Gamaliel

recompense of God; camel of God

Gamaliel

(recompense of God).

1. Son of Pedahzur; prince or captain of the tribe of Manasseh at the census at Sinai, (Numbers 1:10; 20:20; 7:54,59) and at starting on the march through the wilderness. ch. (Numbers 10:23) (B.C. 1490.)
2. A pharisee and celebrated doctor of the law, who gave prudent worldly advice in the Sanhedrin respecting the treatment of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. (Acts 5:34) ff. (A.D. 29.) We learn from (Acts 22:3) that he was the preceptor of St. Paul. He is generally identified with the very celebrated Jewish doctor Gamaliel, grandson of Hillel, and who is referred to as authority in the Jewish Mishna.

Gamaliel

A celebrated Pharisee in the generation after Christ, a doctor of the law, and member of the Sanhedrin. He possessed great influence among the Jews, and is said by some to have presided over the Sanhedrin during the reigns of Tiberius, Cains, and Claudius. The Talmundists say that he was the son of Rabbi Simeon, and grandson of Hillel, the celebrated teacher of the law, and that upon his death the glory of the law departed. His noble intervention before the Sanhedrin saved the apostles from an ignominious death, and shows that he was gifted with great wisdom and tolerance, if not strongly inclined towards the gospel, Acts 5:33-40. The apostle Paul thought it a high honor to have been one of his pupils, Acts 22:3, and no doubt received from him not only a zealous enthusiasm for the Jewish law, but many lessons of candor, impartiality, and liberality. His high renown, however, among the Jewish rabbins of later ages, seems inconsistent with the tradition that he embraced Christianity.

Reward of God.

(1.) A chief of the tribe of Manasseh at the census at Sinai (Numbers 1:10; 2:20; 7:54, 59).

(2.) The son of rabbi Simeon, and grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel. He was a Pharisse, and therefore the opponent of the party of the Sadducees. He was noted for his learning, and was president of the Sanhedrim during the regins of Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius, and died, it is said, about eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem.

When the apostles were brought before the council, charged with preaching the resurrection of Jesus, as a zealous Pharisee Gamaliel councelled moderation and calmness. By a reference to well-known events, he advised them to "refrain from these men." If their work or counsel was of man, it would come to nothing; but if it was of God, they could not destroy it, and therefore ought to be on their guard lest they should be "found fighting against God" (Acts 5:34-40). Paul was one of his disciples (22:3).

GAMALIEL

ga-ma'-li-el (gamli'el, "reward or recompense of God"; Gamaliel):

(1) The son of Pedahzur, and "prince of the children of Manasseh," chosen to aid in taking the census in the Wilderness (Numbers 1:10; Numbers 2:20; Numbers 7:54, 59; 10:23).

(2) A Pharisee who at the meeting of the "council" succeeded in persuading its members to adopt a more reasonable course when they were incensed at the doctrine of Peter and the rest of the apostles and sought to slay them (Acts 5:33-40). That he was well qualified for this task is attested by the fact that he was himself a member of the Sanhedrin, a teacher of the law, and held in high honor among all the people. In his speech he pointed out to his fellow-councilors the dire consequences that might ensue upon any precipitous action on their part. While quoting instances, familiar to his hearers, of past insurrections or seditions that had failed, he reminded them at the same time that if this last under Peter "is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God." As a result of his arguments, the apostles, after being beaten and admonished to speak no longer in the name of Jesus, were released. In the speech which he was permitted by Lysias to deliver from the stairs of the palace after the riot in Jerusalem, Paul referred to Gamaliel as the teacher of his youth, who instructed him rigidly in the Mosaic law (Acts 22:3).

The toleration and liberality displayed by Gamaliel upon the occasion of his speech before the Sanhedrin were all the more remarkable because of their rarity among the Pharisees of the period. Although the strict observance by the Christians of temple worship, and their belief in immortality, a point in dispute between Pharisees and Sadducees, may have had influence over him (Knowling), no credence is to be attached to the view that he definitely favored the apostles or to the tradition that he afterward became a Christian. The high place accorded him in Jewish tradition, and the fact that the title of Rabban, higher even than Rabbi or Master, was first bestowed upon him, testify that he remained a Pharisee to the end. His speech is rather indicative of one who knew the deeper truth in the Old Testament of the universal fatherhood of God, and who recognized that the presence of His power was the. deciding factor in all human enterprise. His social enactments were permeated by the same broad-minded spirit. Thus his legislation on behalf of the poor was formulated so as to include Gentiles as well as Jews. The authenticity of his speech has been questioned by Wendt and others, chiefly on account of the alleged anachronism in regard to Theudas (see THEUDAS); but the internal evidence is against this view (compare Knowling in The Expositor Greek Test., II, 161). It has also been objected by Baur and the Tubingen school that the liberal, peace-loving Gamaliel could not have been the teacher of the fanatical Saul. To this, reply has been made, firstly, that the charges against Stephen of destroying the temple and subverting the laws of Moses were not brought against Peter and the other apostles, and, secondly, that the doctrines of any teacher, however moderate he himself may be, are liable to be carried to extremes by an over-zealous pupil.

LITERATURE.

Conybeare and Howson, Life and Epistles of Paul, chapter ii; Kitto, Cyclopaedia of Biblical Lit., 1866, article "Gamaliel" (Ginsberg).

C. M. Kerr

1059. Gamaliel -- Gamaliel, a renowned teacher of the law
... 1058, 1059. Gamaliel. 1060 . Gamaliel, a renowned teacher of the law.
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1059.htm - 6k1583. Gamliel -- a Manassite
... 1582, 1583. Gamliel. 1584 . a Manassite. Transliteration: Gamliel Phonetic
Spelling: (gam-lee-ale') Short Definition: Gamaliel. ... Gamaliel. ...
/hebrew/1583.htm - 6k

Gamaliel's Counsel
... GAMALIEL'S COUNSEL. ... The little that is known of Gamaliel seems to indicate just such
a man as would be likely to have given the advice in the text. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/gamaliels counsel.htm

The Counsel of Gamaliel.
... LECTURES LECTURE VII. THE COUNSEL OF GAMALIEL. Chap. v.34-42. ... Intolerance was natural
to such a sect. But Gamaliel was an honourable exception. ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture vii the counsel of.htm

Speech of Gamaliel.
... Book I. Chapter LXVII."Speech of Gamaliel. "If I, Gamaliel, deem it no
reproach either to my learning or to my old age to learn ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter lxvii speech of gamaliel.htm

Tumult Stilled by Gamaliel.
... Book I. Chapter LXV."Tumult Stilled by Gamaliel. "When I had thus spoken,
the whole multitude of the priests were in a rage, because ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter lxv tumult stilled by gamaliel.htm

Annas and Caiaphas, Summas and Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi...
... Part I."The Acts of Pilate. Latin Form. Chapter 1. Annas and Caiaphas, Summas
and Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi? Annas and Caiaphas ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of nicodemus /chapter 1 annas and caiaphas.htm

Usha
... to Usha, and from Usha to Shepharaam." The Gloss is, "To Jabneh in the days of Rabban
Jochanan (Ben Zaccai); to Usha in the days of Rabban Gamaliel: but they ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 84 usha.htm

Some Associated Questions
... A much more difficult case occurs in Acts 5:36-37, where Gamaliel in addressing
the Sanhedrin says: "Before these days rose up Theudas, giving himself out to ...
/.../ramsay/was christ born in bethlehem/chapter 12 some associated questions.htm

Jabneh. Jamnia.
... Rabban Gamaliel, St. ... Gamaliel died eighteen years before the Temple was destroyed;
and his son Rabban Simeon succeeded him, who perished with the city. ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 15 jabneh jamnia.htm

Appendix iii. Rabbinic views as to the Lawfulness of Images ...
... This more liberal tendency had, indeed, appeared at a much earlier period, in the
case of the Nasi Gamaliel II., who made use of a public bath at Acco in which ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix iii rabbinic views as.htm

Acts xxi. 39, 40
... beginning thus: "I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia,
yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xlvii acts xxi 39.htm

Gamaliel (7 Occurrences)
... When the apostles were brought before the council, charged with preaching the
resurrection of Jesus, as a zealous Pharisee Gamaliel councelled moderation and ...
/g/gamaliel.htm - 13k

Pedahzur (5 Occurrences)
... Rock of redemption, the father of Gamaliel and prince of Manasseh at the time of
the Exodus (Numbers 1:10; 2:20). ... Of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. ...
/p/pedahzur.htm - 8k

Gama'liel (5 Occurrences)
... Gamaliel, Gama'liel. Gama'li-el . ... Numbers 1:10 Of the children of Joseph: of
Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur ...
/g/gama'liel.htm - 7k

Pedah'zur (5 Occurrences)
... Pedah'zur (5 Occurrences). Numbers 1:10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama
the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. (See RSV) ...
/p/pedah'zur.htm - 7k

Theudas (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Thanksgiving, referred to by Gamaliel in his speech
before the council at Jerusalem (Acts 5:36). He headed ...
/t/theudas.htm - 8k

Manas'seh (123 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). Numbers 1:10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son
of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. (See RSV). ...
/m/manas'seh.htm - 35k

Gama'li-el (2 Occurrences)
... Acts 5:34 but a certain one, having risen up in the sanhedrim -- a Pharisee, by
name Gamaliel, a teacher of law honoured by all the people -- commanded to put ...
/g/gama'li-el.htm - 7k

Scribes (85 Occurrences)
... Thus Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin, when the apostles were before them charged
with "teaching in this name," to "refrain from these men and let them alone ...
/s/scribes.htm - 49k

Leader (183 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV NIV). Numbers 2:20 "Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and
the prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. ...
/l/leader.htm - 35k

Manasseh (140 Occurrences)
... a boy, with the inscription "The cloud of Yahweh rested on them until they went
forth out of the camp." At Sinai the prince of the tribe was Gamaliel, son of ...
/m/manasseh.htm - 68k

Who was Gamaliel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Theudas in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the story of Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus