“And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:”
They produced false witnesses, who testified, 'This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law' - the false witnesses (martires pseudes) echo Matthew 26:59-61, where false witnesses accuse Jesus of saying he would destroy the temple. Stephen is accused of attacking 'this holy place' (topos hagios houtos, the temple) and 'the law' (tou nomou). These are attacks on the foundational institutions of Judaism, or so the witnesses claim.
Church Fathers on Acts 6:13
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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