Acts 4:17

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀλλʼ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν, ἀπειλῇ ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς, μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων.

Transliteration

But hina not epi pleion dianemēthē to the laon, apeilē apeilēsōmetha them, no longer lalein epi the onomati this to no one of anthrōpōn.

Grammar Details

• *hina*: conjunction - that/so that
• *epi*: preposition + dative - on/in/about
• *pleion*: accusative, neuter, comparative - more/further
• *dianemēthē*: aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd singular - may be spread
• *laon*: accusative, masculine, singular - people
• *apeilē*: dative, feminine, singular - with a threat
• *apeilēsōmetha*: aorist middle subjunctive, 1st plural - let us threaten
• *lalein*: present active infinitive - to speak
• *onomati*: dative, neuter, singular - name
• *anthrōpōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - men/people

Word Meanings

• *pleion*: more/further/any more
• *dianemēthē*: may be spread/distributed/disseminated
• *apeilē* *apeilēsōmetha*: let us strictly threaten/threaten with a threat [Hebraism]
• *lalein*: to speak/talk/preach
• *epi*: on/in/about/concerning

Referenced Verses

• Acts 5:28 : 28 saying,“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood on us!”
• Acts 5:39-40 : 39 but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” He convinced them, 40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.
• Rom 10:16-18 : 16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says,“Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. 18 But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
• Rom 15:18-22 : 18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” 22 Paul’s Intention of Visiting the Romans This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you.
• 1 Thess 1:8 : 8 For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything.
• 1 Thess 2:15-16 : 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people, 16 because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.
• 2 Chr 25:15-16 : 15 The LORD was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said,“Why are you following these gods that could not deliver their own people from your power?” 16 While he was speaking, Amaziah said to him,“Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” So the prophet stopped, but added,“I know that God has decided to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”
• Ps 2:1-4 : 1 Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail? 2 The kings of the earth form a united front; the rulers collaborate against the LORD and his anointed king. 3 They say,“Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! Let’s free ourselves from their ropes!” 4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust; the Lord taunts them.
• Isa 30:8-9 : 8 Now go, write it down on a tablet in their presence, inscribe it on a scroll, so that it might be preserved for a future time as an enduring witness. 9 For these are rebellious people– they are lying children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s law. 10 They say to the visionaries,“See no more visions!” and to the seers,“Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! Tell us nice things; relate deceptive messages. 11 Turn aside from the way; stray off the path. Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.”
• Jer 20:1-3 : 1 Jeremiah is Flogged and Put in A Cell Now Pashhur son of Immer heard Jeremiah prophesy these things. He was the priest who was chief of security in the LORD’s temple. 2 When he heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had the prophet flogged. Then he put him in the stocks which were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the LORD’s temple. 3 But the next day Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks. When he did, Jeremiah said to him,“The LORD’s name for you is not‘Pashhur’ but‘Terror is Everywhere.’
• Jer 29:25-32 : 25 that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel has a message for him. Tell him,‘On your own initiative you sent a letter to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem. In your letter you said to Zephaniah, 26 “The LORD has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. He has put you in charge in the LORD’s temple of controlling any lunatic who pretends to be a prophet. And it is your duty to put any such person in the stocks with an iron collar around his neck. 27 You should have reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth who is pretending to be a prophet among you! 28 For he has even sent a message to us here in Babylon. He wrote and told us,“You will be there a long time. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.”’” 29 Zephaniah the priest read that letter to the prophet Jeremiah. 30 Then the LORD’s message came to Jeremiah. 31 “Send a message to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them,‘The LORD has spoken about Shemaiah the Nehelamite.“Shemaiah has spoken to you as a prophet even though I did not send him. He is making you trust in a lie. 32 Because he has done this,” the LORD says,“I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. There will not be any of them left to experience the good things that I will do for my people. I, the LORD, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the LORD.”’”
• Jer 38:4 : 4 So these officials said to the king,“This man must be put to death. For he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city as well as all the other people there by these things he is saying. This man is not seeking to help these people but is trying to harm them.”
• Dan 2:34-35 : 34 You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.
• Amos 2:12 : 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; you commanded the prophets,‘Do not prophesy!’
• Amos 7:12-17 : 12 Amaziah then said to Amos,“Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living and prophesy there! 13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!” 14 Amos replied to Amaziah,“I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees. 15 Then the LORD took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission,‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’ 16 So now listen to the LORD’s message! You say,‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’ 17 “Therefore this is what the LORD says:‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets and your sons and daughters will die violently. Your land will be given to others and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’”
• Mic 2:6-7 : 6 ‘Don’t preach with such impassioned rhetoric,’ they say excitedly.‘These prophets should not preach of such things; we will not be overtaken by humiliation.’ 7 Does the family of Jacob say,‘The LORD’s patience can’t be exhausted– he would never do such things’? To be sure, my commands bring a reward for those who obey them,
• Matt 27:64 : 64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people,‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
• John 11:47-48 : 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said,“What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”
• Acts 4:21 : 21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.
• Acts 4:29-30 : 29 And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, 30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
• Acts 5:24 : 24 Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.