1 Men, G435 brethren, G80 and G2532 fathers, G3962 hear ye G191 my G3450 defence G627 which I make now G3568 unto G4314 you. G5209
2 (And G1161 when they heard G191 that G3754 he spake G4377 in the Hebrew G1446 tongue G1258 to them, G846 they kept G3930 the more G3123 silence: G2271 and G2532 he saith,) G5346
3 I G1473 am G1510 verily G3303 a man G435 which am a Jew, G2453 born G1080 in G1722 Tarsus, G5019 a city in Cilicia, G2791 yet G1161 brought up G397 in G1722 this G5026 city G4172 at G3844 the feet G4228 of Gamaliel, G1059 and taught G3811 according G2596 to the perfect manner G195 of the law G3551 of the fathers, G3971 and was G5225 zealous G2207 toward God, G2316 as G2531 ye G5210 all G3956 are G2075 this day. G4594
4 And I G3739 persecuted G1377 this G5026 way G3598 unto G891 the death, G2288 binding G1195 and G2532 delivering G3860 into G1519 prisons G5438 both G5037 men G435 and G2532 women. G1135
5 As G5613 also G2532 the high priest G749 doth bear G3140 me G3427 witness, G3140 and G2532 all G3956 the estate of the elders: G4244 from G3844 whom G3739 also G2532 I received G1209 letters G1992 unto G4314 the brethren, G80 and G2532 went G4198 to G1519 Damascus, G1154 to bring G71 them which were G5607 there G1566 bound G1210 unto G1519 Jerusalem, G2419 for to G2443 be punished. G5097
6 And G1161 it came to pass, G1096 that, as I made G4198 my G3427 journey, G4198 and G2532 was come nigh G1448 unto Damascus G1154 about G4012 noon, G3314 suddenly G1810 there shone G4015 from G1537 heaven G3772 a great G2425 light G5457 round G4015 about G4012 me. G1691
7 And G5037 I fell G4098 unto G1519 the ground, G1475 and G2532 heard G191 a voice G5456 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 Saul, G4549 Saul, G4549 why G5101 persecutest thou G1377 me? G3165
8 And G1161 I G1473 answered, G611 Who G5101 art thou, G1488 Lord? G2962 And G5037 he said G2036 unto G4314 me, G3165 I G1473 am G1510 Jesus G2424 of Nazareth, G3480 whom G3739 thou G4771 persecutest. G1377
9 And G1161 they that were G5607 with G4862 me G1698 saw G2300 indeed G3303 the light, G5457 and G2532 were G1096 afraid; G1719 but G1161 they heard G191 not G3756 the voice G5456 of him that spake G2980 to me. G3427
10 And G1161 I said, G2036 What G5101 shall I do, G4160 Lord? G2962 And G1161 the Lord G2962 said G2036 unto G4314 me, G3165 Arise, G450 and go G4198 into G1519 Damascus; G1154 and there G2546 it shall be told G2980 thee G4671 of G4012 all things G3956 which G3739 are appointed G5021 for thee G4671 to do. G4160
11 And G1161 when G5613 I could G1689 not G3756 see G1689 for G575 the glory G1391 of that G1565 light, G5457 being led by the hand G5496 of G5259 them that were G4895 with me, G3427 I came G2064 into G1519 Damascus. G1154
12 And G1161 one G5100 Ananias, G367 a devout G2152 man G435 according G2596 to the law, G3551 having a good report G3140 of G5259 all G3956 the Jews G2453 which dwelt G2730 there,
13 Came G2064 unto G4314 me, G3165 and G2532 stood, G2186 and said G2036 unto me, G3427 Brother G80 Saul, G4549 receive thy sight. G308 And G2504 the same G846 hour G5610 I G2504 looked up G308 upon G1519 him. G846
14 And G1161 he said, G2036 The God G2316 of our G2257 fathers G3962 hath chosen G4400 thee, G4571 that thou shouldest know G1097 his G846 will, G2307 and G2532 see G1492 that Just One, G1342 and G2532 shouldest hear G191 the voice G5456 of G1537 his G846 mouth. G4750
15 For G3754 thou shalt be G2071 his G846 witness G3144 unto G4314 all G3956 men G444 of what G3739 thou hast seen G3708 and G2532 heard. G191
16 And G2532 now G3568 why G5101 tarriest thou? G3195 arise, G450 and be baptized, G907 and G2532 wash away G628 thy G4675 sins, G266 calling on G1941 the name G3686 of the Lord. G2962
17 And G1161 it came to pass, G1096 that, when I G3427 was come again G5290 to G1519 Jerusalem, G2419 even G2532 while I G3450 prayed G4336 in G1722 the temple, G2411 I G3165 was G1096 in G1722 a trance; G1611
18 And G2532 saw G1492 him G846 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 Make haste, G4692 and G2532 get thee G1831 quickly G5034 G1722 out of G1537 Jerusalem: G2419 for G1360 they will G3858 not G3756 receive G3858 thy G4675 testimony G3141 concerning G4012 me. G1700
19 And I G2504 said, G2036 Lord, G2962 they G846 know G1987 that G3754 I G1473 imprisoned G2252 G5439 and G2532 beat G1194 in every G2596 synagogue G4864 them that believed G4100 on G1909 thee: G4571
20 And G2532 when G3753 the blood G129 of thy G4675 martyr G3144 Stephen G4736 was shed, G1632 I G846 also G2532 was G2252 standing by, G2186 and G2532 consenting G4909 unto his G846 death, G336 and G2532 kept G5442 the raiment G2440 of them that slew G337 him. G846
21 And G2532 he said G2036 unto G4314 me, G3165 Depart: G4198 for G3754 I G1473 will send G1821 thee G4571 far hence G3112 unto G1519 the Gentiles. G1484
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 22
Commentary on Acts 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
Ac 22:1-30. Paul's Defense from the Stairs of the Fortress—The Rage of the Audience Bursting Forth, the Commandant Has Him Brought into the Fort to Be Examined by Scourging, but Learning that He Is a Roman, He Orders His Release and Commands the Sanhedrin to Try Him.
2. when they heard … the Hebrew tongue—(See on Ac 21:40).
they kept the more silence—They could have understood him in Greek, and doubtless fully expected the renegade to address them in that language, but the sound of their holy mother tongue awed them into deeper silence.
3. a Jew of Tarsus, brought up in this city, at the feet—(See on Lu 10:39).
of Gamaliel—(See on Ac 5:34); a fact of great importance in the apostle's history, standing in the same relation to his future career as Moses' education in the Egyptian court to the work for which he was destined.
the perfect manner of the law of the fathers—the strictest form of traditional Judaism.
zealous—"a zealot."
toward God as ye all are this day—his own former murderous zeal against the disciples of the Lord Jesus being merely reflected in their present treatment of himself.
4. I persecuted, &c.—(See on Ac 9:1,2; Ac 9:5-7).
5. the high priest—still alive.
doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders—the whole Sanhedrim.
8. Jesus of Nazareth—the Nazarene. See on Ac 9:5.
9-11. they that were with me—(See on Ac 9:7, &c.)
12. Ananias, a devout man, according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there—One would not know from this description of Ananias that he was a Christian at all, the apostles object being to hold him up as unexceptionable, even to the most rigid Jews.
13-15. The God of our fathers hath chosen thee—studiously linking the new economy upon the old, as but the sequel of it; both having one glorious Author.
14. that thou shouldest … see that—"the"
Just One—compare Ac 3:14; 7:52.
hear the voice of his mouth—in order to place him on a level with the other apostles, who had "seen the [risen] Lord."
16. be baptized and wash away thy sins—This way of speaking arises from baptism being the visible seal of remission.
calling on the name of the Lord—rather, "having called," that is, after having done so; referring to the confession of Christ which preceded baptism, as Ac 8:37.
17-21. it came to pass, &c.—This thrilling dialogue between the glorified Redeemer and his chosen vessel is nowhere else related.
when I was come again to Jerusalem—on the occasion mentioned in Ac 9:26-29.
while I prayed in the temple—He thus calls their attention to the fact that after his conversion he kept up his connection with the temple as before.
18. get … quickly out of Jerusalem—compare Ac 9:29.
for they will not receive thy testimony … And I said, Lord, they know, &c.—"Can it be, Lord, that they will resist the testimony of one whom they knew so well as among the bitterest of all against Thy disciples, and whom nothing short of resistless evidence could have turned to Thee?"
21. depart for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles—that is, "Enough; thy testimony is not to be thrown away upon Jerusalem; the Gentiles, afar off, are thy peculiar sphere."
22, 23. gave him audience to this word … then … Away with such a fellow from the earth, &c.—Their national prejudices lashed into fury at the mention of a mission to the Gentiles, they would speedily have done to him as they did to Stephen, but for the presence and protection of the Roman officer.
24-26. examined by scourging—according to the Roman practice.
that he might know wherefore they cried so—Paul's speech being to him in an unknown tongue, he concluded from the horror which it kindled in the vast audience that he must have been guilty of some crime.
25. Paul said to the centurion that stood by—to superintend the torture and receive the confession expected to be wrung from him.
Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, &c.—See on Ac 16:37.
27-29. art thou a Roman?—showing that this being of Tarsus, which he had told him before (Ac 21:39) did not necessarily imply that he was a Roman citizen.
28. With a great sum obtained I this freedom—Roman citizenship was bought and sold in the reign of Claudius, we know, at a high price: at a subsequent date, for next to nothing. But to put in a false claim to this privilege was a capital crime.
I was free born—born to it, by purchase, or in reward of services, on the part of his father or some ancestor.
29. chief captain also was afraid, &c.—See on Ac 16:38.
30. commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear—that is, the Sanhedrim to be formally convened. Note here the power to order a Sanhedrim to try this case, assumed by the Roman officers and acquiesced in on their part.