Acts 23:9

Acts 23:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
• New International Version (NIV)There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, “We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”

Context of Acts 23:9

7As soon as Paul said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees began to argue with each other. People in the group thought different things about Paul. 8(The Sadducees do not believe that dead people will live again. They do not believe that there are angels or spirits. But the Pharisees believe in all these things.) The Sadducees and the Pharisees began to shout louder and louder against each other. There were some teachers of God's Law who were in the group of Pharisees. They stood up in the meeting and they said, ‘We do not believe that this man has done anything wrong. What he says may be true. A spirit or an angel may have spoken to him.’ 10The two groups argued more and more strongly. The leader of the soldiers thought that the people there might hurt Paul badly. So he said to his soldiers, ‘Go down into the group and take Paul away from them. Take him back with you into our strong building.’ 11The next night, the Lord Jesus came and he stood near Paul. He said to Paul, ‘Do not be afraid! You have told people here in Jerusalem about me. You must also do the same thing in Rome.’

Acts 23:9 word by word

Ἐγένετο δὲ κραυγὴ μεγάλη· καὶ ἀναστάντες τινὲς τῶν γραμματέων τοῦ μέρους τῶν Φαρισαίων διεμάχοντο λέγοντες· οὐδὲν κακὸν εὑρίσκομεν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τούτῳ· εἰ δὲ πνεῦμα ἐλάλησεν αὐτῷ ἢ ἄγγελοςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• there aroseγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• a greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• cryκραυγήkraugē · shoutingG2906
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the scribesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the scribesγραμματεύςgrammateus · scribeG1122
• of the Pharisees’ΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
• partμέροςmeros · partG3313
• aroseἀνίστημιanistēmi · to ariseG450
• and stroveδιαμάχομαιdiamachomai · to contend sharplyG1264
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• We findεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• noοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• a spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• orἤē · orG2228
• an angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• hath spokenλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• to himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• let usθεομαχέωtheomacheō · to fight GodG2313
• notμήmē · notG3361

Cross-references for Acts 23:9

• Acts 25:25But I could not find any reason to kill him. He has not done anything against our law. But he has asked for Caesar himself to judge him. So I have decided to send him to Rome.
• Acts 26:31After they left the meeting room, they said to each other, ‘This man has not done anything bad. We should not kill him, or even hold him in prison.’
• 1 Samuel 24:17He said to David, ‘You are a better man than I am. You have been kind to me even when I have tried to hurt you.
• Proverbs 16:7If you live in a way that pleases the Lord, even your enemies will become your friends.
• Luke 23:4Pilate then said to the leaders of the priests and to all the crowd of people, ‘I cannot find any reason to say that this man is guilty.’
• Acts 23:8(The Sadducees do not believe that dead people will live again. They do not believe that there are angels or spirits. But the Pharisees believe in all these things.)
• Acts 9:4Saul fell down onto the ground. He heard a voice which said to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you fight against me?’
• Acts 22:7I fell down to the ground. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Saul, Saul, why do you fight against me?”
• Acts 26:14All of us fell down to the ground. I heard a voice that spoke to me in my own language, Hebrew. He said “Saul, Saul, why do you fight against me? You are like an ox that kicks against its master's stick. So you are hurting yourself.”
• Acts 27:23Last night one of God's angels spoke to me. I am a servant of God and I belong to him. He sent his angel to come to me.
• John 12:29The crowd of people who were standing there heard the sound of this voice. They said that it was like the noise of thunder in a storm. But other people said, ‘An angel spoke to him!’
• Acts 5:39But perhaps what they are doing really does come from God himself. If that is true, then you cannot stop them. You might even find that you are fighting against God!’
• Acts 11:17So we see that God gave these Gentiles his gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the same gift that he gave to us Jews who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I could never try to stop God.’
• 1 Corinthians 10:22If we do things like that, we will cause the Lord to be angry. We should worship only him. You know that we are not stronger than he is!

Commentaries on Acts 23:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The scribes - arose, and strove - , They contended forcibly - they came to an open rupture with the Sadducees; and, in order to support their own party against them, they even admitted as truth, St. Paul's account of his miraculous conversion, and therefore they said, if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, etc. He had previously mentioned that Jesus Christ had appeared to him, when on his way to Damascus; and, though they might not be ready to admit…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9A great cry - A great clamor and tumult. The scribes - The learned men. They would naturally be the chief speakers. Of the Pharisees‘ part - Who were Pharisees, or who belonged to that party. The scribes were not a distinct sect, but might be either Pharisees or Sadducees. We find no evil in this man - No opinion which is contrary to the Law of Moses; no conduct in spreading the doctrine of the resurrection which we do not approve. The importance of this…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 The Pharisees were correct in the faith of the Jewish church. The Sadducees were no friends to the Scripture or Divine revelation; they denied a future state; they had neither hope of eternal happiness, nor dread of eternal misery. When called in question for his being a Christian, Paul might truly say he was called in question for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. It was justifiable in him, by this profession of his opinion on that…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-10Paul's statement divided the Sanhedrin (23:6). The Pharisees supported Paul against the Sadducees. The disagreement was so intense that the commander rescued Paul and took him back to the fortress of Antonia.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-96-9. when Paul perceived--from the discussion which plainly had by this time arisen between the parties. that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out--raising his voice above both parties. I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee--The true reading seems to be, "the son of Pharisees," that is, belonging to a family who from father to son had long been such. of the hope and resurrection of the dead--that is, not the vague hope of…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 23:9

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Diplomacy
• Immortality
• Strife
• Tact

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Band
• Conspiracy
• Cry
• James
• Tiller
• Acts of the Apostles
• Cry, Crying
• Eschatology of the Old Testament

Commentaries on Acts 23

• 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