And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

'THEY BEAT THEM'-A common mode of punishment among the Jews. One was beaten 39 times (2 Corinthians 11:24). Carefully note that they agreed with Gamaliel's advice to. point. They would let the apostles live and go free, but at the same time 'The members of the Sanhedrin may have felt that their honor was at stake, and that, if the apostles departed untouched, they themselves would be regarded as having proceeded against innocent men.' (Reese p. 227) They were beaten to give the public the impression that the apostles had been guilty of some offence.

The beating was also probably carried out with incredible force, seeing that the apostles had twice defied the Sanhedrin, and in fact had embarrassed these religious leaders. The apostles would leave bleeding and torn.

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Old Testament