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Acts 5:17-26
New English Translation

Further Trouble for the Apostles

17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees[a]),[b] and they were filled with jealousy.[c] 18 They[d] laid hands on[e] the apostles and put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord[f] opened[g] the doors of the prison,[h] led them out,[i] and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple courts[j] and proclaim[k] to the people all the words of this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts[l] at daybreak and began teaching.[m]

Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin[n]—that is, the whole high council[o] of the Israelites[p]—and sent to the jail to have the apostles[q] brought before them.[r] 22 But the officers[s] who came for them[t] did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,[u] 23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them,[v] we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the commander[w] of the temple guard[x] and the chief priests heard this report,[y] they were greatly puzzled concerning it,[z] wondering what this could[aa] be. 25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts[ab] and teaching[ac] the people!” 26 Then the commander[ad] of the temple guard[ae] went with the officers[af] and brought the apostles[ag] without the use of force[ah] (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).[ai]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 5:17 sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.
  2. Acts 5:17 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  3. Acts 5:17 sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zēlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.
  4. Acts 5:18 tn Grk “jealousy, and they.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but a new sentence has been started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  5. Acts 5:18 tn Or “they arrested.”
  6. Acts 5:19 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
  7. Acts 5:19 tn Grk “opening the doors of the prison.” The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixas) has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.
  8. Acts 5:19 tn Greek φυλακῆς (phulakēs), a different word from the one in v. 18 (τήρησις, tērēsis, “jail”).
  9. Acts 5:19 tn Or “brought them out.” Grk “and leading them out, said.” The participle ἐξαγαγών (exagagōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.sn Led them out. The action by God served to vindicate the apostles. It showed that whatever court the Jewish leaders represented, they did not represent God.
  10. Acts 5:20 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
  11. Acts 5:20 tn Or “speak.”
  12. Acts 5:21 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
  13. Acts 5:21 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  14. Acts 5:21 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
  15. Acts 5:21 tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.
  16. Acts 5:21 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
  17. Acts 5:21 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. Acts 5:21 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  19. Acts 5:22 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (hupēretēs) generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants, like attendants to a king, the officers of the Sanhedrin (as here), assistants to magistrates, and (especially in the Gospel of John) Jewish guards in the Jerusalem temple (see L&N 35.20).
  20. Acts 5:22 tn The words “for them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  21. Acts 5:22 tn Grk “reported, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  22. Acts 5:23 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  23. Acts 5:24 tn Or “captain.”
  24. Acts 5:24 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
  25. Acts 5:24 tn Grk “heard these words.”
  26. Acts 5:24 tn Grk “concerning them,” agreeing with the plural antecedent “these words.” Since the phrase “these words” was translated as the singular “this report,” the singular “concerning it” is used here.
  27. Acts 5:24 tn The optative verb here expresses confused uncertainty.
  28. Acts 5:25 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
  29. Acts 5:25 sn Obeying God (see v. 29), the apostles were teaching again (4:18-20; 5:20). They did so despite the risk.
  30. Acts 5:26 tn Or “captain.”
  31. Acts 5:26 tn Grk “the official [of the temple],” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
  32. Acts 5:26 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (hupēretēs) generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants. See the note on the word “officers” in v. 22.
  33. Acts 5:26 tn Grk “brought them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. Acts 5:26 tn Or “without violence.” It is clear, as well, that the apostles did not resist arrest.
  35. Acts 5:26 tn Grk “for they feared lest they be stoned by the people.” The translation uses a less awkward English equivalent. This is an explanatory note by the author.
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Acts 5:17-26
Lexham English Bible

The Apostles Arrested and Imprisoned

17 Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and[a] they were filled with jealousy. 18 And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and[b] said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple courts[c] and[d] proclaim to the people all the words of this life.” 21 And when they[e] heard this,[f] they entered at daybreak into the temple courts[g] and began teaching.[h]

Now when[i] the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin—even the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel—and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But the officers who came[j] did not find them in the prison, and they returned and[k] reported, 23 saying, “We found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we[l] opened them,[m] we found no one inside!” 24 Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, as to what this might be. 25 But someone came and[n] reported to them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple courts[o] and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the officers and[p] brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned by them).[q]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 5:17 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“rose up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  2. Acts 5:19 Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“opened” and “led”) have been translated as finite verbs
  3. Acts 5:20 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  4. Acts 5:20 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stand”) has been translated as a finite verb
  5. Acts 5:21 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  6. Acts 5:21 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  7. Acts 5:21 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  8. Acts 5:21 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began teaching”)
  9. Acts 5:21 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“arrived”) which is understood as temporal
  10. Acts 5:22 Or “when they came”
  11. Acts 5:22 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“returned”) has been translated as a finite verb
  12. Acts 5:23 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“opened”) which is understood as temporal
  13. Acts 5:23 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  14. Acts 5:25 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
  15. Acts 5:25 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  16. Acts 5:26 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went”) has been translated as a finite verb
  17. Acts 5:26 *The words “by them” are not in the Greek text but are implied
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