Acts 4:17

Acts 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
• New International Version (NIV)But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

Context of Acts 4:17

15But after ordering them to step out of the Council [chamber], they began to confer among themselves, 16saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that an extraordinary miracle has taken place through them is public knowledge and clearly evident to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people and the nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.” 18So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority]. 19But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves];

Acts 4:17 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν, ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• it spreadδιανέμωdianemō · to spreadG1268
• noμήmē · notG3361
• furtherπλείων, πλεῖονpleiōn pleion pleon · greaterG4119
• ·ἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• amongεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• let usἀπειλέωapeileō · to threatenG546
• straitlyἀπειλήapeilē · threatG547
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• that they speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• henceforthμηκέτιmēketi · never againG3371
• to noμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686

Cross-references for Acts 4:17

• Acts 5:39but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!”
• Psalms 2:1Why are the nations in an uproar [in turmoil against God], And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?
• Daniel 2:34As you were looking, a stone was cut out without [human] hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
• Romans 10:16But they did not all pay attention to the good news [of salvation]; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
• Romans 15:18For I will not [even] presume to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me [as an instrument in His hands], resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles [to the gospel], by word and deed,
• 1 Thessalonians 1:8For the word of the Lord has resounded from you and has echoed [like thunder], not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place [the news of] your [great] faith in God has spread, so that we never need to say anything about it.
• Acts 4:21When the rulers and Council members had threatened them further, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because [of their fear] of the people, for they were all praising and glorifying and honoring God for what had happened;
• Acts 5:24Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this.
• 2 Chronicles 25:15So the anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you desired the gods of the people who did not save their own people from your hand?”
• Isaiah 30:8Now, go, write it on a tablet before them And inscribe it on a scroll, So that it may serve in the time to come As a witness [against them] forevermore.
• Jeremiah 20:1Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest, who was [also] chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
• Jeremiah 29:25“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
• Jeremiah 38:4Therefore the princes (court officials) said to the king, “Please [we implore you] let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [speaking] in this way he discourages and weakens [the will of] the soldiers who remain in this city and he discourages and weakens [the will of] all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but rather their harm.”
• Amos 2:12“But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink [despite their vows] And commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
• Amos 7:12Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, run for your life [from Israel] to the land of Judah [your own country] and eat bread and live as a prophet there!
• Micah 2:6‘Do not speak out,’ so they speak out. But if they do not speak out concerning these things, Reproaches will not be turned back.

Commentaries on Acts 4:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But that it spread no farther - Not the news of the miraculous healing of the lame man, but the doctrine and influence which these men preach and exert. More than a thousand people had already professed faith in Christ in consequence of this miracle, (see Acts 4:4;), and if this teaching should be permitted to go on, probably accompanied with similar miracles, they had reason to believe that all Jerusalem (themselves excepted, who had steeled their hearts…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 What shall we do to these men? - The object which they had in view was evidently to prevent their preaching. The miracle was performed, and it was believed by the people to have been made. This they could not expect to be able successfully to deny. Their only object, therefore, was to prevent the apostles from making the use which they saw they would to convince the people that Jesus was the Messiah. The question was, in what way they should…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 All the care of the rulers is, that the doctrine of Christ spread not among the people, yet they cannot say it is false or dangerous, or of any ill tendency; and they are ashamed to own the true reason; that it testifies against their hypocrisy, wickedness, and tyranny. Those who know how to put a just value upon Christ's promises, know how to put just contempt upon the world's threatenings. The apostles look with concern on perishing souls…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18They acknowledged the miracle but still tried to prevent the message. Jesus had experienced similar resistance (Matthew 19:8; Mark 10:5; see also Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1713-17. perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men--that is, uninstructed in the learning of the Jewish schools, and of the common sort; men in private life, untrained to teaching. took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus--recognized them as having been in His company; remembering possibly, that they had seen them with Him [Meyer, Bloomfield, Alford]; but, more probably, perceiving in their whole bearing what identified them with…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 4:17

• Caiaphas
• Court
• Government
• Intolerance, Religious
• John
• Persecution
• Peter
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Counsel
• Hold
• Notable
• Possess
• Sanhedrim
• Threaten
• Threatening
• Acts of the Apostles
• Courts, Judicial
• Miracle

Commentaries on Acts 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings