Amplified Bible
Acts 4:21
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 4:21 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.
Context of Acts 4:21
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]; 20for we, on our part, cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard.” When 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; 22for the man to whom this sign (attesting miracle) of healing had happened was more than forty years old. 23After Peter and John were released, they returned to their own [people] and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
Read all of Acts 4Acts 4:21 word by word
οἱ δὲ προσαπειλησάμενοι ἀπέλυσαν αὐτοὺς μηδὲν εὑρίσκοντες τὸ πῶς κολάσωνται αὐτούς, διὰ τὸν λαόν, ὅτι πάντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Soδέde · thenG1161
- had further threatenedπροσαπειλέωprosapeileō · to threaten furtherG4324
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- let them goἀπολύωapoluō · to release: releaseG630
- findingεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
- nothingμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- they might punishκολάζωkolazō · to punishG2849
- because ofὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- glorifiedδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- forἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- which was doneγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
Cross-references for Acts 4:21
- Acts 4:17But 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.”
- Acts 5:40The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
- Acts 5:26Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).
- Matthew 21:46And although they were trying to arrest Him, they feared the people, because they regarded Jesus as a prophet.
- Matthew 26:5But they said, “It must not be during the festival (Passover), otherwise there might be a riot among the people.”
- Luke 19:47He was teaching day after day in the temple [porches and courts]; but the chief priests and scribes and the leading men among the people were seeking [a way] to put Him to death,
- Luke 20:6But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are firmly convinced that John was a prophet.”
- Luke 22:2The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom].
- Acts 3:6But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name (authority, power) of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—[begin now to] walk and go on walking!”
- Matthew 9:33And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, “Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel.”
- Matthew 15:31So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praised and glorified the God of Israel.
- Luke 5:26They were all astonished, and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with [reverential] fear and kept saying, “We have seen wonderful and incredible things today!”
- Luke 13:17As He was saying this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.
- John 12:18For this reason the crowd went to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this [miraculous] sign.
Commentaries on Acts 4:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21When they had farther threatened them - , 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, ̔ , , 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Finding 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 Matthew 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…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. 1-22Throughout the Bible, God's people often experienced persecution. God's servants often encountered hostility and opposition (Deuteronomy 30:7; 1 Kings 18:13; Nehemiah 4:1–3; Jeremiah 37–38; Matthew 23:34–37; Luke 11:49–51; 1 Thessalonians 2:14–15). Jesus was also persecuted (Luke 4:29; John 5:16). He warned his disciples to expect similar treatment (Matthew 10:23; 24:9; Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12; John 16:2). However, he promised that the Holy Spirit would…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2218-22. Whether it be right ... to hearken to you more than ... God, judge ye.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 4:21
In the dictionaries
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
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