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 this man rose Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away many people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38And now I say to you, Stay away from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work is from men, it will come to nothing: But if it is from God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest perhaps ye be found even to fight against God. 40And to him they assented: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

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

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• isἐστίesti · he isG2076
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• cannotοὐou · noG3756
• cannotδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• overthrowκαταλύωkataluō · to destroy/lodgeG2647
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• perhapsμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
• foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• Godθεομάχοςtheomachos · opposing GodG2314

Cross-references for Acts 5:39

• Acts 6:10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.
• Genesis 24:50Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak to thee bad or good.
• 2 Samuel 5:2Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
• 1 Kings 12:24Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
• Job 34:29When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
• Isaiah 43:13Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall hinder it?
• Isaiah 46:10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
• Daniel 4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest thou?
• Matthew 16:18And I say also to thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
• Luke 21:15For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to speak against nor withstand.
• 1 Corinthians 1:25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
• Revelation 17:12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
• Acts 7:51Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
• Acts 9:5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the goads.
• Acts 23:9And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and contended, 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.
• Exodus 10:3And Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh, and said to him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve 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