Gevurot 5:38

38 "And now I say to you, stay away from these anashim, and leave them alone, because if this cheshbon (plan) or this matter is of Bnei Adam, it will be overthrown.

Gevurot 5:38 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 5:38

And now I say unto you
This is the sum of my advice upon the observation of these and other instances:

refrain from these men, and let them alone;
keep your hands off of them, do not attempt to take away their lives, but dismiss them quietly, nor go about to hinder them, in what they are concerned:

for if this counsel, or this work be of men;
if the doctrine these men preach is an human device; or this business they are engaged in is only an human affair, projected by men, and carried on upon selfish principles, and worldly views, seeking only themselves, and their secular interests, and not the glory of God:

it will come to nought;
as did the designs of Theudas and Judas.

Gevurot 5:38 In-Context

36 "For at an earlier tekufa (era, period), there was the uprising of Theudas, who claimed to be somebody himself, with whom were associated a number of anashim lav davka (approximately) four hundred; who was done away with and as many as were obeying him were all dispersed and it came to nothing.

37 "After this there was Yehudah HaGelili in the yamim of the census; who misled the people to follow after him and that man perished and, as many as were obeying him, were all scattered.

38 "And now I say to you, stay away from these anashim, and leave them alone, because if this cheshbon (plan) or this matter is of Bnei Adam, it will be overthrown.

39 "But if it is from Hashem, you are not able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found to be fighting keneged (against, opposing) Hashem." And they were persuaded by Rabban Gamli’el. [2Ch 13:12; Prov 21:30; Isa 46:10]

40 And having called together the Moshiach’s Shluchim and having flogged them, they warned them not to speak in the shem of Yehoshua, and they released them.