Acts 4:19
New International Version
But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!

New Living Translation
But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?

English Standard Version
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,

Berean Standard Bible
But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.

Berean Literal Bible
But Peter and John answering, said to them, "Whether it is right before God to listen to you, rather than God, you must judge.

King James Bible
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

New King James Version
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

New American Standard Bible
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment;

NASB 1995
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;

NASB 1977
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;

Legacy Standard Bible
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, you be the judge;

Amplified Bible
But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves];

Christian Standard Bible
Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;

American Standard Version
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Shimeon Kaypha and Yohannan answered and they said to them, “If it is right before God that one should listen to you rather than to God, you judge.”

Contemporary English Version
Peter and John answered, "Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Peter and John answering, said to them: If it be just in the sight of God, to hear you rather than God, judge ye.

English Revised Version
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Peter and John answered them, "Decide for yourselves whether God wants people to listen to you rather than to him.

Good News Translation
But Peter and John answered them, "You yourselves judge which is right in God's sight--to obey you or to obey God.

International Standard Version
But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God,

Literal Standard Version
and Peter and John answering to them said, “Whether it is righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge;

Majority Standard Bible
But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.

New American Bible
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.

NET Bible
But Peter and John replied, "Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,

New Revised Standard Version
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge;

New Heart English Bible
But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,

Webster's Bible Translation
But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye.

Weymouth New Testament
But Peter and John replied, "Judge whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you instead of listening to God.

World English Bible
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves,

Young's Literal Translation
and Peter and John answering unto them said, 'Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Name Forbidden
18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. 20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”…

Cross References
Jeremiah 26:12
But Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.

Luke 22:8
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover."

Acts 4:13
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 5:28
"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man's blood."

Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men.


Treasury of Scripture

But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, judge you.

Whether.

2 Corinthians 4:2
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

1 Timothy 2:3
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

to hearken.

Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Exodus 1:17
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

1 Kings 12:30
And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

judge.

Psalm 58:1
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

John 7:24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

1 Corinthians 10:15
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

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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.














(19) Whether it be right in the sight of God . . .--The words assert the right of conscience, recognising a divine authority, to resist a human authority which opposes it. In theory, as the appeal "judge ye" showed even then, the right so claimed is of the nature of an axiom. In practice, the difficulty rises in the question, Is there the divine authority which is claimed? And the only practical answer is to be found in the rule, that men who believe they have the authority are bound to act as if they had it. If the Lord God hath spoken to them, they can but prophesy (Amos 3:8). In cases such as this, where the question is one of witness to facts, they must not tamper with the truth, if they believe themselves commissioned by God to declare the facts, for fear of offending men. When they pass from facts to doctrines inferred from facts, from doctrines to opinions, from opinions to conjectures, the duty of not saying that which they do not believe remains the same, but there is not the same obligation to proclaim what they thus hold in various stages of assent. There may be cases in which reticence is right as well as politic. And even in regard to facts, the publication--as law recognises in relation to libels--must not be gratuitous. There must be an adequate authority, or an adequate reason for disobedience to the human authority, which is binding until it is superseded by that which is higher than itself. And the onus probandi rests on the man who asserts the higher authority. Intensity of conviction may be enough for himself, but it cannot be expected that it will be so for others. In the absence of signs and wonders the question must be discussed on the wide ground of Reason and of Conscience, and the man who refuses to enter into debate on that ground because he is certain he is right is ipso facto convicted of an almost insane egotism. The words have clearly no bearing on the "froward retention" of a custom which God has not enjoined and a lawful authority has forbidden.

Verse 19. - Rather for more, A.V.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

Peter
Πέτρος (Petros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4074: Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. Apparently a primary word; a rock; as a name, Petrus, an apostle.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

John
Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2491: Of Hebrew origin; Joannes, the name of four Israelites.

replied,
ἀποκριθέντες (apokrithentes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

“Judge for yourselves
κρίνατε (krinate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2919: Properly, to distinguish, i.e. Decide; by implication, to try, condemn, punish.

whether
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

it is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

right
δίκαιόν (dikaion)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1342: From dike; equitable; by implication, innocent, holy.

in God’s sight
ἐνώπιον (enōpion)
Preposition
Strong's 1799: Neuter of a compound of en and a derivative of optanomai; in the face of.

to listen
ἀκούειν (akouein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

to you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

rather
μᾶλλον (mallon)
Adverb
Strong's 3123: More, rather. Neuter of the comparative of the same as malista; more) or rather.

than
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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