saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
Parallel Translations
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saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
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sayinge: dyd not we straytely commaunde you that ye shuld not teache in this name? And beholde ye have filled Ierusalem with youre doctrine and ye intende to brynge this mans bloud vpon vs.
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Saying, Did not we straightly commaund you, that ye should not teach in this Name? and behold, ye haue filled Hierusale with your doctrine, and ye would bring this mans blood vpon vs.
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Acts 5:28 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 27:25 All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
- Acts 4:18-21 They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.” When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.
- Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.
- Acts 4:10-11 may it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands here before you whole in him. He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’
- Jeremiah 26:15 Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
- Matthew 21:44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.
- 1 Kings 18:17-18 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken Yahweh’s commandments, and you have followed the Baals.
- 1 Kings 21:20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight.
- 1 Kings 22:8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”
- Jeremiah 38:4 Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”
- Amos 7:10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.
- Matthew 23:35-36 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
- Acts 2:23-36 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’ “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
- Acts 3:14-15 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
- Acts 5:40 They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 28. The chief priest layeth two crimes to the…
28. The chief priest layeth two crimes to the charge of the apostles, for he accuseth them of contumacy or stubbornness, because they obeyed not the decree of the council. In the second member he betrayeth an evil conscience, or, at least, he showeth that he handled rather a private business than any public cause, for he complaineth that the apostles will cause the priests and the scribes to be hated for the death of Christ. Behold, therefore, what that is which nettleth them, because they fear the revenge and punishment of wicked murder. He pretendeth, at the first, doctrine; but we may gather out of the end that he was not so careful for doctrine. In the mean season, he accuseth the apostles of sedition; for he taketh that for a thing which all men, for the most part, did grant, that Christ was put to death justly. Notwithstanding this is the principal point of the accusation, that they did not obey the commandment of the priests. It was an heinous offense not to obey the chief priest; how much more heinous was it, then, to despise the whole order? But the chief priest doth not consider what is his duty towards God and the Church; he abuseth his authority tyrannously, as if the same were not under any laws, as the Pope dealeth with us at this day; for seeing that he taketh to himself an unbridled authority and government, he feareth not to condemn us for schismatics, so soon as he seeth us refuse his decrees; for he catcheth at these sentences: “He which despiseth you despiseth me,” (Luke 10:16;) and thereupon he concludeth that we will rebel against God. But if he will be heard as the ambassador of Christ, he must speak out of the mouth of Christ.
Now, forasmuch as he doth manifestly play the minister of Satan, he borroweth authority, without shame and color, of the name of Christ; yea, the very form of speech which the chief priest useth doth prove how carelessly spiritual tyrants who usurp such authority and lordship as is not subject to the word of God, dare grant liberty to themselves to attempt whatsoever pleaseth them. With a commandment (saith he) have we commanded. Whence cometh such strait rigor, save only because they think that all that must be received without exception which they shall command?
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain It is the property of tyrants to set out…
It is the property of tyrants to set out their own commandments as right and reason, be they never so wicked.
Make us guilty of murdering, that man whom yet they will not vouchsafe to name.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that…
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Ver. 28. And intend to bring this man’s blood upon us] They pretend the doctrine, but this was the thing that most troubled them; they should be counted kill-Christs. It is but just that οι πραξοντες τα μη καλα, τλησωσι τα μη φιλα: they that do things not honest, should both hear and bear things not delightful. (Eurip.) But wicked men love not to be told their own; neither accept they of the punishment of their iniquity, Deu 28:43. They report me to suck blood (said Bonner in open court) and call me Bloody Bonner! whereas, God knows, I never sought any man’s blood in all my life. The very same day wherein he had burned good Mr Philpot, being drunk with blood, and not well knowing what he did, he delivered Richard Woodman with four more (whom but two days before he had threatened to condemn, and the very morrow after he sought for again, yea, and that earnestly), requiring of them but to be honest men, members of the Church Catholic (which they promised), and to speak good of him; and no doubt (saith Woodman) he was worthy to be praised, because he had done the devil his master such doughty service. A certain unknown good woman in a letter to him did him right. Indeed, said she, you are called the common cutthroat, and general slaughter slave to all the bishops of England, &c.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Did not we straitly command you? As indeed they…
Did not we straitly command you? As indeed they had, Act 4:18; hence they aggravated the apostles’ crime, as done out of malice, and not out of ignorance.
This name, and this man’s blood, are odious reflections, full of contumely against our blessed Saviour, as if he had not been worthy the naming by them.
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To bring this man’s blood upon us; they shunned not the sin of murder, but are afraid or ashamed of the imputation of it: as many scruple not to commit that wickedness which they would be loth to be thought guilty of, Blood; the punishment of his bloodshedding.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then Peter, and the other apostles, answered and said,....…
Then Peter, and the other apostles, answered and said,.... Peter began, as the mouth of the apostles, being the eldest man, and very bold and zealous; and the rest followed, or joined, with him in what he said:
we ought to obey God rather than men; this is said in answer to the charge of disobedience to the orders and commands of the council: men, civil magistrates, and ecclesiastical rulers, are to be obeyed in things which are not repugnant to the will of God; but in things that are, God is to be obeyed, and not men. God had commanded by an angel, that the apostles should go to the temple, and there preach the doctrines of the Gospel; the sanhedrim had forbid them to speak and teach in the name of Christ; who were now to be obeyed? God, and not men: from whence it appears that the apostles were to be justified in disregarding the council, and neglecting its orders; and which is no ways contrary to that obedience and submission, that is to be yielded to those that are in authority, in things civil and lawful.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Did not we strictly command you, not to teach?…
Did not we strictly command you, not to teach? - See the poor cunning of the enemies of the Gospel. They make laws and interdicts at their pleasure, which those who obey God cannot but break; and then take occasion thereby to censure and punish the innocent, as guilty. Ye would bring the blood of this man upon us - An artful and invidious word. The apostles did not desire to accuse any man. They simply declared the naked truth.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 28. Did not we straitly command you] ου…
Verse 28. Did not we straitly command you] ου παραγγελια παρηγγειλαμεν, With commanding did we not command you; a Hebraism-another proof of the accuracy and fidelity of St. Luke, who seems always to give every man's speech as he delivered it; not the substance, but the very words. See Ac 4:17.
Not teach in this name?] That is, of JESUS as the Christ or Messiah. His saving name, and the doctrines connected with it, were the only theme and substance of their discourses.
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Intend to bring this men's blood upon us.] You speak in such a way of him to the people as to persuade them that we have crucified an innocent man; and that we must on that account fall victims to the Divine vengeance, or to the fury of the people, whom, by your teaching, you are exciting to sedition against us.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Straitly command you - Did we not command you…
Straitly command you - Did we not command you with a “threat?” Act 4:17-18, Act 4:21.
In this name - In the name of Jesus.
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Ye have filled Jerusalem - This, though not so desired, was an honorable tribute to the zeal and fidelity of the apostles. When Chastens are arraigned or persecuted, it is well if the only charge which their enemies can bring against them is that they have been distinguished for zeal and success in propagating their religion. See 1Pe 4:16, “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glory God on this behalf”; also Act 5:13-15.
Intend to bring this man’s blood upon us - To bring “one’s blood” upon another is a phrase signifying to hold or to prove him guilty of murdering the innocent. The expression here charges them with desiring to prove that they had put Jesus to death when he was innocent; to convince “the people” of this, and thus to enrage them against the Sanhedrin; and also to prove that they were guilty, and were exposed to the divine vengeance for having put the Messiah to death. Compare Act 2:23, Act 2:36; Act 3:15; Act 7:52. That the apostles “did” intend to charge them with being guilty of murder is clear; but it is observable that on “this occasion” they had said no thing of this, and it is further observable that they did not charge it on them “except in their presence.” See the places just referred to. They took no pains to spread this among the people, “except as the people were accessory to the crime of the rulers,” Act 2:23, Act 2:36. Their consciences were not at ease, and the remembrance of the death of Jesus would occur to them at once at the sight of the apostles.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Commanding, we commanded you. That is, charged you severely.…
Commanding, we commanded you. That is, charged you severely. --- You have a mind to bring the blood of this man upon us. You will make us pass for guilty of the murder of the Messias. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain intend to bring this man's blood upon us--They avoid…
intend to bring this man's blood upon us--They avoid naming Him whom Peter gloried in holding up [BENGEL]. In speaking thus, they seem to betray a disagreeable recollection of their own recent imprecation, His blood be upon us," &c. (Mat 27:25), and of the traitor's words as he threw down the money, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood" (Mat 27:4).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 28. Saying—The high priest institutes not first inquiry into…
28. Saying—The high priest institutes not first inquiry into miracle, though that may afterward come up. He takes high ground upon charge of disobedience to the sacred magistracy. And here the sceptic asks, How did this court dare attempt to arraign men of miraculous powers? Could not beings who had set dungeon bars and bolts at naught bring down the roof of the council house upon their heads? And how happens it that not the slightest reference is made to the wonderful miracle by which they had nullified the power of the court? No old English court, we reply, ever hesitated to try a sorcerer however mighty his supernatural powers. The Sanhedrin doubtless believed itself possessed of divine authority by the Mosaic law to try the genuineness of a miracle. No prophet or wonder-worker of the Old Testament, whether supernal or infernal, was supposed to be empowered arbitrarily to work miracles at his will so as to endanger the court divinely authorized to try him.
This name… this man’s blood—Phrases that show a dread to mention the solemn name of Jesus.
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Straitly—Strictly.
Filled Jerusalem with your doctrine—With the cowardice of guilt, these men imagine that all Jerusalem is about to turn up Nazarene.
Bring this man’s blood upon us—The adherents of this high priest did at the crucifixion utter the awful imprecation, His blood be upon us and our children; and it is no wonder that he fears its awful fulfilment.
He dreads lest the rising of the people, becoming Christian, should inflict the punishment due to his crime, or even, perhaps, that, being divinely empowered, these apostles may bring a divine judgment upon his head.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 28. Did not we straitly command you] The best…
28. Did not we straitly command you] The best authorities have here an affirmative sentence, We straitly charged you. The charge had been given only to Peter and John, but the council assume that it would have been by them conveyed to the rest of the twelve.
that you should not teach in this name] They go at once to that which is the great offence in their eyes. The name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they knew to have been crucified, but who was proclaimed to be alive again, and whose followers manifested such mighty works, was the object against which their power was directed.
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and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine] A testimony from the mouth of enemies that the Apostles had laboured diligently and successfully to fulfil the first portion of Christ’s command, that their preaching begin at Jerusalem.
and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us] Better, and ye wish to brings &c. It is a marvellous spectacle to see the judges take the place of culprits, and deprecate accusation where they would naturally be dealing out penalties. But the invocation of the people before Christ’s crucifixion, “His blood be upon us and upon our children” (Mat_27:25), was felt by the council to be likely to be brought to fulfilment.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (28) Did not we straitly command you . .…
(28) Did not we straitly command you . . .?—The Greek presents the same Hebrew idiom as in Act_4:17, and suggests again that it is a translation of the Aramaic actually spoken.
Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.—Better, with your teaching, both to keep up the connection with the previous clause, and because the word is taken, as in Mat_7:28, in its wider sense, and not in the modern sense which attaches to “doctrine” as meaning a formulated opinion.
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To bring this man’s blood upon us.—There seems a touch, partly of scorn, partly, it may be, of fear, in the careful avoidance (as before, in “this name”) of the name of Jesus. The words that Peter had uttered, in Act_2:36; Act_3:13-14; Act_4:10, gave some colour to the conscience-stricken priests for this charge; but it was a strange complaint to come from those who had at least stirred up the people to cry, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Mat_27:25).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain We straitly charged for did not we straitly command?…
We straitly charged for did not we straitly command? A.V. and T.R.; not to for that ye should not, A.V.; teaching for doctrine, A.V. We straitly charged, etc.; ejperwtaw seems to require a question to follow. Your teaching. (for the command, see Act_4:18) Intend to bring, etc. Here the secret of the persecution comes out, The guilty conscience winced at every word which spake of Jesus Christ as living. The high priest, too, would not so much as name the name of Jesus. It was "this name," "this man;" as in the Talmud, Jesus is most frequently spoken of as Teloni, i.e. "such a one," in Spanish and Portuguese Fulano, or still more contemptuously as "that man" (Farrar, "Life of St. Paul," vol. 1. p. 108). This terror of blood-guiltiness is a striking comment on the saying recorded Mat_27:25.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain See notes on verse 27
See notes on verse 27
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.