Acts Chapter 3 verse 15 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 15. - Raised for bath raised, A.V. The Prince of life; a remarkable title here given to our Lord, to bring out the contrast between him whom they preferred and him whom they rejected. Barabbas was a murderer, one who took away human life for his own base ends; the other was the Prince and Author of life, who was come into the world, not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. This title, taken in connection with the preceding declaration, "God hath glorified his Servant Jesus," seems almost to be a reminiscence of our Savior's prayer," Father,... glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him" (John 17:1, 2). Jesus himself in very many places dwells upon his own great prerogative of giving life: "I am come that they might have life, and.., have it more abundantly" (John 10:10); "I am that Bread of life;" "I am the living Bread ... if any man cat of this bread, he shall live for ever;" "I give... my flesh for the life of the world;" "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life;" "They that hear shall live;" "As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" "The Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should... have eternal life;" "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The word ἀρχηγός applied to Christ is found also in Acts 5:31, and in Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 12:2, rendered the "Author or Captain of their salvation," "of our faith." Whereof we are witnesses (see Acts 2:22, note). The marginal rendering of whom is equally literal, and may be defended by reference to Acts 1:8; Acts 13:31; but the rendering whereof is in accordance with the more frequent phrases (Acts 5:32; Acts 10:39, etc.). The meaning is practically the same.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) And killed the Prince of life.--The word translated "Prince" is applied to Christ here and in Acts 5:31. In Hebrews 2:10 we meet with it in "the Captain of their salvation;" in Hebrews 12:2, in "the Author and Finisher of our faith." Its primary meaning, like that of prince (princeps), is one who takes the lead--who is the originator of that to which the title is attached. The "Prince of life," the "Captain of salvation," is accordingly He who is the source from which life and salvation flow. In the LXX. of the Old Testament it is used for the "chieftains" or "princes" of Moab and the like (Numbers 13:3; Numbers 24:17).Whereof we are witnesses.--St. Peter falls back, as in Acts 2:32 (where see Note), on this attestation to the one central fact. . . .