Commentari biblici

And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

The captain of the temple — The Jews had a band of garrison soldiers deputed for the service and safety of the temple, Matthew 27:65 . These forces had many officers, Luke 22:4 , and one chieftain, here called their captain, στρατηγος ; as in their wars with the Romans afterwards, Eleazar the son of Ananias the high priest was in this office, a bold and proud youth, as Josephus describeth him.

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Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Being grieved — Being sick of the devil’s disease, as Moab was, Numbers 22:3-4 "fretting and vexing" at God’s Israel, and eating up their own hearts, because they could not tear out theirs.

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And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Put them in hold — In the sergeant’s ward, τηρησις , not in the jail or dungeon. God doth by degrees inure his to suffer hardship. Pauciores (saith Cajuto in an epistle to the brethren of Basilea) vobiscum perimuntur, quod ita Domino visum est, ut stabiliantur seu lenibus pluviis, et sementis mollioribus plantulae in arbores maximas proditurae. God tempteth not his above what they are able, 1 Corinthians 10:13 .

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Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

And the number — A goodly increase. The lily is said to be increased by its own juice that flows from it. (Pliny.) So the Church.

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And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

On the morrow — Malice is restless. Stephen Gardiner would not sit down to dinner till he had heard of the bishops burnt at Oxford.

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And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

And Annas — The same old man, still no changeling, ηη παλαι γυνη , as it was said of Helena.

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And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

By what power — God’s, or the devil’s? in God’s name, or by the black art?

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Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Filled with the Holy Ghost — i.e. with wisdom and fortitude, according to Christ’s promise, Matthew 10:19-20 Luke 21:15 . See Trapp on " Matthew 10:19 " See Trapp on " Matthew 10:20 "

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