him at midnight, they immediately led him away, and made no delay, being exceedingly in fear of the multitude: whereas in the case of the Apostles here, they were bold. And they no more take them to Pilate, being ashamed and blushing at the thought of the former affair, lest they should also be taken to task for that.
"And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day; for it was now eventide." What impudence! They feared not the multitude; for this also the captain of the temple was with them: they had their hands still reeking with the blood of the former victim. "For it was now eventide," it is said. It was with the wish to abate their spirit that those men did this, and guarded them; but the delay only served to make the Apostles more intrepid.
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 …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they laid hands on them,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Put them in hold - That is, they took them into “custody,” or into safe keeping. Probably they committed them to the care of a guard. Eventide - Evening. It was not convenient to assemble the council at night. This was, moreover, the time for the evening prayer or sacrifice, and it was not usual to assemble the Sanhedrin at that hour.
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
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπέβαλον | epebalon | they laid | G1911 → | 18 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | on them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χεῖρας | cheiras | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἔθεντο | ethento | put [them] | G5087 → | 100 times |
| εἰς | eis | in | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τήρησιν | teresin | custody | G5084 → | |
| εἰς | eis | until | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αὔριον· | aurion | next day; | G839 → | 14 times |
| ἦν | en | it was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἑσπέρα | hespera | evening | G2073 → | |
| ἤδη. | ede | already. | G2235 → | 61 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπέβαλονthey laid
epebalonG1911 →18 times
αὐτοῖςon them
autoisG846 →5565 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
χεῖραςhands
cheirasG5495 →175 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἔθεντοput [them]
ethentoG5087 →100 times
εἰςin
eisG1519 →1755 times
τήρησινcustody
teresinG5084 →
εἰςuntil
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
αὔριον·next day;
aurionG839 →14 times
ἦνit was
enG1510 →2333 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἑσπέραevening
hesperaG2073 →
ἤδη.already.
edeG2235 →61 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
John 18:12Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him.
it leads to
- Matthew 26:57
Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.
- John 18:3
So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.
- Mark 14:53
They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and scribes assembled.
- Luke 22:54
Then they seized Jesus, led Him away, and took Him into the house of the high priest. And Peter followed at a distance.
- Judges 16:21
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.
- Matthew 26:57
Through
Acts 5:18and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
it leads to
- Luke 21:12
But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors.
- 2 Corinthians 11:23
Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of…
- Acts 12:5–7
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
- Luke 21:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 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); 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.