Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 5:22
But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
22. But when the officers came ] The name may imply a military body or it may have been only some of the Levitical guard who were sent. The same word is used (Luk 4:20) of the “minister” of the synagogue.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
These men, thus sent to hinder the spreading of the gospel, could not but be a means of confirming it, when they saw, and declared what they found; so easily can God make use of what is intended against his truth and people unto the advantage of either.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17-23. sect of the SadduceesSeeon Ac 4:1 for the reason whythis is specified.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But when the officers came,…. The Arabic version adds, “to it”; that is, to the prison;
and found them not in the prison. The Vulgate Latin version reads, “the prison being opened they found them not”; when they came to the prison, they opened the doors of it, or the keepers for them; for though the angel had opened them for the apostles, yet he shut them again, as he brought them out; for these men found the doors shut, as the following verse shows, and who upon opening them and searching the prison, for the apostles, could find none of them in it; wherefore they returned; the Arabic version reads, “to them”; to the sanhedrim:
and told; that is, them, as both the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The officers ( ). Under-rowers, literally (Mt 5:25). The servants or officers who executed the orders of the Sanhedrin.
Shut (). Perfect passive participle of . Shut tight.
Standing at the doors ( ). Graphic picture of the sentinels at the prison doors.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Officers [] See on Mt 5:25.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But when the officers came,” (hoi de paragenomenoi huperetai) “But when the attendants (or officers) had come,” had come to the jail, the place of public custody, perhaps the captains of the temple who had arrested them, Act 5:26; Act 4:1; Act 4:3; Act 5:18.
2) “And found them not in the prison,” (ouch heuron autous en te phulake) “They found them not (to be) in the prison,” that they were certainly not in the prison where they had placed them in common prison the previous day, Act 5:18.
3) “They returned, and told,” (anastrepsantes de apengeilan) “They then returned (and) gave out the report,” that the apostles were not in prison, had escaped, much as Peter was later, on another occasion, released from prison by an angel, Act 12:3-11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
‘But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned, and told, saying, “The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors, but when we had opened, we found no man inside.” ’
For when the officers had arrived at the prison house they had not found them there, and yet , as they stressed to the captain of the Temple, when they arrived the prison-house was quite safely secured and the keepers were still standing at the doors guarding the prisoners. Then they had opened the doors with every expectancy of finding the prisoners within, but the prisoners were not there, even though there was no way in which they could have got out. Luke certainly appears to suggest here that the release had therefore been by a divine hand.
These men had thought that they had God safely locked up, but the trouble was that He was not cooperating. Apart from God’s sense of humour there were clearly deeper purposes here. God was giving the Tribunal every opportunity of recognising that His hand was in it and that these men were under His protection.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
Ver. 22. But when the officers came ] As at a lottery, they came with heads full of hopes, but returned with hearts full of blanks.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 5:22 . : apparently some of the Temple guard, Act 5:26 ; see above on Act 4:1 , and Edersheim, Temple and its Services , pp. 119, 120. In the N.T. the word is not used of the military. : used only here in this sense (Act 15:16 is not strictly a parallel), cf. LXX, Gen 8:9 , 1Ki 21 (20):5, and frequently.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
officers. App-190. See note on Luk 1:2. Joh 7:32; Joh 18:3.
told. Same as “reported”, Act 4:23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Reciprocal: Act 12:18 – there
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22, 23. After some delay, the officers returned into the presence of the Sanhedrim without their prisoners. (22) “But when the officers arrived, and did not find them in the prison, they returned and announced, (23) saying, The prison we found closed with all safety, and the guards standing before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one within.” This appalling circumstance would have been sufficient, with less determined men, to stay all hostile proceedings, and even to disperse the court who had assembled for the trial for the apostles.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Luke’s account of the temple police’s bewilderment is really quite amusing. This whole scene calls to mind scenes from old Keystone Cops movies. The people readily accepted the miracles that the apostles were performing, but their leaders seem to have been completely surprised by this miracle.