Acts 4:17

17 but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'

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 and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,

16 saying, `What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem [is] manifest, and we are not able to deny [it];

17 but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'

18 And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus,

19 and Peter and John answering unto them said, `Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;