Acts 23:7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

◄ Acts 23:7 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

English Standard Version
And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

New American Standard Bible
As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

King James Bible
And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

International Standard Version
After he said that, an angry quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided,

American Standard Version
And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided.

Darby Bible Translation
And when he had spoken this, there was a tumult of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

Young's Literal Translation
And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

23:6-11 The Pharisees were correct in the faith of the Jewish church. The Sadducees were no friends to the Scripture or Divine revelation; they denied a future state; they had neither hope of eternal happiness, nor dread of eternal misery. When called in question for his being a Christian, Paul might truly say he was called in question for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. It was justifiable in him, by this profession of his opinion on that disputed point, to draw off the Pharisees from persecuting him, and to lead them to protect him from this unlawful violence. How easily can God defend his own cause! Though the Jews seemed to be perfectly agreed in their conspiracy against religion, yet they were influenced by very different motives. There is no true friendship among the wicked, and in a moment, and with the utmost ease, God can turn their union into open enmity. Divine consolations stood Paul in the most stead; the chief captain rescued him out of the hands of cruel men, but the event he could not tell. Whoever is against us, we need not fear, if the Lord stand by us. It is the will of Christ, that his servants who are faithful, should be always cheerful. He might think he should never see Rome; but God tells him, even in that he should be gratified, since he desired to go there only for the honour of Christ, and to do good.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

6-9. when Paul perceived—from the discussion which plainly had by this time arisen between the parties.

that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out—raising his voice above both parties.

I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee—The true reading seems to be, "the son of Pharisees," that is, belonging to a family who from father to son had long been such.

of the hope and resurrection of the dead—that is, not the vague hope of immortality, but the definite expectation of the resurrection.

I am called in question—By this adroit stroke, Paul engages the whole Pharisaic section of the council in his favor; the doctrine of a resurrection being common to both, though they would totally differ in their application of it. This was, of course, quite warrantable, and the more so as it was already evident that no impartiality in trying his cause was to be looked for from such an assembly.