Acts 23:7

7 And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

Acts 23:7 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 23:7

And when he had so said
He stopped and made a pause:

and there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the
Sadducees;
about the things which he had spoken of, particularly the resurrection of the dead; and this was what the apostle intended, so that his end was answered by the speech he made:

and the multitude was divided;
that is, the members of the sanhedrim were divided, some being on one side of the question, and some on the other; for this multitude cannot design the multitude of the common people, who were not convened together on this occasion.

Acts 23:7 In-Context

5 and Paul said, `I did not know, brethren, that he is chief priest: for it hath been written, Of the ruler of thy people thou shalt not speak evil;'

6 and Paul having known that the one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the sanhedrim, `Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee -- son of a Pharisee -- concerning hope and rising again of dead men I am judged.'

7 And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

8 for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

9 And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, `No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'