Acts 4:7When they had stood them in the middle of them, they inquired, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
The setting
Jerusalem, ~31 AD. Solomon's Colonnade in the Temple. Peter and John stand before the same Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus weeks earlier...
The emotion here: intimidating but secretly curious
The original word
dunamis (δυνάμει) — divine power, miraculous force, same word for God's creation power
Why it matters
This was the same court that had condemned Jesus just weeks before
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 4:7
The irony — they're asking about the power that just healed someone
Common misconceptionPeople think this was a neutral inquiry. These were the same leaders who crucified Jesus — they were trying to trap the apostles.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 4:7
Bible Genome reading
Acts 4:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 4:7 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to religious_leaders. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include interrogation, authority. Notable phrases: By what power; in what name; have you done this.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Acts 4:7 mean to you, today?
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