Acts 5:14

μᾶλλον δέ προσετίθεντο : the favour of the people which still protected the Church (cf. Acts 5:17) resulted in further increase of believers, “were the more added,” um so mehr; imperfect, signifying the continuous growth of the Church; on the verb see Acts 2:41. πλήθη, plural (only here in N.T.), because not only men as in Acts 4:4, but women also (Weiss), but Bengel “pluralis grandis: jam non initur numerus, uti 4, 4,” to the same effect Blass, “sæpe fiebat ut magnus numerus accederet, inde plur. hic tantum N.T.”. On St. Luke's characteristic fondness for this and similar words see Acts 4:32. γυναικῶν : this mention of women forms as it were an introduction to the further mention in Acts 6:1 ff., cf. Acts 8:3, where women are again mentioned amongst the victims in the general persecution of the Church (see Plumptre's note, in loco). This constant reference to the share of women in the ministry of the Gospel and the life of the Church is characteristic of St. Luke in both his writings.