Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 5:13
And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
13. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them ] The sentence seems to convey an opposition to what has been stated in Act 5:12, and should begin with But. The sense intended is that the assemblies of Christians made the porch of Solomon their special rendezvous when they went up to the Temple, seeing that it was there that the first addresses in the Temple-precincts had been given by St Peter. And while they were so assembled none of the other people who had not yet joined the new community ventured to attach themselves intrusively to the Christian body. The verb is used of Philip (Act 8:29) when he is commanded “Go near and join thyself to this chariot,” where the action meant by it is one that was to press some notice of Philip upon the eunuch. From such intrusion all who were not Christians held back, and left the worshippers in Solomon’s porch alone.
but the people magnified them ] Render, howbeit the people, &c. This is necessary because we have taken but as the conjunction at the beginning of the verse. There are two different conjunctions in the original.
Although the people (= the rest, who were not of the Church) held back from pressing themselves among the congregation, yet they greatly praised them for the words and works of which they heard and saw.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And of the rest – Different interpretations have been given of this expression. Lightfoot supposes that by the rest are meant the remainder of the 120 disciples of whom Ananias had been one; and that they feared to put themselves on an equality with the apostles. But this interpretation seems to be far-fetched. Kuinoel supposes that by the rest are meant those who had not already joined with the apostles, whether Christians or Jews, and that they were deterred by the fate of Ananias. Pricaeus, Morus, Rosenmueller, Schleusner, and others, suppose that by the rest are meant the rich men, or the people of authority and influence among the Jews, of whom Ananias was one, and that they were deterred from it by the fate of Ananias. This is by far the most probable opinion, because:
- There is an evident contrast between them and the people; the rest, that is, the others of the rich and great, feared to join with them; but the people, the common people, magnified them.
(2)The fate of Ananias was suited to have this effect on the rich and great.
- Similar instances had occurred before, that the great, though they believed on Jesus, were afraid to come forth publicly and profess him before people. See Joh 12:42-43; Joh 5:44.
(4)The phrase the rest denotes sometimes what is more excellent, or which is superior in value or importance to something else. See Luk 12:26.
Join himself – Become united to, or associated with. The rich and the great then, as now, stood aloof from them, and were deterred by fear or shame from professing attachment to the Lord Jesus.
But the people – The mass of the people; the body of the nation.
Magnified them – Honored them; regarded them with reverence and fear.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. And of the rest, durst no man join him self to them] Who were these called the rest, ? Dr. Lightfoot thinks the 120 are intended, of which he supposes Ananias to have been one; who, all seeing such wonders wrought by the apostles, were afraid to associate themselves with them in any way of equality, as they saw that God put peculiar honour upon them. Calmet more rationally observes, that the Jewish nation was then divided into many different sects, who entertained widely different opinions on various articles. The apostles adopted none of these jarring sentiments, and none of the different sects dared to join themselves to them; neither Pharisees, Sadducees, nor Herodians, as such, were found in this simple, holy Church. The people felt the force and power of the apostles’ doctrine, and magnified them, no more attending to the teaching of the others: the apostles taught them as men having authority, and not as the scribes and Pharisees. This irritated the high priest and his Sadducean council, and led them to adopt the measures mentioned below, Ac 5:17.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Of the rest; such who were not of the common sort of people, and here seem to be distinguished from them: or, of the rest (more largely) who had not joined themselves to the church, being amazed at this judgment on these two hypocrites, durst not make a formal show of religion, unless they had a thorough persuasion in their mind concerning the truth of it, and a firm resolution in their conversation to live answerably unto it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13-16. of the rest durst no man joinhimself, c.Of the unconverted none ventured, after what hadtaken place, to profess discipleship but yet their number continuallyincreased.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And of the rest durst no man join himself to them,…. By the rest are meant, either those that were without the church, and those either the profane and persecuting sort, who durst not come nigh the apostles to touch them, or say one word to them, for fear of being struck dead; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, “and then there was no more any man that durst restrain them”, or go about to hinder them from preaching: or the better sort, such who attended on the word, and were either real believers or hypocrites, who durst not, one nor the other, join themselves to them, because of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira; which not only deterred hypocrites from coming into the church, but also kept off such who were really converted persons; but this sense seems to be contradicted in the following verse. Rather therefore by them are meant those within the church, and not only the private members of it, but the ministers of the word, of which number Ananias might have been; these, the rest of them, durst not come nigh the apostles, or familiarly converse with them, much less put themselves upon an equal foot with them, but with great reverence of them kept their distance from them:
but the people magnified them; both the ministers of the word, as Barnabas and others, who showed such a respect to the apostles, they having extraordinary gifts, and extraordinary things also being done by them, and especially the twelve apostles; these the people in general spoke well of, praised and cried up as marvellous men, because of what was done by them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Durst (). Imperfect active of , old verb, not to fear or shun through fear, boldly to take a stand. The fate of Ananias and Sapphira continued to hold many in check.
Join (). Present middle infinitive of , old verb to cleave to like glue as in Lu 15:15 which see. Seven times in Acts (Acts 9:26; Acts 10:28; Acts 17:34). The outsiders (the rest) preferred, many of them, to remain outside for the present, especially the rulers.
Howbeit the people (‘– ). Probably individuals among the people, the populace as distinct from the rulers and hostile outsiders.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The rest. Unbelievers, deterred by the fate of Ananias from uniting themselves to the church under false pretenses.
Join himself [] . See on Luk 14:15; Luk 10:11. In all but two instances (Rom 12:9; 1Co 6:17), the word implies a forced, unnatural, or unexpected union. Thus Philip would not, without a special command, have “joined himself” to the chariot of the Ethiopian prince (Act 8:29). Saul ‘s attempt to join himself to the apostles was regarded by them with suspicion (Act 9:26); and the fact that certain persons “clave to” Paul in Athens is expressly contrasted with the attitude of the citizens at large. The sense of an unnatural union comes out clearly in 1Co 6:16.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And of the rest,” (ton de loipon) “And of the rest, those remaining,” those among the unbelievers, Joh 3:19-20.
2) “Durst no man join himself to them: (oudeis etolma kallasthai autois) “Not even one dared or ventured to be joined to them; The unbelievers were momentarily driven back with fear and religious awe. This fear of judgement repelled hypocrites, but drew believers closer together and closer to the Lord, Joh 3:18.
3) “But the people magnified them,” (all’ emegalunen autous ho laos) “But the people (the masses) of the believers magnified them,” praised, extolled or looked upon the apostles with wonder and awe, Act 4:21, as they did Peter and John upon the healing of the lame man.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
13. And of other durst no man. This was the second fruit of the miracles, in that these which believed not, being convict with the excellent power of God, dare not despise the apostles, but are rather enforced to reverence the Church. Yet that might seem an absurd thing, that being terrified with miracles, they flee from God and his people. I answer, that they were letted through their own fault from coming; and it is not to be doubted but that God doth call us unto himself by miracles. Therefore, whosoever they be that go not so far, as willingly to embrace the grace of God which shineth in them, they are letted and hindered by their own perverse and evil conscience. Yet this is some fruit, in that God wringeth some fear out of them; although Luke doth ascribe this not only to the miracle, but rather comprehendeth all together which might serve to the increasing of the dignity of the Church. For all things were so ordered, that there shined there a certain divine majesty; for they did no less differ from the other than angels from men.
For there is a certain secret majesty in holy discipline and in sincere godliness, which doth even fast bind the wicked whether they will or no. But we know not at this day of what sort the same is; yea, rather, we cause ourselves to be despised together with the gospel, through our profane liberty of evil living. Furthermore, the punishment of Ananias and his wife did not a little terrify the wicked, and keep them from breaking in unadvisedly into the company of those men, where God had showed himself so sharp a Judge. Yet we must note that he speaketh of men which were indifferent in this place, and of those which were not of the worst sort; for there were at that time many at Jerusalem, whom neither the reverence of signs, neither yet of the angelic holiness of the godly, could move. Therefore Luke meaneth moderate men, in whom there are some seed of the fear of God; like as we see at this day certain, whom the vanity of the world keepeth back from submitting their necks unto the yoke of Christ; yet because they smell out some divine thing in our doctrine, (253) they dare not despise the same; yet we may see also in what deadly grins [gins] Satan insnareth all those which have not the Spirit of Christ, that they do not only fear to provide for themselves, but purposely avoid those remedies which are offered them unto salvation. They both see and allow those things which are both holy and profitable, and yet, notwithstanding, they are either carried headlong unto things which are worse, or else they wax drowsy in their filthiness.
(253) “ Sed quia illis divinum aliquid subolet nostra doctrina,” but because our doctrine has somewhat of a divine savor to them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) Of the rest.We are left to conjecture who these were who are contrasted with the Apostles on the one side and with the people on the other. Does it mean that the Apostles stood aloof in an isolated majesty, and so that none of the other disciples dared associate himself with them? or is this St. Lukes way of speaking of the Pharisees and other teachers, who also resorted to the portico, but, as in the days of our Lords ministry (Joh. 7:48; Joh. 12:42), had not the courage to attach themselves to those with whom they really sympathised? The latter view seems every way the more probable, and so the passage stands parallel with those which tell us how the people heard our Lord gladly and came early to hear him (Luk. 21:38).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. The rest The rest besides and hostile to the apostles and their company, such as those who on the former occasion produced the persecution.
Durst no man From a sense of guilt and a remembrance of the fate of Ananias.
Join to them Mingle again in their assembly. It was a great triumph not only that the believers dare enter the Porch, but their opposers dare not.
The people The same sort of people as in Act 4:21, deterred the rulers from persecution.
Magnified them Acknowledged their great goodness and mighty power.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘But of the rest no man dared join himself to them: but however that might be the people magnified them.’
‘The rest’ probably means those who did not require healing, and were not recognised believers. They were in awe because of what had happened and held back from approaching the Apostles. They did not ‘cement themselves to them’.
There may have been a number of reasons for this:
They may have heard rumours and feared what the authorities were planning to do.
Instructions might have been given out by the priests warning people against having anything to do with the Apostles.
These twelve men may now have been seen as so awesome that people were afraid to approach them, apart that is from those driven to do so by illness. They now had such a powerful status in Jerusalem, and such an aura, that men walked in awe of them.
Nevertheless this did not mean that they were not appreciated. The people ‘magnified’ them, saw them as larger than life, and listened to them from the crowd, and were no doubt approached by believers who bore witness to them of Christ.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 5:13. And of the rest, &c. That is, the people held them in distant admiration, and presumed not, on any false pretence, to join them, if not truly converted; which yet it appears by the next verse many were, who readily came into a full and solemn profession of the gospel; as indeed the late miracle was a glorious, though a dreadful demonstration of its truth. The word , rendered join, signifies to associate or unite with; to adhere or cleave to.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
Ver. 13. Durst no man join himself ] None of the powerful enemies of the Church durst insinuate (for fear of the danger) as Sanballat and Tobiah would have done in Nehemiah’s days; and as the Jesuits today have a practice of running over to the Lutheran Church, pretending to be converted, and to build with them; but it is only to keep up that bitter contention between the Calvinists and Lutherans.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
13. ] , all else, whether believers or not: none dared to join himself to (see reff.), as being one of, or equal to, them: but (so far was this from being the case that) the very people (multitude) magnified them .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 5:13 . : variously interpreted (1) of the rest of the believers in contrast to the Apostles, but this is unnatural, as the Apostles are not elsewhere regarded as objects of fear to their fellow-believers, and above certainly need not = as Hilgenfeld interprets it. See, however, Alford, in loco , and Gore, Church and the Ministry , p. 256, note. J. Lightfoot applies to the hundred-and-eight (the Apostles making up the hundred-and-twenty), who durst not join themselves in the dignity and office of Apostleship, properly so called, having seen the judgment that one of the Twelve had brought upon Ananias, one of their own number (as Lightfoot ranks Ananias amongst the hundred-and-twenty); (2) of non-believers as contrasted with ; this is adopted by Blass, but it obliges him to translate , se eis immiscere = interpellare, vexare , whereas the word is more often used, as he admits, both in the Acts and in the LXX of friendly intercourse , Deu 10:20 , 2Sa 20:2 , 2Ki 18:6 , Psa 118 (119):31, cf. Act 8:29 ; Act 9:26 ; Act 10:28 ; Act 17:34 ; (3) of the rest including , who stood aloof from joining their lot, but at the same time regarded them with respect; (4) of the rest, i.e. , rulers, scribes, priests, men of position, as contrasted, , with the , the populace, cf. Act 4:21 , where the same contrast is marked (so Hort, Page, Rendall), see also Luk 21:38 . For see further on Act 5:36 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
no man = no one. Greek. oudeis.
join himself. Greek. kollaomai. See note on Luk 15:15.
magnified. Greek. megaluno. Compare Luk 1:46, Luk 1:58.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
13.] , all else, whether believers or not: none dared to join himself to (see reff.), as being one of, or equal to, them: but (so far was this from being the case that) the very people (multitude) magnified them.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 5:13. , of the rest) who were not believers.-, join himself) on familiar terms.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
of: Act 5:5, Num 17:12, Num 17:13, Num 24:8-10, 1Sa 16:4, 1Sa 16:5, 1Ki 17:18, Isa 33:14, Luk 12:1, Luk 12:2, Luk 14:26-35, Joh 9:22, Joh 12:42, Joh 19:38, 2Pe 2:20-22
but: Act 2:47, Act 4:21, Act 19:17, Luk 19:37, Luk 19:38, Luk 19:48
Reciprocal: 2Ch 27:2 – he entered not Act 2:43 – fear Act 5:26 – they 2Co 6:8 – honour
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 5:13. The rest refers to unconverted persons, but not to all such, for it immediately says the people magnified them. Hence the rest must refer especially to those not favorably disposed toward the apostles and other faithful disciples. They would not join themselves to them means they stayed away from the assembly. But some others were sufficiently interested to remain in the gathering, and even mag’n’ified (lauded or admired) the apostles.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
And they were all with one accord in Solomons porch. Act 5:13. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. Thus, while the apostles were busied in their work of healing and teaching, using for the purpose of spreading the knowledge of their Masters kingdom the extraordinary powers their Master had for a time entrusted them with, the great mass of believers would meet together at different hours in the great cloistered court of the Temple, called Solomons Porch. There great companies of these believers in Jesus would thus meet, no one hindering them, no one crowding them or listening with jealous ears to their words. Those who made up the crowds who usually thronged those courts, left them alone, reverently keeping away from the groups of the followers of Jesus, the people generally regarding them with a kind of fear mingled with admiration.
Without hesitation we have thus adopted that explanation which gives to the word all (Act 5:12) the meaning of all the believers, and to the words of the rest (Act 5:13) the meaning of all who were not believersthat is, the people generally.
Many great expositors have, however, preferred to understand by all (Act 5:12), the apostles onlynot all the Christians, as the apostles are the subject of the paragraph, and have regarded the words of Act 5:13 as added, to show with what reverence the Twelve were generally looked upon by the people.
The words of the rest, some scholars understand to mean all else, whether believers or unbelievers; some, believers only; and they go on to explain the passage (Act 5:13) thus: None of the rest, whether believers or unbelievers, ventured to equal themselves to the apostles. They kept at a distance from them, regarding them as an isolated group, as superhuman, as beings distinct from them.
Others, again, restrict the expression of the rest to the rich and noble, terrified by the death of Ananias, who belonged to their order. Gloag believes the meaning of Act 5:13 to be, that none of the rest of the people ventured on false pretences to unite themselves to the Church: by the death of Ananias an effectual stop was put to hypocrisy for the time; but the exposition we have adopted above is the easiest and most obvious. It is adopted in the main by Ewald and Meyer. It is, too, the view most in accordance with the simplicity of early Christian tradition, which resolutely sets itself against all unnatural separation of ranks and orders. What could be more contrary to the ordinary loving intercourse between the apostles and their disciples,between Paul, for instance, and his loved converts of Philippi,than a statement which represents the apostles as an isolated group, fenced off from the mass of believers in the Lord Jesus, who kept themselves at a distance from them, looking on them as superhuman?
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Act 5:13-14. And of the rest Who were not really converted to Christianity; durst Or presumed; no man to join himself to them As, had it not been for the late signal judgment, some hypocrites might have attempted to do, in order to obtain a share in the distributions which were made among the Christians from their fund of charity; but the people magnified them Namely, the apostles: had a great veneration for them, and spake of them with the highest expressions of reverence and respect, as persons who were owned by God in a most signal manner. And believers were the more added Though the death of the two above-mentioned unhappy offenders deterred many, who did not sincerely believe in Jesus, and were not awakened to a sense of the importance of things spiritual and eternal, from joining themselves to the church; yet such as truly believed and were brought under a serious concern about their salvation, were united to the Lord in great numbers; multitudes both of men and women Becoming his genuine disciples, and making an open profession of their faith, by submitting to the ordinance of baptism: for they wisely inferred, from what had happened, how dangerous it would be to oppose or suppress the inward convictions of their minds, in a matter of such great importance.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
See notes on verse 12
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION SPIRITUAL AND NOT OFFICIAL
13. And no one of the rest dared to identify himself with them, but the people magnified them. The popular mind has found a contradiction between this and the following verse, which states that believers continued to be the more added unto the Lord. There is no contradiction, but perfect harmony. While the conviction on the multitude was wonderfully augmented and intensified by the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira, and consequently the revival took new impetus, spreading more rapidly than ever yet, as certified in Act 5:13, they all recognized superhuman power in the apostles, peculiar to themselves alone, which did not appertain to the disciples. Hence the long-agitated controversy and the boasted ecclesiastical dogmata of apostolical succession are utterly without foundation, as the apostles never had any official succession in the sense claimed by the churches. In Eph 4:10, Paul mentions apostles in the catalogue of Gods ministers, along with evangelists, pastors and prophets throughout the gospel dispensation. But we must bear in mind that all these ministerial offices belong to the Holy Ghost alone, as it says He gives them. Hence official succession in an ecclesiastical sense is precluded. God made Bishop Taylor an apostle to Africa, and Hudson Taylor to interior China. And many others are leading forth the embattled host at the present day, as apostle simply means one sent as a pioneer. While all of these officers are still efficient on the earth, perpetuating the ministry of the church in her primitive beauty, spirituality and glory, yet they are given by the sovereign, discriminating power of the Holy Ghost alone, never having been transmitted to any ecclesiasticism. The Holy Ghost became incarnate on the day of Pentecost, and has so remained ever since, taking some to heaven, and filling and using others, thus perpetuating His church upon the earth. In contradisctinction to the human ecclesiasticisms, really Satans counterfeits and constituting spiritual Babylon, Rome, the old harlot mother, and the fallen Protestant churches, her daughters, constituting the counterfeit Bride, contrastive with the true, simple, humble, meek and lowly Bride of Christ, the sympathetic companion of the suffering Savior, left on the earth to represent Him and prepare the world for His coming kingdom. The Apostolic Church remained pure through bloody centuries of Pagan persecution, till by Constantine promoted from the lions mouth and the burning stake to Caesars palace, precipitating the great apostasy into Roman Catholicism. From the fatal epoch of the great Constantinian apostasy, God had a true people perpetuated in the novations, A. D. 250. During the middle ages they were denominated the Waldenses, and afterwards the Moravians, who became instrumental in the conversion and sanctification of John Wesley after he had preached ten years in the Episcopal Church, perfectly honest, exceedingly zealous, and awfully persecuted for having too much religion, while he did not have any; thus illustrating the blindness with which Satan beclouds human ecclesiasticisms. When carnal men appropriate the church, the Holy Ghost leaves it and lets the devil have it. Meanwhile, the Holy Ghost moves right on perpetuating His work, independently of human officers and institutions. While all these ministerial officers are still in the church, and always have been, they are the creations of the Holy Ghost, dispensed in different ages and nations, pursuant to His infallible wisdom, superabounding grace, and discriminating providence.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 13
Of the rest; that is, besides the common people mentioned in the last clause of the verse. The meaning is, the common people magnified him, but of the rest, that is, of the higher classes, durst no man, &c.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
5:13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people {g} magnified them.
(g) Highly praised them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The "rest" (Gr. hoi loipoi) were probably the unbelieving Jews. [Note: See Kent, pp. 55-56.] Other possibilities are that they were the apostles, other Christians, or other Jerusalemites. They steered clear of the Christians because of the Jewish leaders’ opposition (Act 4:18) and the apostles’ power (Act 5:1-10). The "people" (Gr. ho laos), the responsive Jews, honored the believers.