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Acts 5:39

But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

KJV

εἰ δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς, μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε.

Greek NT

si vero ex Deo est, non poteritis dissolvere illud, ne forte et Deo repugnare inveniamini. Consenserunt autem illi.

Vulgate

but if it is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God.

ASV

But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. And they consented to him.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

13 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
δύναμαι
dunamai
verb · 209×
εἰ
ei
conditional · 491×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
εὑρίσκω
eurisko
verb · 175×
θεομάχος
theomachos
adjective · 1×
θεός
theos
noun · 1311×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
καταλύω
kataluo
verb · 17×
μήποτε
mepote
adverb · 25×
οὐ
ou
particle · 1626×
ἐκ
ek
preposition · 915×

Textual variants

2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: δυνήσεσθε | WH/Treg/NIV: δυνήσεσθε | RP: δύνασθε
  • δυνήσεσθεSBLGNT
  • δυνήσεσθεWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • δύνασθεRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: αὐτούς | WH/Treg/NIV: αὐτούς | RP: αὐτό
  • αὐτούςSBLGNT
  • αὐτούςWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • αὐτόRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

3 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

1. Nothing can be clearer or mightier than the truth, just as nothing is weaker than falsehood, though it be shaded by ten thousand veils. For even so it is easily detected, it easily melts away. But truth stands forth unveiled for all that will behold her beauty; she seeks no concealment, dreads no danger, trembles at no plots, desires not glory from the many, is accountable t…

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 1:25 — Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
  • 1Cor 10:22 — Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
  • 1Kgs 12:24 — Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the L
  • 2Chr 13:12 — And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye sh
  • 2Kgs 19:22 — Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
  • 2Sam 5:2 — Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Isr
  • Acts 6:10 — And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
  • Acts 6:10 — And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
  • Acts 7:51 — Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
  • Acts 9:5 — And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
  • Acts 11:17 — Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
  • Acts 23:9 — And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight a
  • Dan 4:35 — And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto h
  • Dan 4:35 — And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto h
  • Eccl 3:14 — I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
  • Exod 10:3 — And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
  • Gen 24:50 — Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
  • Isa 43:13 — Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
  • Isa 45:9 — Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
  • Isa 46:10 — Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
  • Isa 46:10 — Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
  • Isa 46:11 — Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
  • Jer 26:19 — Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus migh
  • Job 15:25 — For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
  • Job 34:29 — When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
  • Job 40:9 — Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
  • Luke 21:15 — For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
  • Matt 16:18 — And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
  • Prov 21:30 — There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
  • Prov 21:30 — There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
  • Ps 35:1 — Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
  • Rev 17:12 — And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.