John Gill 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, that every soul Every person, man or woman: which will not hear that prophet; neither believe what he says, nor do what he commands; or as it is in (Deuteronomy 18:19) "will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name": for he that hears not him, listens not to God, in whose name he spoke, and whose word he delivers, shall be destroyed from among the people;

in the Hebrew text it is, "I will require it of him"; the Hebrew word, (wmem) , there used, by having different points, may be rendered "of him", or "from his people", which seems to be the reason of this difference: and requiring often intends punishment, or a cutting off; or as Aben Ezra explains it here, ``death by the hand of heaven;'' that is, immediate destruction from God; and so Maimonides says ^F11 , he that transgresses the words of that prophet, is guilty of death by the hand of heaven; and which was remarkably fulfilled in the Jewish nation, for their rejection of Jesus as the true Messiah, and that prophet.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F11: Yesod Hattora, c. 9. sect. 4.