Acts 5:39

Acts 5:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
• New International Version (NIV)But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!" So they took his advice,
• New King James Version (NKJV)but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

Context of Acts 5:39

37After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered. 38“So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” 40The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. 41The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.

Acts 5:39 word by word

εἰ δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς, μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε. ἐπείσθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• it beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• ye cannotοὐou · noG3756
• ye cannotδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• overthrowκαταλύωkataluō · to destroy/lodgeG2647
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• lest haplyμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
• ye be foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• to fight against Godθεομάχοςtheomachos · opposing GodG2314

Cross-references for Acts 5:39

• Acts 6:10None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
• Genesis 24:50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say.
• 2 Samuel 5:2In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
• 1 Kings 12:24‘This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the Lord and went home, as the Lord had commanded.
• Job 34:29But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation.
• Isaiah 43:13“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”
• Isaiah 46:10Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
• Daniel 4:35All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
• Matthew 16:18Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
• Luke 21:15for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
• 1 Corinthians 1:25This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
• Revelation 17:12The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.
• Acts 7:51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!
• Acts 9:5“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
• Acts 23:9So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.”
• Exodus 10:3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me.

Commentaries on Acts 5:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it - Because his counsel cannot fail; and his work cannot be counteracted. If he be determined that this doctrine shall prevail, it is vain for us to attempt to suppress it. Lest haply ye be found - to fight against God - ̔ . Some have thought that they saw a parallel to these words in the speech of Diomede, when, seeing Mars, associated with Hector, oppose the Grecians, he judged farther opposition vain, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39But if it be of God - If God is the “author” of this religion. From this it seems that Gamaliel supposed that it was at least possible that this religion was divine. He evinced a far more candid mind than did the rest of the Jews; but still it does not appear that he was entirely convinced. The arguments which could not but stagger the Jewish Sanhedrin were those drawn from the resurrection of Jesus, the miracle on the day of Pentecost, the healing of the…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. 33-40God once again stopped the plans of the Jewish leaders to silence the apostles. This time, he did so through the advice of Gamaliel.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 5:39

• Court
• Gamaliel
• Government
• Minister, Christian
• Persecution
• Peter
• Priest
• Prisoners

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Doctor
• Gamaliel
• Haply
• Keep
• Lie
• Privy
• Refrain
• 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