ACT 5:17-23

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

17The high priest rose up, and all those with him — that is, the sect of the Sadducees — and filled with intense rivalry, [5:18] they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public jail. [5:19] But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, led them out, and said: [5:20] "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the declarations of this Life." [5:21] Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest arrived, and those with him, and called together the Sanhedrin and all the senate of the sons of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought. [5:22] But the officers who arrived did not find them in the prison. They returned and reported, [5:23] saying: "We found the jail locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened it we found no one inside."

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Jerusalem, the high priest and the Sadducees held significant political and religious power, often aligning with Roman authorities to maintain order. The Sadducees, a prominent Jewish sect , rejected resurrection and supernatural interventions, making their conflict with the apostles particularly charged. The apostles’ teaching about Jesus’ resurrection directly challenged Sadducee doctrine, provoking —a term that here likely denotes a zealous rivalry or defensive fervor rather than mere envy. The apostles’ arrest and imprisonment in public custody underscored the Sadducees’ attempt to assert control and deter further disruption. The miraculous release by an angel would have been seen as a divine endorsement of the apostles’ message, contrasting sharply with the Sadducees’ skepticism of supernatural acts. The apostles’ return to the temple to proclaim —divinely authoritative words—defied the Sadducees’ authority and affirmed their mission as divinely sanctioned. This event highlighted the tension between institutional power and prophetic witness in Second-Temple Judaism.

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How other translations render this

ACT 5:17

KJV: Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
BSB: Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out
Koinōnos: The high priest rose up, and all those with him — that is, the sect of the Sadducees — and filled with intense rivalry,

ACT 5:18

KJV: And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
BSB: and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
Koinōnos: they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public jail.

ACT 5:19

KJV: But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
BSB: But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
Koinōnos: But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, led them out, and said:

ACT 5:20

KJV: Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
BSB: “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
Koinōnos: Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the declarations of this Life.

ACT 5:21

KJV: And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
BSB: At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.
Koinōnos: Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest arrived, and those with him, and called together the Sanhedrin and all the senate of the sons of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought.

ACT 5:22

KJV: But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told,
BSB: But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report:
Koinōnos: But the officers who arrived did not find them in the prison. They returned and reported,

ACT 5:23

KJV: Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
BSB: “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
Koinōnos: saying: "We found the jail locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened it we found no one inside.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.1.2

›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.1.2

“The Jews had for a great while had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves; the sect of the Essens, and the sect of the Sadducees”

Cited to ground: The Sadducees, a prominent Jewish sect

Translator's notes

ACT 5:17

[the] sect:The word translated 'sect' here was a neutral term in the first century, simply meaning a school of thought or a party, without the negative connotations it often carries today.
with jealousy:The term translated 'with jealousy' could also carry the sense of intense zeal or fervent rivalry, which could be either positive or negative depending on the context and object of the passion.

ACT 5:18

[the] jail:The word translated 'jail' literally means 'public' or 'belonging to the state,' implying a public facility or state custody rather than a private dungeon.

ACT 5:20

declarations:The word translated 'declarations' refers to spoken words or sayings, often with the implication of a divine utterance or a significant message, not just any statement.