OrthJBC - Acts - 4

4:1  Now while they were speaking to the people, the kohanim and the Sar Tzeva haHeikhal, and the Tzedukim (Sadducees), approached them,

4:2  being greatly annoyed, because they were teaching HaAm and preaching in Yehoshua the Techiyas HaMesim.

4:3  And they took them with their hands, and put them in the beis hasohar until the next day, for it was already erev.

4:4  And many of the ones having listened to the dvar Hashem had emunah; and the number of the men came be lav davka (approximately) chameshet alafim.

4:5  And it came about on the next day their manhigim and Zekenim and the Sofrim were gathered together in Yerushalayim,

4:6  and also Anan the Kohen Gadol and Caiapha and Yochanan and Alexander and as many as were of the mishpochah of the Kohen Gadol.

4:7  And when they had placed the Moshiach's Shluchim in their midst, they were inquiring, "By what ko'ach (power) or in what Shem have you done this?"

4:8  Then Kefa, having been filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, said to them, "Sarei HaAm and Zekenim,

4:9  "if we today are being examined on account of a ma'aseh tov done to a handicapped man, as to by what means this one has been given refuah shleimah,

4:10  "let it be known to all of you and to Klal Yisroel, that b'Shem Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yeshoshua of Natzeret, whom you hanged on HaAitz (Devarim 21:22), whom Hashem made to stand up alive again from haMesim--by this Shem this man stands here before you bari ulam.

4:11  "He [Yehoshua] is the EVEN MA'ASU ("which was rejected") by you, HABONIM ("the builders"), which HAY'TAH LEROSH PINNAH ("became the very corner") stone. [Tehillim 118:22; Yeshayah 28:16; Zecharyah 10:4]

4:12  "And there is no Yeshu'at Eloheinu in any other, for there is no other Shem under Shomayim that has been given among bnei Adam, by which it is necessary for you to be spared [the Mishpat Hashem in the Yom HaDin]."

4:13  Now observing the bittachon of Kefa and Yochanan, and having perceived that they are not yeshiva trained Torah teachers, they were marvelng and began to recognize them, that they had been with Yehoshua.

4:14  And seeing the man who had received refuah shleimah standing with them, they had nothing to say keneged (in opposition) to it.

4:15  And having ordered the Shluchim to step outside the Sanhedrin chambers, they began conferring with one another,

4:16  saying, "What should we do with these anashim? For that a remarkable ot (miraculous sign) has occurred through them is evident to all the ones inhabiting Yerushalayim, and we are not able to make hakhchashah (denial) of the fact.

4:17  "But lest it may be spread further among HaAm Yisroel, let us warn them no longer to speak to any man b'Shem HaZeh."

4:18  And, having summoned them, they commanded them not to give drashot or shiurim b'Shem Yehoshua at all. [Amos 7:13]

4:19  But Kefa and Yochanan in reply said to them, "If it is tov before Hashem to listen to you rather than to Hashem, you be the Beit Din Dayan;

4:20  "For we are not able to cease speaking about what we saw and heard [as edey re'iyah (eyewitnesses)]." [Iyov 32:18; Yirmeyah 20:9; Amos 3:8]

4:21  And when they had threatened them further, they released them, finding no basis on which they might punish them, because of the people, vi-bahlt (since) all were crying "Baruch Hashem!" on account of what had happened.

4:22  For the man was more than arba'im shanah (forty years) old, upon whom this ot (miraculous sign) of refu'ah had been brought about. THE MA'AMINIM IN REBBE, MELECH HAMOSHIACH DAVEN, MAKING PETITION FOR OMETZ LEV (COURAGE, BOLDNESS) TO BE POURED OUT ON THEM BY HASHEM FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROCLAIMING THE BESURAS HAGEULAH

4:23  And, after having been released, the Moshiach's Shluchim came to their own, and reported all the things the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim had said to them.

4:24  And having heard this, the people lifted their voices to Hashem with one mind, and said, "Rabbono shel Olam, you are the one BARAH ES HASHOMAYIM V'ES HA'ARETZ and the yam and all that is in them, [Bereshis 1:1; Nechemyah 9:6; Iyov 41:11; Yeshayah 37:16; Tehillim 146:6; Shemot 20:11]

4:25  "and you are the one who by the Ruach Hakodesh through the mouth of Avinu Dovid your eved, said, LAMMAH RAGSHU GOYIM UL'UMMIM YEHIGU RIK ("Why did the Goyim rage and the peoples plot vain and futile things?")

4:26  YITYATZVU MALKHEI ERETZ V'ROZNIM NOSEDU YACHAD AL HASHEM V'AL MOSHIACHO (`The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers assembled together against Hashem and against His Moshiach.') [Tehillim 2:1,2; Daniel 9:25]

4:27  "For be'emes in this Ir, keneged (in opposition, against) thy Eved HaKadosh Yehoshua whom you did anoint, there were assembled both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Goyim and HaAm Yisroel, [Tehillim 61:1, 2:1f; Yeshayah 53; Zecharyah 12:10]

4:28  "to do whatever that was by your hand and by your ratzon nigzar merosh (predestined) to occur.

4:29  "And now, Adonoi, look upon their threats and grant that your avadim may speak your dvar with all ometz lev (courage, boldness), [Tehillim 138:3]

4:30  "while you stretch out your hand for refu'ah and otot and moftim to occur through the Shem of your Eved HaKadosh Yehoshua."

4:31  And after they had davened, the place in which they had assembled was shaken and everyone was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh and they were speaking the dvar Hashem with ometz lev (courage, boldness).

4:32  Now the velt (community) of the ones having had emunah were achdut in lev (heart) and nefesh (soul), and not one was saying that any of the possessions belonging to him was his own, but everything to them was in common.

4:33  And with gevaltike (extraordinary) ko'ach (power) the Moshiach's Shluchim were giving edut (testimony) of the Techiyas HaMesim of Yehoshua Adoneinu and great Chen v'Chesed Hashem was upon them all. THE AUTHOR IS NOT ADVOCATING COMMUNISM; HE IS DESCRIBING THE TEVA (CHARACTER) OF THE ESCHATOLOGICAL URGENCY AND SIMCHA AND AHAVAH AMONG YEHUDIM WHO HAVE EMUNAH IN MOSHIACH IN THE BRIT CHADASHA KEHILLAH DURING THIS EARLY TEKUFA (PERIOD) WHEN THE GOYIM HAD NOT YET ENTERED THE PICTURE AND HASATAN HAD NOT YET COME IN WITH OTHERS LIKE CHANANYAH AND SHAPPIRA; THE HISHTADLUS (PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION, EFFORTS TOWARD A GOAL, INITIATIVE) OF BAR-NABBA ARE DESCRIBED AS A BACKDROP OF TOV AGAINST WHICH TO VIEW THE RAH, AND BAR-NABBA IS INTRODUCED AS A CRUCIAL INSTRUMENT IN RAV SHA'UL'S FIRST WORLD OUTREACH JOURNEY, MOSHIACH'S SHLICHUT TO THE NATIONS, WHICH, AS WE WILL SEE, KEFA ANTICIPATES WITH CORNELIUS

4:34  For there was no one needy among them, for as many as were owners of sadot or batim were selling them and were bringing the proceeds of the sale

4:35  and were placing them at the feet of Moshiach's Shluchim and were distributing to each one as anyone was nitzrach (needy).

4:36  And Yosef, a Levi from Cyprus, a man having been named Bar-Nabba, by the Moshiach's Shluchim, a name which being translated means, "Son of Encouragement,"

4:37  this one owned a sadeh and, when he sold it, brought the kesef and laid it at the feet of Moshiach's Shluchim.