Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 3:23

"And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people." — Acts 3:23 (ASV)

And it shall come to pass. This means it shall be or shall occur. This is not the usual word translated "it shall come to pass." It is a word commonly expressing futurity, but here it conveys the notion of obligation. In this verse, Peter has not quoted the passage in Deuteronomy literally, but he has given the sense.

Every soul. This means every person, or individual. The word "soul" is often used for the whole person by the Hebrews (Acts 7:14; Joshua 10:28).

Hear that prophet. That is, obey his instructions. He will have authority to declare the will of God; and whoever does not obey him refuses to obey God (John 13:20).

Shall be destroyed. This quotation is made according to the sense, and not literally. In the Hebrew, the expression is (Deuteronomy 18:19), I will require it of him, that is, I will hold him answerable, or responsible for it; I will punish him. The Septuagint has rendered this expression as I will take vengeance on him. The idea of the passage is, therefore, that God would punish the person who would not hear the prophet, without specifying the particular way in which it would be done.

The usual mode of punishing such offences was by cutting the offender off from among the people (Exodus 30:33; Exodus 12:15, 19; Exodus 31:14; Numbers 15:31; Numbers 19:13; Leviticus 7:20–21, 25, 27; and others). The sense is that he would be punished in the usual manner; that is, by excision, or by being destroyed from among the people.

The word translated shall be destroyed properly means to exterminate; wholly to devote to ruin, as in the case of a wicked people, a wicked person whose life is taken, and so on. To be destroyed from among the people means, however, to be excommunicated, or to be deprived of the privileges of a people.

Among the Jews, this was probably the most severe punishment that could be inflicted. It involved the idea of being cut off from the privileges of sacrifice and worship in the temple and in the synagogue, and so on, and of being regarded as a heathen and an outcast. The idea Peter expressed here was that the Jews had exposed themselves to the severest punishment by rejecting and crucifying the Lord Jesus, and that they should therefore repent of this great sin and seek mercy.

The same remark is still applicable to people today. The Scriptures abundantly declare the truth that if sinners will not hear the Lord Jesus, they will be destroyed. And each individual should inquire with honesty whether they listen to his instructions and obey his law, or whether they are rejecting him and following the devices and desires of their own hearts.