Acts 4:4

4 But many of those who had listened to their preaching believed; and the number of the adult men had now grown to be about 5,000.

Acts 4:4 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 4:4

Howbeit, many of them which heard the word
The doctrine of the Gospel, preached by Peter and John:

believed;
the report of it, and in Christ, as risen from the dead, which was the sum and substance of it: and this they did, notwithstanding the opposition made by the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducces, and the violence they used to the apostles; for though they kept their persons in hold, they could not stop the free course of the word, which ran and was glorified:

and the number of the men was about five thousand;
or "was five thousand", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions read; that is the number, not of the hearers, but "of them that believed", was so many; and so read the Arabic and Ethiopic versions: there were so many persons converted at this time; for this number does not include the three thousand that were converted under the first sermon, but regards those who now became true believers, and were added to the church; so that there were now eight thousand persons added to it; a great increase indeed! now had Christ the dew of his youth, and now were these fishermen fishers of men indeed: that our Lord's feeding five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fishes, should have any regard to the conversion of these five thousand men, is but a conceit.

Acts 4:4 In-Context

2 highly incensed at their teaching the people and proclaiming in the case of Jesus the Resurrection from among the dead.

3 They arrested the two Apostles and lodged them in custody till the next day; for it was already evening.

4 But many of those who had listened to their preaching believed; and the number of the adult men had now grown to be about 5,000.

5 The next day a meeting was held in Jerusalem of their Rulers, Elders, and Scribes,

6 with Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the other members of the high-priestly family.