Acts 5:36

Acts 5:36 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
• New International Version (NIV)Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.

Context of Acts 5:36

34But one man did not agree. He was called Gamaliel and he was a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law. All the people agreed that he was a good man. Gamaliel stood up in front of the group of Jewish leaders. He told the police to take the apostles out of the room. 35When they had gone, Gamaliel spoke to the group of leaders: ‘Men of Israel! Think carefully about what you want to do to these men. Remember what happened to Theudas a few years ago. That man told everyone, “I am a very important leader.” As a result, about 400 men joined his group. But then somebody killed him, and all his men went away. Nobody heard any more about them. 37Later, Judas from Galilee appeared at the time when the Romans were making a list of everyone's names. Many people also came to help him fight against the Romans. But somebody killed him. His men also ran away and nothing more happened. 38Now think about what is happening with these men. I tell you it would be better to leave them alone. Let them go free. If their message only comes from human ideas, all their work will fail.

Acts 5:36 word by word

πρὸ γὰρ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀνέστη Θευδᾶς λέγων εἶναί τινα ἑαυτόν, ᾧ προσεκλίθη ἀνδρῶν ἀριθμὸς ὡς τετρακοσίων· ὃς ἀνῃρέθη, καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπείθοντο αὐτῷ διελύθησαν καὶ ἐγένοντο εἰς οὐδέν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253
• theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• daysὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• rose upἀνίστημιanistēmi · to ariseG450
• TheudasΘευδᾶςTheudas · TheudasG2333
• boastingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• to beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• somebodyτιςtis · oneG5100
• to whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• a numberἀριθμόςarithmos · numberG706
• of menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• aboutὡσείhōsei · like/as/aboutG5616
• four hundredτετρακόσιοιtetrakosioi tetrakosia · four hundredG5071
• joined themselvesπροσκολλάωproskollaō · to joinG4347
• was slainἀναιρέωanaireō · to killG337
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• as many asὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
• obeyedπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• were scatteredδιαλύωdialuō · to disperseG1262
• broughtγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• noughtοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762

Cross-references for Acts 5:36

• Acts 8:9A man called Simon lived in that city. For a long time, he had used magic to do great things. All the people who lived in Samaria were very surprised at what he did. Simon told everyone that he was a very important person.
• Matthew 24:24Some people will say to you, “I am the Messiah!” Other people will say, “I am a prophet from God.” But their words will be false. They will do strange and powerful things for people to see. If possible, they would even deceive the people that God has chosen.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:3Do not let anyone deceive you like that in any way. That day will not happen until certain other things have happened. Before that day, there will be a time when many people will turn against God. Also, the man who is completely against God will appear. God will surely destroy him in the end.
• 2 Peter 2:18The messages that these teachers speak seem very important. But their words really mean nothing. In that way, they lead people away from God. Some people have not been believers for very long. They have only just become free from the wrong things that people do. But the false teachers tell these people to do bad things that will make them happy.
• Jude 1:16Those people are always complaining. They like to accuse other people. They do any bad things that will make themselves happy. They speak great things about themselves, to show how important they are. They praise other people only so that they can get something good for themselves.
• Revelation 17:3Again, God's Spirit caused me to see and to hear strange things. The angel carried me away to a wilderness. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a wild animal that was bright red. All over this wild animal, names were written that insulted God. The animal had seven heads and ten horns.
• Acts 21:38I thought that you must be that bad man who came from Egypt. He was the one who fought against our Roman government. Some time ago, he led 4,000 of his own men out into the wilderness, with their weapons.’
• 2 Peter 2:2Many people will believe these false teachers. They will live in a bad way, like the false teachers. As a result, other people will say bad things against God's true way to live.
• Matthew 24:26Some people may say to you, “Look, the Messiah is out there in the wilderness.” But do not go out to see who is there. Some people may say to you, “Look, the Messiah is hiding in that secret room.” You must not believe these people.

Commentaries on Acts 5:36

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36Rose up Theudas - Josephus, Ant. lib. xx. cap. 4, sect. 1, mentions one named Theudas who was the author of an insurrection; about whom there has been much controversy whether he were the person spoken of here by Gamaliel. Every circumstance, as related by Josephus agrees well enough with what is referred to here, except the chronology; for the Theudas mentioned by Josephus made his insurrection when Fadus was governor of Judea; which was at least ten…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 36For before those days - The “advice” of Gamaliel was to permit these men to go on. The “arguments” by which he enforced his advice were: (1)That there were cases or precedents in point Acts 5:36-37; and, (2)That if it should turn out to be truly of God, it would be a solemn affair to be involved in the consequences of opposing him. How long before “these days” this transaction occurred, cannot now be determined, as it is not certain to what case Gamaliel…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-42Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-37This Theudas is otherwise unknown, although the Jewish historian Josephus mentions a different man with the same name who led a revolution some years later (see Josephus, Antiquities 20.5.1). Theudas was a common Jewish name. Judas of Galilee appears in Josephus as a rebel who opposed paying taxes to Caesar around AD 6 or 7, following the census of Quirinius (see Josephus, Antiquities 20.5.2; compare Luke 2:2). His resistance was stopped by the Roman…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 35-3935-39. 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.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 5:36

• Citizens
• Gamaliel
• Government
• Jesus Continued
• Minister, Christian
• Persecution
• Peter
• Presumption
• Priest
• Prisoners
• Punishment
• Sedition
• Theudas

In the dictionaries

• Four Hundred
• Doctor
• Gamaliel
• Haply
• Keep
• Lie
• Privy
• Refrain
• Robbery
• Sanhedrim

Commentaries on Acts 5

• 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