Acts 1:15 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) In the midst of the disciples - Μαθητων; but instead of this, αδελφων, brethren, is the reading of ABC, a few others, with the Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate. This seems the best reading, because of what immediately follows; for it was not among the disciples merely that he stood, but among the whole company, which amounted to one hundred and twenty. It is remarkable that this was the number which the Jews required to form a council in any city; and it is likely that in reference to this the disciples had gathered together, with themselves, the number of one hundred and twenty, chosen out of the many who had been already converted by the ministry of our Lord, the twelve disciples, and the seventy-two whom he had sent forth to preach, Luke 10:1, etc., thus they formed a complete council in presence of which the important business of electing a person in the place of Judas was to be transacted.