God’s Word Translation
Acts 23:8
8(The Sadducees say that the dead won’t come back to life and that angels and spirits don’t exist. The Pharisees believe in all these things.)
Acts 23:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
- New International Version (NIV)(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
Context of Acts 23:8
6When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the council, “Brothers, I’m a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I’m on trial because I expect that the dead will come back to life.” 7After Paul said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees began to quarrel, and the men in the meeting were divided. (The Sadducees say that the dead won’t come back to life and that angels and spirits don’t exist. The Pharisees believe in all these things.) 9The shouting became very loud. Some of the experts in Moses’ Teachings were Pharisees who argued their position forcefully. They said, “We don’t find anything wrong with this man. Maybe a spirit or an angel actually spoke to him!” 10The quarrel was becoming violent, and the officer was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So the officer ordered his soldiers to drag Paul back to the barracks.
Read all of Acts 23Acts 23:8 word by word
Σαδδουκαῖοι μὲν γὰρ λέγουσιν μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα· Φαρισαῖοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀμφότερα.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- the SadduceesΣαδδουκαῖοςSaddoukaios · SadduceeG4523
- ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
- say thatλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- there isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- noμήmē · notG3361
- resurrectionἀνάστασιςanastasis · resurrectionG386
- neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
- angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- norμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- butδέde · thenG1161
- the PhariseesΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
- confessὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
- bothἀμφότεροςamphoteros · bothG297
Cross-references for Acts 23:8
- Acts 4:1Some priests, the officer in charge of the temple guards, and some Sadducees approached Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.
- Matthew 22:23On that day some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,
- Mark 12:18Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,
- Luke 20:27Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,
Commentaries on Acts 23:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection - It is strange, since these denied a future state, that they observed the ordinances of the law; for they also believed the five books of Moses to be a revelation from God: yet they had nothing in view but temporal good; and they understood the promises in the law as referring to these things alone. In order, therefore, to procure them, they watched, fasted, prayed, etc., and all this they did that they…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8For the Sadducees say - They believe. No resurrection - Of the dead. By this doctrine they also understood that there was no future state, and that the soul did not exist after death. See the notes on Matthew 22:23. Neither angel - That there are no angels. They deny the existence of good or bad angels. See the notes on Matthew 3:7. Nor spirit - Nor soul. That there is nothing but matter. They were materialists, and supposed that all the operations which…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 23:8
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries