Acts 4:7

Acts 4:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
• New International Version (NIV)They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

Context of Acts 4:7

5The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?

Acts 4:7 word by word

καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἐπυνθάνοντο· ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• theyαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the midstμέσοςmesos · midstG3319
• they askedπυνθάνομαιpunthanomai · to inquireG4441
• whatποῖοςpoios · what?G4169
• powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• orἤē · orG2228
• nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• haveποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778

Cross-references for Acts 4:7

• Acts 5:27Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them.
• 1 Kings 21:12They called for a fast and put Naboth at a prominent place before the people.
• John 8:3As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
• Exodus 2:14The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.”
• Matthew 21:23When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
• Mark 11:28They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”
• John 2:18But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”
• Acts 4:10Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.
• Acts 5:28“We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”

Commentaries on Acts 4:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? - It seems that this council were convinced that the lame man was miraculously healed; but it is very likely that they believed the whole to be the effect of magic; and, as all intercourse with familiar spirits, and all spells, charms, etc., were unlawful, they probably hoped that, on the examination, this business would come out, and that then these disturbers of their peace would be put to death. Hence…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7In the midst - In the presence of the Great Council. By what power … - A similar question was put to Christ in the temple, Matthew 21:23. By what name - That is, by whose authority. It is very probable that they expected to intimidate the apostles by this question. They claimed the right of regulating the religious affairs of the nation. They had vast power with the people. They assumed that all power to instruct the people should originate with them; and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-14Verses 5-14 Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost, would have all to understand, that the miracle had been wrought by the name, or power, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom they had crucified; and this confirmed their testimony to his resurrection from the dead, which proved him to be the Messiah. These rulers must either be saved by that Jesus whom they had crucified, or they must perish for ever. The name of Jesus is given to men of every age and…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. 1-131-12. the captain--of the Levitical guard. of the temple--annoyed at the disturbance created around it. and the Sadducees--who "say that there is no resurrection" (Ac 23:8), irritated at the apostles "preaching through (rather, 'in') Jesus the resurrection from the dead"; for the resurrection of Christ, if a fact, effectually overthrew the Sadducean doctrine.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 4:7

• Caiaphas
• Government
• 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