Acts 4

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18-22. Whether it be right . . . to hearken to you more than . . . God, judge ye.

20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard--There is here a wonderful union of sober, respectful appeal to the better reason of their judges, and calm, deep determination to abide the consequences of a constrained testimony, which betokens a power above their own resting upon them, according to promise.

21. finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people--not at a loss for a pretext, but at a loss how to do it so as not to rouse the opposition of the people.

Acts 4:23-37 . PETER AND JOHN DISMISSED FROM THE SAMHEDRIM, REPORT THE PROCEEDINGS TO THE ASSEMBLED DISCIPLES--THEY ENGAGE IN PRAYER--THE ASTONISHING ANSWER AND RESULTS.

23-30. being let go, they went to their own company--Observe the two opposite classes, representing the two interests which were about to come into deadly conflict.

24. they lifted up their voice--the assembled disciples, on hearing Peter's report.
with one accord--the breasts of all present echoing every word of this sublime prayer. Applied to God, the term expresses absolute authority.
God which hast made heaven and earth--against whom, therefore, all creatures are powerless.

25. by the mouth of . . . David--to whom the Jews ascribed the second Psalm, though anonymous; and internal evidence confirms it. David's spirit sees with astonishment "the heathen, the people, the kings and princes of the earth," in deadly combination against the sway of Jehovah and His Anointed (his Messiah, or Christ), and asks "why" it is. This fierce confederacy our praying disciples see in full operation, in the "gathering together of Herod and Pilate, the Gentiles (the Roman authority), and the people of Israel, against God's holy Child ('Servant') Jesus." read, after "were gathered together," "in this city," which probably answers to "upon my holy hill of Zion," in the Psalms 2:6 .

28. thy hand and thy counsel determined . . . to be done--that is, "Thy counsel" determined to be done by "Thy hand."

29. now, Lord, behold their threatenings--Recognizing in the threatenings of the Sanhedrim a declaration of war by the combined powers of the world against their infant cause, they seek not enthusiastically to hide from themselves its critical position, but calmly ask the Lord of heaven and earth to "look upon their threatenings."
that with all boldness they may speak thy word--Rising above self, they ask only fearless courage to testify for their Master, and divine attestation to their testimony by miracles of healing, &c., in His name.

31-37. place was shaken--glorious token of the commotion which the Gospel was to make ( Acts 17:6 ; compare Acts 16:26 ), and the overthrow of all opposing powers in which this was to issue.
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake, &c.--The Spirit rested upon the entire community, first, in the very way they had asked, so that they "spake the word with boldness" ( Acts 4:29 Acts 4:31 ); next, in melting down all selfishness, and absorbing even the feeling of individuality in an intense and glowing realization of Christian unity. The community of goods was but an outward expression of this, and natural in such circumstances.

33. with great power--effect on men's minds.
great grace was upon them all--The grace of God copiously rested on the whole community.

35. laid . . . at the apostles' feet--sitting, it may be, above the rest. But the expression may be merely derived from that practice, and here meant figuratively.

36. Joses, &c.--This is specified merely as an eminent example of that spirit of generous sacrifice which pervaded all.
son of consolation--no doubt so surnamed from the character of his ministry.
a Levite--who, though as a tribe having no inheritance, might and did acquire property as individuals ( Deuteronomy 18:8 ).
Cyprus--a well-known island in the Mediterranean.