The Meaning of Acts 4:17 Explained

Acts 4:17

KJV: But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

YLT: but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'

Darby: But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name.

ASV: But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  that  it spread  no  further  among  the people,  let us straitly  threaten  them,  that they speak  henceforth  to no  man  in  this  name. 

What does Acts 4:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 4:13-22 - Braving Men To Obey God
Do people realize that there is something about us which cannot be accounted for except that we have been with Jesus? Our company always influences us. A man is known by the company he keeps. Good manners are caught by association with the well-mannered. What, then, will not be the effect upon us, if only we live in fellowship with Jesus! Our faces will shine with a reflection of His purity and beauty; and the ancient prayer will be answered, "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us," Psalms 90:17. Our converts are our best arguments. The man which was healed (was) standing with them-his face suffused with the light of a new energy and hope. That fact answered all the sophistries of these Jewish leaders. It was as impossible to stay the effect of that miracle as to bid the sun cease shining. Note the exuberance of the life of God! We cannot but speak, Acts 4:20. When once we have got the real thing, we cannot and dare not be still; we must speak. As the swelling seed will break down a brick wall, so when the love of Christ constrains us, though all the world is in arms, we must bear witness to our Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 4

1  The rulers of the Jews, offended with Peter's sermon,
3  imprison him and John
5  After, upon examination
8  Peter boldly avouching the lame man to be healed by the name of Jesus,
11  and that only by the same Jesus we must be eternally saved,
13  they threaten him and John to preach no more in that name,
23  whereupon the church flees to prayer
31  And God, by moving the place where they were assembled, testifies that he heard their prayer;
34  confirming the church with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and with mutual love and charity

Greek Commentary for Acts 4:17

That it spread no further [ινα μη επι πλειον διανεμητηι]
First aorist passive subjunctive of διανεμω — dianemō to distribute with ινα μη — hina mē negative purpose. [source]
Let us threaten them [απειλησωμετα αυτοις]
Hortatory aorist middle subjunctive of απειλεω — apeileō old verb (note middle voice). In the N.T. only here and 1 Peter 2:23. That they speak henceforth to no man in this name (μηκετι λαλειν επι τωι ονοματι τουτωι μηδενι αντρωπων — mēketi lalein epi tōi onomati toutōi mēdeni anthrōpōn). Indirect command with the infinitive and double negative (μηκετι μηδενι — mēketiουτος — mēdeni). They will not say “Jesus,” but make a slur at “this name,” contemptuous use of houtos though they apparently do mention the name “Jesus” in Acts 4:18. [source]
That they speak henceforth to no man in this name [μηκετι λαλειν επι τωι ονοματι τουτωι μηδενι αντρωπων]
Indirect command with the infinitive and double negative They will not say “Jesus,” but make a slur at “this name,” contemptuous use of houtos though they apparently do mention the name “Jesus” in Acts 4:18. [source]
It spread [διανεμηθῇ]
Only here in New Testament. Lit., be distributed. In 2 Timothy 2:17, “their word will eat as a canker,” is, literally, will have distribution or spreading ( νομὴν ἕξει ). Bengel, however, goes too far when he represents the members of the council as speaking in the figure of a canker. “They regard the whole as a canker.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 4:17

Luke 22:15 With desire I have desired []
Expressing intense desire. Compare John 3:29, rejoiceth with joy; Acts 4:17, threaten with threatening. [source]
Luke 22:15 With desire I have desired [επιτυμιαι επετυμησα]
A Hebraism common in the lxx. Associative instrumental case of substantive and first aorist active indicative of same like a cognate accusative. Peculiar to Luke is all this verse. See this idiom in John 3:29; Acts 4:17. [source]
Acts 5:28 We straitly charged [Παραγγελιαι παρηγγειλαμεν]
Like the Hebrew idiom (common in the lxx), though found in Greek, with charging (instrumental case) we charged (cf. same idiom in Luke 22:15). Somewhat like the cognate accusative. The command referred to occurs in Acts 4:17, Acts 4:18 and the refusal of Peter and John in Acts 4:20. [source]
2 Timothy 2:17 Will eat [νομὴν ἕξει]
Lit. will have pasturage, and so grow. Νομὴ πυρός aspreading of fire: a sore is said νομὴν ποιεῖσθαι tospread. Comp. Acts 4:17, διανεμηθῇ spreadof the influence of the miracle of Peter, from the same root, νέμειν todistribute or divide; often of herdsmen, to pasture. Νομὴ only here and John 10:9 [source]
James 5:17 He prayed fervently [προσευχῇ προσηύξατο]
Lit., he prayed with prayer. See a similar mode of expression, Luke href="/desk/?q=lu+22:15&sr=1">Luke 22:15; John 3:29; Acts 4:17. The addition of the cognate noun gives intenseness to the verb. [source]
1 Peter 2:23 Reviled not again [ουκ αντελοιδορει]
Imperfect active (for repeated incidents) of αντιλοιδορεω — antiloidoreō late and rare compound (Plutarch, Lucian, one papyrus example with compound following the simplex verb as here, Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary), here only in N.T. Idiomatic use of αντι — anti (in turn, return, back).Threatened not (ουκ ηπειλει — ouk ēpeilei). Imperfect again (repeated acts) of απειλεω — apeileō old compound (from απειλη — apeilē threat, Acts 9:1), in N.T. only here and Acts 4:17.But committed himself Imperfect active again (kept on committing himself) of παραδιδωμι — paradidōmi to hand over, usually of one to a judge, but here not of another (as the Sanhedrin), but himself (supply εαυτον — heauton), for Jesus uses this very idea in Luke 23:46 as he dies. Jesus thus handed himself and his cause over to the Father who judges righteously (τωι κρινοντι δικαιως — tōi krinonti dikaiōs dative of present active articular participle of κρινω — krinō). [source]
1 Peter 2:23 Threatened not [ουκ ηπειλει]
Imperfect again (repeated acts) of απειλεω — apeileō old compound (from απειλη — apeilē threat, Acts 9:1), in N.T. only here and Acts 4:17. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 4:17 mean?

But that not on further it might spread among the people let us warn them no longer to speak in the name this to no man
ἀλλ’ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων

ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
πλεῖον  further 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular, Comparative
Root: πολύς  
Sense: greater in quantity.
διανεμηθῇ  it  might  spread 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διανέμω  
Sense: to distribute, divide.
λαόν  people 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: λαός  
Sense: a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.
ἀπειλησώμεθα  let  us  warn 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀπειλέω  
Sense: to threaten, menace.
μηκέτι  no  longer 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μηκέτι  
Sense: no longer, no more, not hereafter.
λαλεῖν  to  speak 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
ὀνόματι  name 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
τούτῳ  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
μηδενὶ  to  no 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
ἀνθρώπων  man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.