THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - Chapter 5 - Verse 33

Verse 33. When they heard that. That which the apostle Peter had said; to wit, that they were guilty of murder; that Jesus was raised up; and that he stir lived as the Messiah.

They were cut to the heart. The word used here properly denotes to cut with a saw; and as applied to the mind, it means, to be agitated with rage and indignation, as if wrath should seize upon the mind as a saw does upon wood, and tear it violently, or agitate it severely. It is commonly used in connexion with the heart; and means that the heart is violently agitated, and rent with rage. See Ac 7:54. It is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. The reasons why they were thus indignant were, doubtless,

(1.) because the apostles had disregarded their command;

(2.) because they charged them with murder;

(3.) because they affirmed the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus, and thus tended to overthrow the sect of the Sadducees. The effect of the doctrines of the gospel is, often, to make men enraged.

Took counsel. The word rendered took counsel denotes, commonly, to will; then, to deliberate; and, sometimes, to decree, or to determine. It doubtless implies here that their minds were made up to do it; but probably the formal decree was not passed to put them to death.

{c} "they were cut" Ac 7:54 {+} "slay" "Kill"