Dictionaries :: Theudas

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Theudas:

thanksgiving, referred to by Gamaliel in his speech before the council at Jerusalem (Act 5:36). He headed an insurrection against the Roman authority. Beyond this nothing is known of him.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Theudas:

flowing with water

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Theudas:

thu'-das (Theudas, a contraction of Theodorus, "the gift of God"): Theudas is referred to by Gamaliel in his speech before the Sanhedrin, when he advised them as to the position they should adopt in regard to the apostles (Ac 5:36). The failure of the rebellion of Theudas was quoted by Gamaliel on this occasion as typical of the natural end of such movements as were inspired "not of God, but of men." A rising under one Theudas is also described by Josephus (Ant., XX, v, 1), but this occurred at a later date (according to Josephus about 44 or 45 AD) than the speech of Gamaliel (before 37 AD). Of theories put forward in explanation of the apparent anachronism in Gameliels speech, the two most in favor are

(1) that as there were many insurrections during the period in question, the two writers refer to different Theudases;

(2) that the reference to Theudas in the narrative of Ac was inserted by a later reviser, whose historical knowledge was inaccurate (Weiss; compare also Knowling, The Expositor's Greek Testament, II, 157-59).

Written by C. M. Kerr

Nave's Topical Bible

Theudas: A Jewish Insurrectionist

Act 5:36

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Theudas:

(God‐given) the name of an insurgent mentioned in Gamaliel's speech before the Jewish council (Acts 5:34) at the time of the arraignment of the apostles. He appeared, according to Luke's account, at the head of about four hundred men. He was probably one of the insurrectionary chiefs or fanatics by whom the land was overrun in the last year of Herod's reign. Josephus speaks of a Theudas who played a similar part in the time of Claudius, about A.D. 44; but the Theudas mentioned by St. Luke must be a different person from the one spoken of by Josephus.