“Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.”
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, 'We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God' - the opposition shifts to conspiracy. They suborn witnesses (subornō, secretly persuade) to accuse Stephen of 'blasphemous words' (rhēmata blasphaema). The charge mirrors the false accusation against Jesus before the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:65-71). The fabricated nature of the charges ('heard Stephen speak') parallels the false witnesses at Jesus's trial.
Church Fathers on Acts 6:11
Then there arose certain of them of the synagogue. Acts 6:9 Again he uses the phrase of rising up (ἀ νάστασιν, Hom. xiii. p. 81), to denote their exasperation and wrath. Here we have a great multitude. And observe the difference in the form of accusation: for since Gamaliel had stopped them from finding fault on the former plea, they bring in another charge. And there rose up, it says, certain of them of the synagogue of those who are called (τὥν λεγομένων. Edd. τἥς…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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