{Then they suborned men} (	ote hupebalon andras). Second
aorist active indicative of hupoball(935c), old verb, but here only
in the N.T., to put under like a carpet, to bring men under one's
control by suggestion or by money. One recalls the plight of
Caiaphas in the trial of Jesus when he sought false witnesses.
_Subornaverunt_. They put these men forward in an underhand way
for fraud. {Blasphemous words against Moses and God} (lasph(886d)a
eis M(9375)s(886e) kai ton theon). The punishment for blasphemy was
stoning to death. See  Mt 12:31  for discussion of the word
lasph(886d)ia, blasph(886d)e(932c) blasph(886d)os, all in the N.T. from
lapt(935c), to harm, and ph(886d)(885c), speech, harmful speech, or
lax, stupid, and ph(886d)(885c). But the charge against Stephen was
untrue. Please note that Moses is here placed before God and
practically on a par with God in the matter of blasphemy. The
purpose of this charge is to stir the prejudices of the people in
the matter of Jewish rights and privileges. It is the Pharisees
who are conducting this attack on Stephen while the Sadducees had
led them against Peter and John. The position of Stephen is
critical in the extreme for the Sadducees will not help him as
Gamaliel did the apostles.