Theudas Θευδᾶς
Jewish rebel leader killed by Roman authorities
Who is Theudas in the Bible?
Theudas was a Jewish rebel leader mentioned in Acts 5:36 as a cautionary example of a failed messianic pretender. According to the apostle Peter's account, Theudas rose up claiming to be someone important and attracted about four hundred followers, but he was killed by Roman authorities and his movement was scattered. The respected Pharisee Gamaliel cited Theudas, along with Judas the Galilean, as examples of human-led rebellions that naturally came to nothing, using these failed movements to argue that the apostles' message should not be forcibly suppressed, since any movement not of God would similarly fail. Theudas' significance lies in his role as a historical example that helped shape the early church's relationship with Jewish leadership, demonstrating how even failed rebellions could serve as teaching tools in early Christian discourse.
Biography
Theudas is mentioned in Act.5.36 as an example of a failed messianic pretender. According to Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, Theudas rose up claiming to be somebody important and gathered about four hundred men to follow him. However, he was killed, and his followers were dispersed, resulting in the failure of his movement. Gamaliel used Theudas and another rebel named Judas the Galilean as cautionary examples to dissuade the Jewish council from persecuting the apostles. He argued that if the apostles' movement was of human origin, it would fail like those of Theudas and Judas.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentActs 1 verse
- Acts 5:36
"Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Θευδᾶς |
Theudas
tles (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).
C. M. Kerr
(`ets `abhoth (Le 23:40; Ne 8:15)): One of the varieties of trees which the Israelites were directed to use at the Feast of Tabernacles; in