Acts 5:24

Acts 5:24. Now when the high priest. For the word rendered high priest here, in the original Greek we find only ι ̔ ερου ͂, priest that is, the priest just mentioned in Acts 5:21, and who we have explained was Annas.

The captain of the temple. As before, the Jewish priest in command of the Levite guard of the Temple. This ‘priestly' captain was most probably himself one of the ‘chief priests,' and in consequence had a seat in the Sanhedrim.

The chief priests. This order is supposed to have been made up (1) of those distinguished men who had formerly borne the title and rank of high priest (Caiaphas, for instance), an office which we know at this time was only held during the pleasure of the Roman Government; (2) of the heads of the twenty-four priestly courses.

They doubted of them whereunto this would grow. The strange unexplained escape filled them with terror; but this new incident would only serve to excite the popular mind, already so much moved in favour of the new sect.