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When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Acts 5:33 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were determined to kill them.
  • BSB When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death.
  • NKJV When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.
  • NASB But when they heard this, they became infuriated and nearly decided to execute them.
  • NLT When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Cut to the heart, the council is determined to kill the apostles. The gospel provokes fierce resistance in hardened hearts.

Overview

The same truth that brings repentance to some only enrages those who refuse it. 'Cut to the heart' here is fury, not the godly sorrow seen at Pentecost. Their murderous intent shows how far opposition to Christ can drive otherwise religious men.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Acts 7:54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
  • Luke 4:28–29And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
  • Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
  • John 16:2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
  • Matt 24:9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
  • Gen 4:5–8But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
  • Matt 23:34–35Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
  • Matt 10:21And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
  • Matt 10:25It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
  • Ps 37:12–15The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
  • Luke 11:50–54That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
  • Acts 22:22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
  • Luke 19:45–48And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
  • Ps 37:32–33The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
  • John 15:20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
  • Ps 64:2–8Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
  • Luke 6:11And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
  • Acts 9:23And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
  • Luke 20:19And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 5:33YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 5:33 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.