Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 4:10
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
10. by the name of Jesus ] Read in the name, as before.
whom ye crucified ] i.e. by the Roman soldiers. So (2Sa 12:9) David is said to have killed Uriah, though it is added “by the sword of the children of Ammon.”
even by him ] The Greek seems rather to refer back to the former clause of the verse, and to be better rendered even in this (name).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Be it known … – Peter might have evaded the question, or he might have resorted to many excuses and subterfuges (Calvin), if he had been desirous of avoiding this inquiry. But it was a noble opportunity for vindicating the honor of his Lord and Master. It was a noble opportunity also for repairing the evil which he had done by his guilty denial of his Lord. Although, therefore, this frank and open avowal was attended with danger, and although it was in the presence of the great and the mighty, yet he chose to state fully and clearly his conviction of the truth. Never was there an instance of greater boldness, and never could there be a more striking illustration of the fitness of the name which the Lord Jesus gave him, that of a rock, Joh 1:42; Mat 16:17-18. The timid, trembling, yielding, and vacillating Simon; he who just before was terrified by a servant-girl, and who on the lake was afraid of sinking, is now transformed into the manly, decided, and firm Cephas, fearless before the Great Council of the nation, and in an unwavering tone asserting the authority of him whom he had just before denied, and whom they had just before put to death. It is not possible to account for this change except on the supposition that this religion is true. Peter had no worldly motive to actuate him. He had no prospect of wealth or fame by this. Even the hopes of honor and preferment which the apostles had cherished before the death of Jesus, and which might have been supposed to influence them then, were now abandoned by them. Their Master had died, and all their hopes of human honor and power had been buried in his grave. Nothing but the conviction of the truth could have made this change, and transformed this timid disciple to a bold and uncompromising apostle.
By the name – By the authority or power, Act 3:6.
Of Jesus Christ – The union of these two names would be particularly offensive to the Sanhedrin. They denied that Jesus was the Christ, or the Messiah; Peter, by the use of the word Christ, affirmed that he was. In the language then used, it would be, By the name of Jesus, the Messiah.
Of Nazareth – Lest there should be any mistake about his meaning, he specified that he referred to the despised Nazarene; to him who had just been put to death, as they supposed, covered with infamy. Christians little regard the epithets of opprobrium which may be affixed to themselves or to their religion.
Whom ye crucified – There is emphasis in all the expressions that Peter uses. He had before charged the people with the crime of having put him to death, Act 2:23; Act 3:14-15. But he now had the opportunity, contrary to all expectation, of urging the charge with still greater force on the rulers themselves, on the very council which had condemned him and delivered him to Pilate. It was a remarkable providence that an opportunity was thus afforded of urging this charge in the presence of the Sanhedrin, and of proclaiming to them the necessity of repentance. Little did they imagine, when they condemned the Lord Jesus, that this charge would be so soon urged. This is one of the instances in which God takes the wise in their own craftiness, Job 5:13. They had arraigned the apostles; they demanded their authority for what they had done; and thus they had directly opened the way, and invited them to the serious and solemn charge which Peter here urges against them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth] This was a very bold declaration in the presence of such an assembly; but he felt he stood on good ground. The cure of the lame man the day before was notorious; his long infirmity was well known; his person could be easily identified; and he was now standing before them whole and sound: they themselves therefore could judge whether the miracle was true or false. But the reality of it was not questioned, nor was there any difficulty about the instruments that were employed; the only question is, How have ye done this? and in whose name? Peter immediately answers, We have done it in the name of Jesus of Nazareth whom ye crucified, and whom God hath raised from the dead.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel; the apostles are not dismayed, but make their boldness, spoken of Act 4:13, to appear; they preach Christ to all of them, and wish they could make him known to all others.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth: see Act 2:22.
Whom God raised; i.e. God the Father: our Surety was discharged by God himself, who had laid him in the prison of the grave for our debts.
This man stand here before you whole; the lame man that was made whole being present, and an ocular demonstration of the miracle wrought upon him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Be it known unto you . . . andto all the people of Israelas if emitting a formal judicialtestimony to the entire nation through its rulers now convened.
by the name of Jesus,&c.(See on Ac 3:13,&c.).
even by him doth this manstand before you wholefor from Ac4:14 it appears that the healed man was at that moment beforetheir eyes.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Be it known unto you all,…. The members of the sanhedrim:
and to all the people of Israel; who might hear of this affair; for the apostle was not ashamed of what he had done, nor of the person in whose name he had done it:
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; by calling, on that name, and by making use of it, and by the power and authority of Jesus Christ, who by way of contempt was called the
Nazarene: whom ye crucified; for though Pilate delivered him to be crucified, and the Roman soldiers did crucify him, yet this was at the request and instigation of the chief priests, Scribes, and elders; and therefore it is ascribed to them, who were bent upon his death; and no other would satisfy them, but the shameful and painful death of the cross:
whom God raised from the dead; of which the apostles were witnesses, having seen him and conversed with him after his resurrection; and this was the doctrine they were sent to publish, and for which they were apprehended and detained in custody; but this did not deter them from preaching it, no, not before the sanhedrim; which was an instance of great courage and faithfulness: and this is the rather mentioned; to show, that it was not by the name of one that was dead, but of one that was alive, that this cure was performed; as well as to observe to them, that their efforts against Christ were vain and fruitless:
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole; from whence it appears, as well as from Ac 4:18 that the man that was healed, was now present: and either he was laid hold on, and detained in custody with the apostles, in hope to discover fraud if they could; or hearing that the apostles were before the sanhedrim, and examining on his account, might come of himself, in order to attest and prove the matter of fact, and to vindicate them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Be it known ( ). Imperative present active third singular of , to be, and the verbal adjective .
Whom ye crucified ( ). Too good a chance to miss, and so Peter boldly charges the Sanhedrin with responsibility for the death of Jesus. Note (ye) again.
Whom God raised from the dead ( ). Note repetition of (whom). This is God’s answer to their act of crucifixion.
In him doth this man stand ( ). Rather (note play on ), “In this one (, ) this one stands (present perfect active indicative, intransitive).” In Jesus this man stands before you whole (). It was a centre shot.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) Be it known unto you all,”(gnoston esto pasin humin) “Let it be known (or realized) to you all,” to all of you and each of you of the Sanhedrin, the intellect of the world of ceremonial Judaism, the chief priests, rulers, and elders of Israel, Act 4:11; Luk 22:52-54.
2) “And to all the people of Israel,” (kai panti to lao Israel) “Even to all the people of Israel,” who had thru willful ignorance rejected Jesus Christ, Joh 1:11-12; 1Co 1:18-25; Rom 10:1-4; Eph 4:18; 2Co 4:3-4. These were both ignorant and blind in spiritual matters though publicly religious, popular, and pious.
3) “That by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” (hoti en to onomati lesoi Christou tou Nazoraiou) “That in (by) the name (authority) of the Nazarene, Jesus Christ,” who was “to save His people from their sins,” Mat 1:21; Act 3:6; Rom 1:16.
4) “Whom ye crucified,” (hon humeis estaurosate) “Whom you all crucified,” nailed to a tree; that is you all of Israel, the Jews caused Him to be nailed to a tree, though the Romans, the lawful executors drove the nails, Act 3:14-15; 2Th 2:14-15.
5) “Whom God raised from the dead,” (hon ho theos egeiren ek nekron) “Whom God raised out from among the dead,” from the grave, from among the dead corpses of the deceased, Act 2:22-24; Act 3:15; Act 10:40.
6) “Even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole,” (en touto houtos paresteken enopion humon hugies) “In this very name (Jesus of Nazareth) does this one lame man stand to present himself before you all made whole or healed,” Act 2:32-33; Act 2:36; Peter had performed the miracle on the lame man by publicly exhorting “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk,” and the lame man had done it and stayed whole; so he was not about to change his witness, Act 3:6; Col 3:17; He was a faithful, empowered witness, giving glory to God, 1Co 10:31.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
10. Be it known unto you. Peter might (as I have already said) have turned aside unto many starting-holes, (206) if he would not have entered the cause; (207) but because the miracle was wrought, to this end, that the name of Christ might be glorified, he descendeth by and by unto this. For he knew that he was the minister of such excellent power of God, that he might have a seal to confirm his doctrine. In the meanwhile, the wicked, will they, nil they, are enforced to hear that which they would have had buried full deep. When they have done what they can, this is all; they cause Peter to avouch and object to their faces, that wherewith they were so grieved, when it was spoken to others. And, first he maketh Christ the author of the miracle. Secondly, because it seemed to be an absurd and incredible thing, that a dead man should be endued with divine power, he testifieth that Christ is alive, because God hath raised him up from the dead, howsoever they had crucified him. So that the miracle giveth him occasion to preach the resurrection of Christ. And by this testimony Peter meant to prove that he was the true Messias. He saith that they had crucified him, not only to the end he may upbraid this unto them, that they may acknowledge their fault; but also that they may understand that they have in vain striven against God; and so, consequently, cease to rage so unluckily and with such deadly success.
(206) “ Subterfugia,” subterfuges.
(207) “ Si noluisset causam ingredi,” if he had been unwilling to enter upon the cause.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified.The boldness of the declaration was startling. He does not shrink now from confessing the Nazarene as the Messiah. He presses home the fact that, though Pilate had given the formal sentence, it was they who had crucified their King. He proclaims that He has been raised from the dead, and is still as a Power working to heal as when on earth.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. You all, and all Israel The whole race, with its rulers at its head, is summoned to witness this new announcement.
By the name of Not Solomon or Raphael, but of Jesus, Messiah, the Nazarene. (See note on Act 3:6.) Had Peter said, In the name of Jehovah, God of Israel, it might have been safer for himself; it would have been true; but they would have considered him as staying within the bounds of their own old Judaism. It was according to their law that miracles be performed in the name of Jehovah. But when Peter pronounced the name of Jesus they recognized apostasy from Jehovah; and when he styled him Christ=Messiah, he adopted an impostor; and when he added, Nazarene, whom ye crucified, he uttered a shame and a charge to arouse their wrath; a charge which the ages since have fearfully reechoed.
Whom ye crucified Guilty of a good deed, these prisoners arraign their judges for a most bloody deed.
By him Heroic reiteration.
This man Like at once a monumental proof and a firm confessor, the lame-born stands with his benefactors in the semicircle of the court.
Stand And so his legs speak though his tongue be silent.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 4:10. By the name of Jesus, &c. The time of Christ’s resurrection was that of the celebrating the passover, the most solemn festival of the Jews; the scene was in Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judea, and at that time crowded with Jews, who came thither from all parts of the earth, to keep the passover. The actors and witnesses were the chief priests and elders, Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, and the Roman soldiers who guarded the sepulchre. Now, if the account of guarding the sepulchre had been false, it is not to be doubted, but the chief priests and elders, who are said to have obtained the guard, and sealed the door of the sepulchre, would, by some authentic act, have cleared themselves of the folly and guilt imputed to them by the evangelist. All the several charges upon the whole government of Judea, might have been answered at once by an attestation from the chief priests, setting forth, that they never demanded a guard to be set at the sepulchre, confirmed by the testimony of the Roman soldiers, (many of whom were probably at Jerusalem when the gospel was written,) denying that they were ever upon that guard. This, not only the reputation of the chief priests, but their avowed malice to Christ, and aversion to his doctrine and religion, required; and this they would probably have done at all events, had they been at liberty to propagate and invent what lie they pleased. But that a guard was set at the sepulchre, was, in all likelihood, by the dispersion and flight of the soldiers into the city, too well known in Jerusalem for them to venture at denying it: for which reason they were obliged to invent a lie consistent with that known fact, however absurd and improbable the lie might appear, when it came to be considered. Now, as the report put into the mouths of the Roman soldiers by the chief priests and elders, is no proof of the falsehood of this fact, but rather of the contrary; so does the naming the scene, the actors, and the witnesses, form a very strong proof of its being true, since no forger of lies, willingly and wittingly, furnishes out the means of his own detection; especiallywhen we consider that this account is related by that evangelist,who is said to have composed his gospel forthose Christians who dwelt in Judea, many of whom then living were probably at Jerusalem when this thing was done,not to mention again the absurdity of the report of the disciples coming by night, and stealing the body, as it stands in the evangelist, and taking it, as it was afterwards prudently amended by the Sanhedrim, and propagated by an express deputation from them to all the synagogues of the Jews throughout the world; in which, without making any mention of the Roman guard, they say no more than that the disciples came by night, and stole away the body,taking it, we say, in the manner in which these wise counsellors were, on mature deliberation, pleased to put it, it may be sufficient to observe, that the theft charged upon the disciples was so far from being proved, that it was not so much as ever inquired into. And yet the accusers were the chief priests and elders of the Jews; men in high reverence and authority with the people, vested with all the power of the Jewish state, and consequently furnished with all the means of procuring informations, and of gaining and extorting a confession. And what were the accused? menof low birth, mean fortunes, without learning, without credit, without support; and who, out of pusillanimity and fear, had deserted their Master, upon the first occasion offered of shewing their fidelity and attachment to him. And can it be imagined that the chief priests and council would not have made inquiry into the fact, the belief of which they took so much pains to propagate, had they themselves been persuaded of the truth of it? And had they inquired into it, can it be supposed that out of such a number of mean persons as must have been privy to it, no one, either from honesty, or religion, or fear of punishment, or the hope of reward, would have betrayed the secret, and given them such intelligence as might have enabled them to put the question ofthe resurrection out of all dispute. For had it been once proved that the disciples stole away the body of Jesus, their word would hardly have been taken for his resurrection. But how did these poor men act? Conscious of no fraud or imposture, they remained in Jerusalem a week or more, after the report of their having stolen their Master’s body was spread over the city, and in about a month returned thither again: not long after which they asserted boldly, to the face of their powerful enemies and accusers, the chief priests and elders, that God had raised from the dead that same Jesus whom they had crucified. And what was the behaviour of these learned rabbins, these watchful guardians of the Jewish church and state? Why, they suffered the disciples of Jesus, charged by their order with an imposture tending to disturb the government, to continue unquestioned at Jerusalem, and to depart thence unmolested; and when, upon their return thither, they had caused them to be seized and brought before them, for preaching through Jesusthe resurrection, what did they say to them? Did they charge them with having stolen away the body of their Master? Nothing like it: on the contrary, not able to gainsay the testimony given by the apostles to the resurrection of Jesus, vouched by a miracle just then performed by them in his name, they ordered them to withdraw, and conferred among themselves what they should do with them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Ver. 10. Be it known unto you all ] Here was spiritual mettle, steeling the soul against whatsoever opposition. When a man’s strength would fall loose, the spirit hems him about, comprehends and keeps him together, Act 20:22 , and makes him more than a man: as it did the apostles here, and afterwards Athanasius, Luther, others, and qui totius orbis impetum sustinuerunt, who stood out against a world of adversaries. (Tertul.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10. ] : the copula is omitted to make the contrast more striking.
, stands , as in E. V. He was there present.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 4:10 . St. Peter does not hesitate to refer his judges to the same passage of Scripture which a few short weeks before Jesus of Nazareth had quoted to a deputation of the Sanhedrim. In that case too the question put to Jesus had been as to the authority by which He acted, Mat 21:42 , Mar 12:10 , Luk 21:17 . It is possible that the words from Psa 118:22 were already regarded as Messianic, from the fact that the people had welcomed Jesus at His public entry into Jerusalem with part of a verse of the same Psalm, Act 4:26 , Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah , ii., 368. Moreover, the passage, Isa 28:16 , which forms the connecting link between the Psalm and St. Peter’s words, both here and in his First Epistle (1Pe 2:7 , cf. Rom 9:33 ; Rom 10:11 ), was interpreted as Messianic, apparently by the Targums, and undoubtedly by Rashi in his Commentary, cf. also Wetstein on Mat 21:42 ; Edersheim, u. s. , ii., 725. In the original meaning of the Psalm Israel is the stone rejected by the builders, i.e. , by the heathen, the builders of this world’s empires, or the expression may refer to those in Israel who despised the small beginnings of a dawning new era (Delitzsch); but however this may be, in the N.T. the builders are the heads and representatives of Israel, as is evident from our Lord’s use of the verse, and also by St. Peter’s words here, “ you the builders ,” R.V. But that which the Psalmist had spoken of the second Temple, that which was a parable of the history of Israel, had its complete and ideal fulfilment in Him Who, despised and rejected of men, had become the chief corner-stone of a spiritual Temple, in whom both Jew and Gentile were made one (1Co 3:11 , Eph 2:20 ). : mentioned not merely to remind them of their fault, cf. Act 2:36 , but perhaps also that they might understand how vain it was to fight against God (Calvin). : “in him,” or “in this name” R. V. margin. For the former Wendt decides, although in the previous verse he takes as neuter; so too Page and Holtzmann. On the other hand Rendall (so De Wette, Weiss) adopts the latter rendering, while admitting that the reference to Jesus Himself is quite possible, as in Act 4:12 . . : Hebraism, characteristic of St. Luke in his Gospel and in the Acts. The expression is never used in Matthew and Mark, and only once in John, Joh 20:30 , but thirty-one times in the Hebraistic Apocalypse frequent in LXX, but not found in classical or Hellenistic Greek, although in Homer, Blass, in loco , and Grammatik des N. G. , p. 125. The word is also found on papyri twice, so Deissmann, Neue Bibelstudien , p. 40.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
known. See note on Act 1:19.
unto = to.
the name. See Act 2:38.
Jesus Christ. App-98.
of Nazareth = the Nazarene. Compare Act 2:22.
crucified. See Act 2:23.
God. App-98.
raised. Greek. egeiro. App-178.
this man = this one.
before you = in your presence.
whole. Greek. hugies. Only here in the Acts. Twelve times in the Gospels. Compare Mat 12:13. Occurs Tit 2:8; fourteen occurences in all.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
10.] : the copula is omitted to make the contrast more striking.
, stands, as in E. V. He was there present.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 4:10. , known) This Peter, as a great herald (preacher), spoke with his voice raised. He expresses the whole in a brief compass.-, unto you) rulers.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
known: Act 13:38, Act 28:28, Jer 42:19, Jer 42:20, Dan 3:18
that by: Act 2:22-24, Act 2:36, Act 3:6, Act 3:13-16, Act 5:29-32
whom God: Act 2:24, Act 10:40-42, Act 13:29-41, Mat 27:63-66, Mat 28:11-15, Rom 1:4
Reciprocal: Lev 3:2 – kill it Psa 20:6 – Now Psa 109:31 – to save Zec 9:14 – seen Mat 9:5 – Arise Mat 10:8 – Heal Mat 11:5 – blind Mat 14:36 – perfectly Mat 17:12 – Likewise Mat 21:39 – slew Mat 27:35 – they crucified Mar 16:6 – Jesus Mar 16:18 – they shall lay Luk 2:30 – General Luk 18:37 – Jesus Joh 16:14 – glorify Act 2:23 – ye have Act 3:16 – his Act 4:7 – by what name Act 4:14 – beholding Act 4:30 – the name Act 5:28 – intend Act 5:30 – ye slew Act 7:52 – of whom Act 9:34 – Jesus Christ Act 10:39 – whom Act 10:43 – through Act 13:30 – General Act 17:31 – in that Act 22:8 – I am 1Co 15:15 – we have 2Co 13:4 – yet Eph 1:20 – when 1Th 1:10 – whom 1Th 2:15 – killed Heb 2:4 – God Heb 13:20 – brought Jam 5:6 – have 1Pe 1:21 – that raised
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 4:10. In all of the circumstances that ever came upon the apostles that concerned their work, they never failed to use the opportunity for preaching Christ to the hearers. Peter not only told them that it was in the name of Jesus that the deed was done, but he reminded them that it was the same person whom they had crucified. This was not said in the spirit of petty resentment, for an inspired apostle would not need to resort to that sort of speech. It was in order to show them that even death on the cross did not prevent Him from accomplishing his intended work for mankind. As definite proof that death could not overthrow the plans of Jesus, Peter reminded them that God had raised his Son from the grave.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
See notes on verse 8
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
4:10 {4} Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
(4) He is indeed a true shepherd that teaches his sheep to rest upon Christ alone as upon one that is not dead, but has conquered death, and has all rule in his own hands.