Section 4:23–31

The believers prayed to speak boldly about Jesus

In this section, Peter and John went to meet with the other believers and told them what the Jewish leaders had said to them. The believers prayed to God. At the end of their prayer they asked him to help them to speak boldly about Jesus, and they prayed that Jesus would help them to heal people and do other miracles. God indicated that he had answered their prayer by shaking the place where they had gathered. Also, his Spirit enabled them to continue boldly telling people the message from God about Jesus.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The believers prayed for boldness and power
-or-
The believers prayed about the leaders who oppose them

Paragraph 4:23

4:23a

On their release: This phrase in Greek is literally “having been released.” In Greek, this verb is passive. Here are some ways to translate it:

• As a passive clause. For example:

When they were released (Revised Standard Version)

• As an active clause. For example:

When the leaders released them

• Without using a verb, as the Berean Standard Bible.

release: This word has the same meaning as in “they let them go” in 4:21. Translate it in the same or similar way here.

their own people: This phrase refers to the other believers who were in Jerusalem. It includes the other apostles. It implies that the believers were like family to Peter and John.

4:23b

reported: This word refers to fully telling about something. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

informed
-or-
told in detail

everything that: This phrase in Greek is literally “what-things.” It refers to what the leaders said to Peter and John in 4:7–21. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

what (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
all that (New International Version)

chief priests: A Jewish priest was a religious leader who:

(a) sacrificed animals and other things to God for the people,

(b) did other rituals for the people,

(c) led the people in worshiping God,

(d) taught the people about God.

The priests worked mainly at the temple or in the temple area. The phrase chief priests refers to the leaders among these priests. Here are some other ways to translate chief priests:

the leading/ruling priests
-or-
the elders among the Jewish sacrificers

elders: See how you translated this word in 4:5.

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