The Meaning of Acts 23:7 Explained

Acts 23:7

KJV: And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

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

Darby: And when he had spoken this, there was a tumult of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

ASV: And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when he  had  so  said,  there arose  a dissension  between the Pharisees  and  the Sadducees:  and  the multitude  was divided. 

What does Acts 23:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 23:1-11 - Dividing His Persecutors
The behavior of the judge was quite unworthy of his office, but Paul's epithet cannot be defended. The best of men are but men at the best. Paul was thrown off his guard by an insult which touched him to the quick; but nothing could have been finer than the grace and frankness with which he acknowledged his error. The adroit way in which Paul divided the Council probably saved the situation. If the body had been united, Lysias would doubtless have handed Paul over to them to deal with. But the fiery hatred that broke out gave the chief captain grave concern for the safety of this man with citizen-rights.
How timely and precious was the Savior's revelation on the following night! As Paul's heart was sinking amid the solitude of his cell, and he was beginning to think that perhaps the predictions of Agabus and others were about to be fulfilled, he suddenly became aware of the presence of his Lord. Do not trust in your own understanding; let your Master steer your course; and remember that in the darkest hour, as in the brightest, He is beside you. There will be made to you, at "the fourth watch of the night," revelations which will reassure your weary and despairing soul that you are not alone. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 23

1  As Paul pleads his cause,
2  Ananias commands them to strike him
7  Dissension among his accusers
11  God encourages him
14  The Jews' vow to kill Paul,
20  is declared unto the chief captain
27  He sends him to Felix the governor

Greek Commentary for Acts 23:7

When he had so said [τουτο αυτου λαλουντος]
Genitive absolute of present participle (Westcott and Hort) rather than aorist While he was saying this. [source]
A dissension [στασις]
This old word for standing or station (Hebrews 9:8) from ιστημι — histēmi to place, we have seen already to mean insurrection (Acts 19:40 which see). Here it is strife as in Acts 15:2. Was divided (εσχιστη — eschisthē). See note on Acts 14:4. [source]
Was divided [εσχιστη]
See note on Acts 14:4. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 23:7

Acts 14:4 But the multitude of the city was divided [εσχιστη δε το πλητος της πολεως]
First aorist passive indicative of σχιζω — schizō old verb to split, to make a schism or factions as Sadducees and Pharisees (Acts 23:7). This division was within the Gentile populace. Part held Common demonstrative of contrast The Jewish leaders made some impression on the Gentiles as at Antioch in Pisidia and later at Thessalonica (Acts 17:4.). This is the first time in the Acts that Paul and Barnabas are termed “apostles” (see also Acts 13:14). Elsewhere in the Acts the word is restricted to the twelve. Certainly Luke does not here employ it in that technical sense. To have followed Jesus in his ministry and to have seen the Risen Christ was essential to the technical use (Acts 1:22.). Whether Barnabas had seen the Risen Christ we do not know, but certainly Paul had (1 Corinthians 9:1.; 1 Corinthians 15:8). Paul claimed to be an apostle on a par with the twelve (Galatians 1:1, Galatians 1:16-18). The word originally means simply one sent (John 13:16) like messengers of the churches with the collection (2 Corinthians 8:23). The Jews used it of those sent from Jerusalem to collect the temple tribute. Paul applies the word to James the Lord‘s brother (Galatians 1:19), to Epaphroditus (Philemon 2:25) as the messenger of the church in Philippi, to Silvanus and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6; Acts 18:5), apparently to Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:9), and to Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:6.). He even calls the Judaizers “false apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:13). [source]
Acts 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them [Γενομενης στασεως και ζητησεως ουκ ολιγης τωι Παυλωι και αρναβαι προς αυτους]
Genitive absolute of second aorist middle participle of γινομαι — ginomai genitive singular agreeing with first substantive στασεως — staseōs Literally, “No little (litotes for much) strife and questioning coming to Paul and Barnabas (dative case) with them “ Paul and Barnabas were not willing to see this Gentile church brow-beaten and treated as heretics by these self-appointed regulators of Christian orthodoxy from Jerusalem. The work had developed under the leadership of Paul and Barnabas and they accepted full responsibility for it and stoutly resisted these Judaizers to the point of sedition (riot, outbreak in Luke 23:25; Acts 19:40) as in Acts 23:7. There is no evidence that the Judaizers had any supporters in the Antioch church so that they failed utterly to make any impression. Probably these Judaizers compelled Paul to think through afresh his whole gospel of grace and so they did Paul and the world a real service. If the Jews like Paul had to believe, it was plain that there was no virtue in circumcision (Galatians 2:15-21). It is not true that the early Christians had no disagreements. They had selfish avarice with Ananias and Sapphira, murmuring over the gifts to the widows, simony in the case of Simon Magus, violent objection to work in Caesarea, and now open strife over a great doctrine (grace vs. legalism). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 23:7 mean?

This then of him saying arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees was divided the crowd
Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος

Τοῦτο  This 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
λαλοῦντος  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
ἐγένετο  arose 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
στάσις  a  dissension 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: στάσις  
Sense: a standing, station, state.
τῶν  between  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Φαρισαίων  Pharisees 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Φαρισαῖος  
Sense: A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile.
Σαδδουκαίων  Sadducees 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Σαδδουκαῖος  
Sense: a religious party at the time of Christ among the Jews, who denied that the oral law was a revelation of God to the Israelites, and who deemed the written law alone to be obligatory on the nation, as the divine authority. They denied the following doctrines:.
ἐσχίσθη  was  divided 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: σχίζω  
Sense: to cleave, cleave asunder, rend.
πλῆθος  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πλῆθος  
Sense: a multitude.

What are the major concepts related to Acts 23:7?

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