Acts 4:4

4 But many of them that had heard the word, believed; and the number of men was made five thousands [five thousand].

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 and sorrowed [sorrowing], that they taught the people, and told in Jesus the again-rising from death [from dead].

3 And they laid hands on them, and putted them into ward into the morrow; for it was then eventide. [+And they laid hands on them, and put them into keeping till into the morrow; soothly it was now even.]

4 But many of them that had heard the word, believed; and the number of men was made five thousands [five thousand].

5 And amorrow it was done [Forsooth in the morrow it was done], that the princes of them, and elder men and scribes were gathered in Jerusalem;

6 and Annas, prince of priests, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and how many ever were of the kind of priests [and how many ever were of the kindred of priests].