Acts 4:17 (KJV)

Passage

But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

Nearby Context

Acts 4:15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

Acts 4:16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

Acts 4:17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

Acts 4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "spread", "further", "people", "straitly", "threaten", "speak", "henceforth", and "name". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "spread" and "further", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Saying What shall we do to these..." into verse 18's "And they called them and commanded them...", so "spread" and "further" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "spread" and "further" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.