Acts 4 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The arrest — and five thousand believe 4:1–4

vv. 1–3 — interrupted mid-sermon: priests, temple captain, Sadducees

And while they were speaking to the people,participial — genitive absolute — the Pentecost-sequel sermon cut off mid-word; leans on ἐπέστησαν

the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,independent — ἐφίστημι of sudden hostile arrival — cult, temple police, and party in one threefold subject

greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead,participial — causal participle with διὰ τό + two infinitives — the Sadducean motive: resurrection preached, and grounded ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ

and they laid hands on themindependent — the arrest idiom ἐπιβάλλειν τὰς χεῖρας (Luke 20:19; 21:12) — Jesus' prediction begins to land on his witnesses

and put them in custody until the next day,independent — τήρησις — legal pre-trial detention

for it was already evening.cause — procedural aside — no trial after nightfall; the hearing waits for morning

v. 4 — the growth notice: the word outruns the arrest

But many of those who had heard the word believed,independent — adversative δέ — imprisonment catalyzes growth, a Lukan pattern (6:7; 12:24)

and the number of the men came to about five thousand.independent — the second census — 3,000 (2:41) become 5,000 men; [ὡς] text-critically uncertain, read with the majority

Before the Sanhedrin — salvation in no other name 4:5–12

vv. 5–7 — the court convenes: three estates, one clan, one question

And it came to pass on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem,independent — Semitic Ἐγένετο + subject infinitive — the Sanhedrin's three estates, the Passion cast reassembled (Luke 22:66)

with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of high-priestly descent,phrase modifier — verbless name-list, nominative against the accusative ἄρχοντας — Luke's case-slip left visible; deposed Annas keeps the title though Caiaphas sits

And when they had set them in the midst,participial — judicial staging — ἐν τῷ μέσῳ, the examinee's position; leans on ἐπυνθάνοντο

they inquired:independent — inceptive imperfect — the formal interrogation opens

'By what power or by what name did you do this?'content — the credentials demand — δύναμις or ὄνομα; the contemptuous final ὑμεῖς: you, of all people

vv. 8–12 — Peter's defense: the crucified-and-raised name, the stone, the only salvation

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:independent — the Lukan filling formula (2:4; 4:31; 13:9) — Luke 12:11–12 fulfilled: words given before rulers

'Rulers of the people and elders,phrase modifier — vocative address — respectful, and an echo of the v. 5 roll-call

if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man —conditional — first-class protasis, sardonic — on trial ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ, for a benefaction; leans on γνωστὸν ἔστω

by what means this man has been saved —content — indirect question restating the court's ἐν τίνι — σέσῳσται, the perfect bridging healing to the σωτηρία of v. 12

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel,content — apodosis — γνωστὸν ἔστω, the decree formula (2:14; 28:28); the defense becomes proclamation

that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth —content — the ὅτι-content opens with the fronted name, suspended until ἐν τούτῳ resumes it — the court's own word (v. 7) answered

whom you crucified,relative — the charge — emphatic ὑμεῖς answering the court's ὑμεῖς (v. 7)

whom God raised from the dead —relative — the antithesis — the core kerygmatic reversal (2:23–24; 3:15)

by him this man stands before you well.content — the resumption (ἐν τούτῳ) — the exhibit: παρέστηκεν, perfect, standing whole in court

This is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.content — Ps 118:22, asyndetic — the Jesus-tradition's own text (Mark 12:10) turned on the builders sitting as judges: ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν

And there is salvation in no one else,content — the climax — double negative οὐκ … οὐδενί; ἡ σωτηρία, the healing widened to salvation itself

for there is no other name under heaven given among humanscause — the ground — the given (δεδομένον) name: God's provision, not the church's claim; ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, universal in scope

by which we must be saved.'relative — the divine δεῖ — salvation a necessity of God's plan, and ἡμᾶς includes the judges

The council's dilemma — and the charge to silence 4:13–22

vv. 13–14 — παρρησία observed, the exhibit standing: nothing to say

Now observing the boldness of Peter and John,participial — preposed participle leaning on ἐθαύμαζον — παρρησία, the chapter's keyword (vv. 29, 31)

and perceivingparticipial — coordinate preposed participle — the council's double take

that they were uneducated and ordinary men,content — the sociological verdict — ἀγράμματοι καὶ ἰδιῶται, no scribal training; the irony of the whole scene

they marveled,independent — imperfect — the wonder lasts

and they recognized them,independent — ἐπιγινώσκω — the dawning identification

that they had been with Jesus.content — the explanation the court supplies itself — discipleship's definition (Mark 3:14): they were with him

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them,participial — causal participle leaning on εἶχον — the perfect τεθεραπευμένον: the healing stands there in person

they had nothing to say in reply.independent — the court silenced — Luke 21:15 ('a mouth none can withstand') enacted

vv. 15–18 — the closed session: an undeniable sign, so a gag order

But having ordered them to go outside the council,participial — leans on συνέβαλλον — the accused sent out; Luke's narrator stays in the room

they were conferring with one another,independent — imperfect — the deliberation runs on

saying:participial — the speech-frame for the council's self-incriminating minutes

'What shall we do with these men?content — deliberative subjunctive — the impasse stated as a question

For that a notable sign has been performed through themcontent — fronted ὅτι subject-clause leaning on φανερόν — the council concedes the σημεῖον, in Peter's own word γνωστόν (v. 10)

is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,content — verbless predication — φανερόν: publicity, not truth, is their problem

and we cannot deny it.content — the council's οὐ δυνάμεθα — matched word for word by the apostles' οὐ δυνάμεθα (v. 20)

But in order that it spread no further among the people,purpose — fronted ἵνα μή leaning on ἀπειλησώμεθα — containment as policy; διανέμω, the word spreading like a distribution

let us warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.'content — hortatory subjunctive — a threat where a refutation should be; 'this name' left unnamed, as if avoidable

And having called them,participial — recalled for the verdict — leans on παρήγγειλαν

they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.independent — the formal charge — τὸ καθόλου, absolutely; φθέγγεσθαι, not to utter a sound

vv. 19–22 — the reply and the release: obey God, and the man was over forty

But Peter and John answered and said to them:independent — pleonastic ἀποκριθέντες + εἶπον — the two answer as one

'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God,content — fronted Εἰ indirect question, object of κρίνατε — read as question, not condition; the Socratic form (Plato, Apol. 29d the classic parallel)

you judge;content — the roles reversed — the accused hand the court its own verdict

for we are not able to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.'cause — the eyewitness necessity — οὐ δυνάμεθα … μὴ λαλεῖν, compulsion doubled; seen-and-heard, the witness formula (1:8; 2:32)

And they, having further threatened them,participial — προσαπειλέω, NT hapax — threats added on top of threats; leans on ἀπέλυσαν

released them,independent — the anticlimax — the court's whole yield is a warning

finding no way to punish them,participial — the articular indirect question τὸ πῶς — no legal handle at all

because of the people,cause — διά + accusative grounds — the λαός the rulers claim (v. 8) shields the apostles

for everyone was glorifying God for what had happened.cause — the people's verdict — imperfect δοξάζειν, ongoing praise the council dare not cross

For the man was more than forty years oldcause — narrative aside grounding the wonder — lame from birth (3:2), whole after forty years

on whom this sign of healing had been performed.relative — pluperfect γεγόνει — the sign a settled fact; τῆς ἰάσεως, the healing named at last

The community's prayer — Psalm 2 and the shaken place 4:23–31

vv. 23–24 — the report to their own, and the address to the Δεσπότης

And when they were released,participial — picking up ἀπέλυσαν (v. 21) — leans on ἦλθον

they went to their own peopleindependent — οἱ ἴδιοι — the community as the apostles' own; the new social boundary drawn

and reportedindependent — the full debrief that triggers the prayer

everything that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.relative — headless ὅσα-relative as object — the threats retold entire

And when they heard it,participial — leans on ἦραν — hearing turns straight to prayer

with one accord they lifted their voice to Godindependent — ὁμοθυμαδόν, the unanimity keyword (1:14; 2:46) — one voice, singular φωνήν; an LXX idiom of communal crying out

and said:independent — the frame — the longest prayer in Acts hangs below

'Sovereign Lord,content — δεσπότης — absolute ownership; addressed to God over against the συνέδριον's pretensions

you who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them,participial — appositional participle — the creator address (Exod 20:11; Ps 146:6): the maker of all outranks any council

vv. 25–26 — the citation: Psalm 2 through David's mouth

who through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of David your servant, said:participial — the second appositional participle — the notoriously compressed citation-frame, the harder reading kept; Spirit → mouth → David the παῖς

'Why did the nations ragecontent — Ps 2:1 LXX — φρυάσσω, the war-horse's snort

and the peoples plot in vain?content — the parallel colon — κενά: the plotting is empty before it starts (cf. v. 28)

The kings of the earth set themselves,content — Ps 2:2a — the kings take their stand

and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed.'content — Ps 2:2b — ἄρχοντες, the council's own word (vv. 5, 8); κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ, against the Anointed

vv. 27–28 — the application: it happened, in this city, within the plan

for truly in this city there were gathered against your holy servant Jesus,cause — the psalm's own verb resumed — ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας: it really happened, here; Jesus the ἅγιος παῖς, Servant language

whom you anointed —relative — ἔχρισας unpacks the psalm's χριστοῦ — anointed at the baptism (10:38; Luke 3:22)

Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel —phrase modifier — the delayed subject-list — the psalm's four actors matched one for one: kings/Herod, rulers/Pilate, ἔθνη, λαοί (plural, painfully including Israel)

to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.purpose — purpose infinitive — the conspirators unwittingly execute what χείρ and βουλή προώρισεν; the prayer's deepest confidence

vv. 29–30 — the petition: not safety but παρρησία, with the hand stretched out

And now, Lord, look upon their threats,content — καὶ τὰ νῦν — the biblical pivot from confession to petition; the threats handed over, not feared

and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,content — the petition proper — not protection but παρρησία; δοῦλοι under the Δεσπότης

while you stretch out your hand to heal,phrase modifier — ἐν τῷ + infinitive — bold speech set within God's outstretched hand (the χείρ of v. 28, now for ἴασις)

and signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus.'content — coordinate infinitive inside ἐν τῷ — the forbidden ὄνομα is precisely the asked-for instrument

v. 31 — the answer: the room shakes

And when they had prayed,participial — genitive absolute — leans on ἐσαλεύθη; the answer is immediate

the place was shakenindependent — theophanic shaking (Exod 19:18; Isa 6:4) — assent given in architecture

in which they were gathered,relative — periphrastic συνηγμένοι — the church 'gathered' answers the hostile συνήχθησαν of vv. 26–27

and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,independent — a fresh filling — ἅπαντες, the whole company, not the apostles only

and they spoke the word of God with boldness.independent — v. 29 answered verbatim — imperfect ἐλάλουν: the bold speaking simply continues

One heart and soul — and Barnabas 4:32–37

vv. 32–33 — the summary: one heart and soul, all things common, great grace

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul,independent — καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία — the friendship ideal (and Deut 6:5's whole heart and soul) made corporate

and not even one said that any of his possessions was his own,independent — οὐδὲ εἷς — ownership unrenounced in law, renounced in speech (ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι)

but everything was common to them.independent — κοινά — the Greek friendship maxim (κοινὰ τὰ φίλων) grounded in the Spirit; echoes 2:44

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,independent — δυνάμει μεγάλῃ — the court's δύναμις question (v. 7) answered in practice; imperfect ἀπεδίδουν, testimony as ongoing office

and great grace was upon them all.independent — χάρις μεγάλη — divine favour resting on the whole community (cf. Luke 2:40)

vv. 34–35 — no needy person: the mechanism of the common purse

For there was not a needy person among them;cause — Deut 15:4 ('there shall be no needy among you') enacted — ἐνδεής, only here in the NT

for as many as were owners of lands or houses,relative — fronted ὅσοι-subject leaning on ἔφερον — the propertied class within the community

selling them,participial — iterative present participle — sales as occasion arose, not one liquidation

were bringing the proceeds of what was soldcause — the mechanism — the second γάρ explains how no one lacked; imperfect ἔφερον

and laying it at the feet of the apostles;cause — παρὰ τοὺς πόδας — surrender to apostolic trusteeship; the posture Barnabas will strike

and it was distributed to each,cause — impersonal imperfect passive — ongoing distribution from the common fund

as anyone had need.comparative — καθότι ἄν + imperfect — proportioned to arising need (as 2:45), not flat equality

vv. 36–37 — Barnabas: the named exemplar

And Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostlesphrase modifier — fronted subject, suspended across the verse — resolved only by ἤνεγκεν (v. 37); the nickname is the apostles' own

(which is, being translated, 'son of encouragement'),phrase modifier — Luke's translation gloss — υἱὸς παρακλήσεως; the Aramaic may say 'son of a prophet,' but Luke's rendering governs the story

a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,phrase modifier — verbless apposition — tribe and diaspora origin; a Levite with a field to sell

since a field belonged to him,participial — genitive absolute — the one possession named; leans on ἤνεγκεν

having sold it,participial — the single aorist sale — Barnabas does once what vv. 34–35 describe as the pattern

he brought the moneyindependent — τὸ χρῆμα, singular — the whole sum, against which 5:1–11 will measure Ananias

and laid it at the feet of the apostles.independent — the exemplary gesture — v. 35's idiom repeated verbatim; the chapter closes at the apostles' feet

Analysis. Acts 4 alternates narrative and speech, and the layout shows both. The narrative spine is Luke's flush-left aorist column — ἐπέστησαν, ἐπέβαλον, ἔθεντο, ἐθαύμαζον, ἀπέλυσαν, ἐσαλεύθη — repeatedly loaded by preposed, anchor-less participles and genitive absolutes that lean forward on their verbs (Λαλούντων δὲ αὐτῶν, στήσαντες, Θεωροῦντες, κελεύσαντες, Ἀπολυθέντες, δεηθέντων αὐτῶν, ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ). Against it two speech catenae hang blue. Peter's defense (vv. 8–12) runs under εἶπεν: the sardonic first-class protasis (a trial ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ) leaning on the γνωστὸν-ἔστω apodosis, whose ὅτι-clause fronts the name of Jesus and suspends it across the paired ὃν-relatives (you crucified / God raised) until ἐν τούτῳ resumes it; then the asyndetic Ps 118:22 stone, then the double-negative climax οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία. The community's prayer (vv. 24–30) hangs under εἶπαν on the bare vocative Δέσποτα, expanded by the appositional participles ὁ ποιήσας and ὁ εἰπών — the compressed citation-frame of v. 25 kept as the harder reading — with Ps 2:1–2 one level deeper under εἰπών, and the this-really-happened γάρ of vv. 27–28 hung on the psalm's own συνήχθησαν: the delayed subject-list matches the psalm's four actors, and the purpose infinitive concedes the whole conspiracy to what God's hand and plan προώρισεν. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: the nominative name-list of v. 6 is a verbless apposition to the accusative ἄρχοντας (Luke's case-slip left visible); Εἰ in v. 19 is a fronted indirect question leaning on κρίνατε, not a condition; the over-forty aside of v. 22 grounds ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι, the crowd's praise; and Barnabas (vv. 36–37) is one suspended sentence — a fronted subject carrying Luke's μεθερμηνευόμενον gloss as a modifier, resolved only by ἤνεγκεν and ἔθηκεν at the apostles' feet.