Acts 5:24
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
they doubted--"were in perplexity."
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, who, for lying to the Holy Ghost, were struck dead at the word of Peter (Act 5:1-11). II. The flourishing state of the church, in the power that went along with the preaching of the gospel (Act 5:12-16). III. The imprisonment of the apostles, and their miraculous discharge out of prison, with fresh orders to go on to preach the gospel, which they did, to the great vexation of their persecutors (Act 5:17-26). IV. Their arraignment before the great sanhedrim, and their justification of themselves in what they did (Act 5:27-33). V. Gamaliel's counsel concerning them, that they should not persecute them, but let them alone, and see what would come of it, and their concurrence, for the present, with this advice, in the dismission of the apostles' cheerful progress in their work notwithstanding the prohibition laid upon them and the indignity done them (Act 5:41, Act 5:42).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.
Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”
And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.
After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.
Astounded and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw?