Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Acts » Chapter 22 » Verse 6-8

Acts 22:6-8 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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

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 FortressThe 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.