Acts 4:17

17 But that it be noysed no farther amoge the people let us threaten and charge them that they speake hence forth to no man in this name.

Acts 4:17 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 4:17

But that it spread no further among the people
Meaning not in Jerusalem; for the fame of this miracle was spread among all the inhabitants of that city; but in other parts of the nation: let us straitly threaten them;
or "in threatening threaten them"; that is, severely threaten them with imprisonment, or with the scourging of forty stripes save one, or with death itself. That they speak henceforth to no man in this name;
which through indignation and contempt they do not mention, but mean the name of Jesus: and their sense is, that the apostles, from this time forward, should not teach, or preach the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, or any other doctrine of the Gospel, in the name of Jesus, to any man, Jew or Gentile; or perform any miracle in his name, or call upon his name, and make use of it, for the healing of any person, or doing any miraculous work. The Ethiopic version is a very odd one, and quite contrary to the sense of the sanhedrim, "that they should not speak any more but in the name of the man Jesus".

Acts 4:17 In-Context

15 But they comaunded them to go a syde out of the counsell and counceled amoge them selves

16 sayinge: what shall we do to these men? For a manifest signe is done by the and is openly knowen to all them that dwell in Ierusalem and we canot denye it.

17 But that it be noysed no farther amoge the people let us threaten and charge them that they speake hence forth to no man in this name.

18 And they called them and comaunded them that in no wyse they shuld speake or teache in the name of Iesu.

19 But Peter and Iohn answered vnto them and sayde: whether it be right in the syght of God to obeye you moare then God iudge ye.