Acts 5:35

And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(35) Ye men of Israel.—We note the more familiar address of a man in high authority as compared with St. Peter’s “Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel” (Acts 4:8).

Take heed to yourselves.—Compare our Lord’s use of the same formula (Matthew 6:1; Matthew 7:15; Matthew 10:17), and St. Paul’s (1Timothy 1:4; 1Timothy 4:13; Titus 1:14).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:34-42 The Lord still has all hearts in his hands, and sometimes directs the prudence of the worldly wise, so as to restrain the persecutors. Common sense tells us to be cautious, while experience and observation show that the success of frauds in matters of religion has been very short. Reproach for Christ is true preferment, as it makes us conformable to his pattern, and serviceable to his interest. They rejoiced in it. If we suffer ill for doing well, provided we suffer it well, and as we should, we ought to rejoice in that grace which enabled us so to do. The apostles did not preach themselves, but Christ. This was the preaching that most offended the priests. But it ought to be the constant business of gospel ministers to preach Christ: Christ, and him crucified; Christ, and him glorified; nothing beside this, but what has reference to it. And whatever is our station or rank in life, we should seek to make Him known, and to glorify his name.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then stood there up one - He rose, as is usual in deliberative assemblies, to speak.

In the council - In the Sanhedrin, Acts 4:15.

A Pharisee - The high priest and those who had been most active in opposing the apostles were Sadducees. The Pharisees were opposed to them, particularly on the doctrine in regard to which the apostles were so strenuous, the resurrection of the dead. See the notes on Matthew 3:7. Compare Acts 23:6.

Gamaliel - This name was very common among the Jews. Dr. Lightfoot says that this man was the teacher of Paul Acts 22:3, the son of the "Simon" who took the Saviour in his arms Luke 2, and the grandson of the famous "Hillel," and was known among the Jews by the title of "Rabban Gamaliel the elder." There were other people of this name, who were also eminent among the Jews. This man is said to have died 18 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, and he died as he had lived, a Pharisee. There is not the least evidence that he was a friend of the Christian religion; but he was evidently a man of far more liberal views than the other members of the Sanhedrin.

A doctor of the law - That is, "a teacher" of the Jewish Law; one whose province it was to "interpret" the laws of Moses, and probably to preserve and transmit the "traditional" laws of the Jews. See the notes on Matthew 15:3. So celebrated was he, that Saul of Tarsus went to Jerusalem to receive the benefit of his instructions, Acts 22:3.

Had in reputation among all the people - "Honored" by all the people. His advice was likely, therefore, to be respected.

To put the apostles forth - This was done, doubtless, because, if the apostles had been suffered to remain, it was apprehended that they would take fresh courage, and be confirmed in their purposes. It was customary, besides, when they deliberated, to command those accused to retire, Acts 4:15.

A little space - A little "time," Luke 22:58.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

35-39. Theudas—not the same with a deceiver of that name whom Josephus mentions as heading an insurrection some twelve years after this [Antiquities, 20.5.1], but some other of whom he makes no mention. Such insurrections were frequent.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

A wise and good caution; for he that injures another brings the worse mischief upon himself, both in the sense of having done evil, and in being exposed to the revenging hand of God, whose property vengeance is, Hebrews 10:30.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And said unto them, ye men of Israel,.... This he said after the apostles were put out, when the council was by themselves; and he addressed them as "men of Israel"; not as distinct from the priests and Levites in the council, but because they were all of the stock of Israel; for this council did not consist of Israelites only, as distinct from priests and Levites, as appears from Acts 5:21. A sanhedrim commonly consisted of each of these; though if only of Israelites it was a lawful one. Maimonides says (c),

"they did not use to appoint any in the sanhedrim, but priests, Levites, and Israelites, that were genealogized and fit to be married into the priesthood---and that it was a command, that in the great sanhedrim there should be priests and Levites; as it is said, "thou shalt go to the priests and Levites"; but if they are not found, if they are all Israelites, lo, this is lawful,''

or a proper sanhedrim. His speech to them follows,

take heed to yourselves; consider well, do not act a rash and precipitant part; do not give way to passion and wrath, and hastily lay hands on these men, and destroy them; lest ye bring yourselves into disgrace and danger, and bring upon yourselves the ill-will and resentment of men, and the wrath of God: take time to consider of the matter, and deliberately consult

what ye intend to do as touching these men; what punishment to inflict upon them, whether imprisonment, scourging, or death; do nothing rashly.

(c) Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 1. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 5:35. Ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀυθρώπ. τούτοις] in respect of these men (Bernhardy, p. 251) might be joined to προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς (Lachm.), as Luther, Castalio, Beza, and many others have done (whence also comes the reading ἀπὸ τῶν κ.τ.λ. in E); yet the currency of the expression πράσσειν τι ἐπί τινι (Wolf and Kuinoel in loc., Matthiae, p. 927) is in favour of its being construed with τί μέλλετε πράσσειν. The emphasis also which thus falls on ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθρ. is appropriate.

πράσσειν (not ποιεῖν): agere, what procedure ye will take. Comp. Acts 3:17, Acts 19:36; and see on Romans 1:32. Gamaliel will have nothing προπετές (Acts 19:36) done; therefore they must be on their guard (προσέχ. ἑαυτ.).

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 5:35. ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλεῖται, see on Acts 2:22. προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς: phrase only found in St. Luke, cf. Luke 12:1; Luke 17:3; Luke 21:34, and Acts 20:28. προσέχειν without the pronoun is found six times in Matthew alone of the Evangelists, but in LXX frequently used in the phrase πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ. The phrase may be connected with ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις, “as touching these men, what you are about to do,” R.V., hence the reading ἀπὸ τῶν, etc., E. Or we may take it with μέλλετε πράσσειν, “what you are about to do to these men”. In favour of the latter it may be said that the construction πράσσειν τι ἐπί τινι is very common, whereas προσέχειν ἑαυτοῖς is never found in construction with ἐπί, and that this rendering rightly marks the evidently emphatic position of τοῖς ἀνθρώποις (so Weiss, Wendt, Holtzmann, Hackett).—τί μέλλετε πράσσειν, quid acturi sitis, Vulgate. Burton, N. T. Moods and Tenses, p. 36, μέλλειν never found with future infinitive except in the phrase μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι used in Acts, almost always has a present infinitive, although its force is akin to that of the future (Grimm-Thayer); also Simcox, Language of the N. T., p. 120. μέλλειν is used over thirty times in Acts in all its parts, and is found very often in St. Luke’s Gospel.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

35. Ye men of Israel] It has been remarked upon the frequent occurrence of this and similar formulæ in the introduction of speeches in the Acts, that they are evidence that the speeches themselves are the composition of the writer of the book, and are only his own thoughts of the matter put into the mouths of the various speakers. After what has been said on the character of all the speeches, that they make no attempt to set before us all that was said on each occasion, but only the substance of what St Luke had received from eye and ear-witnesses, it can in no wise detract from the substantial veracity of all that is reported, if we find the compiler of the Acts, who was himself a Greek, giving the usual Greek form of introduction to the speeches of which he has shewn so often that he intends to supply only an outline.

take heed to yourselves] The phrase implies that thought is required before any action be taken. It is not, as the English words are sometimes taken to be, a warning against some danger which was impending.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 35. - He said for said, A.V.; as touching these men transposed from the order of the A.V.; are about to do for intend to do, A.V. Acts 5:35