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
And he divided H2505 himself against them, he and his servants, H5650 by night, H3915 and smote H5221 them, and pursued H7291 them unto Hobah, H2327 which is on the left hand H8040 of Damascus. H1834
Then the moon H3842 shall be confounded, H2659 and the sun H2535 ashamed, H954 when the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 shall reign H4427 in mount H2022 Zion, H6726 and in Jerusalem, H3389 and before his ancients H2205 gloriously. H3519
And G2532 was transfigured G3339 before G1715 them: G846 and G2532 his G846 face G4383 did shine G2989 as G5613 the sun, G2246 and G1161 his G846 raiment G2440 was G1096 white G3022 as G5613 the light. G5457
And G1161 as he G846 journeyed, G4198 G1722 he came G1096 near G1448 Damascus: G1154 and G2532 suddenly G1810 there shined round about G4015 him G846 a light G5457 from G575 heaven: G3772 And G2532 he fell G4098 to G1909 the earth, G1093 and heard G191 a voice G5456 saying G3004 unto him, G846 Saul, G4549 Saul, G4549 why G5101 persecutest thou G1377 me? G3165 And G1161 he said, G2036 Who G5101 art thou, G1488 Lord? G2962 And G1161 the Lord G2962 said, G2036 I G1473 am G1510 Jesus G2424 whom G3739 thou G4771 persecutest: G1377 it is hard G4642 for thee G4671 to kick G2979 against G4314 the pricks. G2759 And G5037 he trembling G5141 and G2532 astonished G2284 said, G2036 Lord, G2962 what G5101 wilt thou have G2309 me G3165 to do? G4160 And G2532 the Lord G2962 said unto G4314 him, G846 Arise, G450 and G2532 go G1525 into G1519 the city, G4172 and G2532 it shall be told G2980 thee G4671 what G5101 thou G4571 must G1163 do. G4160 And G1161 the men G435 which G3588 journeyed G4922 with him G846 stood G2476 speechless, G1769 hearing G191 G3303 a voice, G5456 but G1161 seeing G2334 no man. G3367 And G1161 Saul G4569 arose G1453 from G575 the earth; G1093 and G1161 when his G846 eyes G3788 were opened, G455 he saw G991 no man: G3762 but G1161 they led G5496 him G846 by the hand, G5496 and brought G1521 him into G1519 Damascus. G1154
G2532 Whereupon G1722 G3739 as I went G4198 to G1519 Damascus G1154 with G3326 authority G1849 and G2532 commission G2011 from G3844 the chief priests, G749 At midday, G2250 G3319 O king, G935 I saw G1492 in G2596 the way G3598 a light G5457 from heaven, G3771 above G5228 the brightness G2987 of the sun, G2246 shining round about G4034 me G3165 and G2532 them which journeyed G4198 with G4862 me. G1698 And G1161 when we G2257 were G2667 all G3956 fallen G2667 to G1519 the earth, G1093 I heard G191 a voice G5456 speaking G2980 unto G4314 me, G3165 and G2532 saying G3004 in the Hebrew G1446 tongue, G1258 Saul, G4549 Saul, G4549 why G5101 persecutest thou G1377 me? G3165 it is hard G4642 for thee G4671 to kick G2979 against G4314 the pricks. G2759 And G1161 I G1473 said, G2036 Who G5101 art thou, G1488 Lord? G2962 And G1161 he said, G2036 I G1473 am G1510 Jesus G2424 whom G3739 thou G4771 persecutest. G1377 But G235 rise, G450 and G2532 stand G2476 upon G1909 thy G4675 feet: G4228 for G1063 I have appeared G3700 unto thee G4671 for G1519 this purpose, G5124 to make G4400 thee G4571 a minister G5257 and G2532 a witness G3144 both G5037 of these things which G3739 thou hast seen, G1492 and G5037 of those things in the which G3739 I will appear G3700 unto thee; G4671 Delivering G1807 thee G4571 from G1537 the people, G2992 and G2532 from the Gentiles, G1484 unto G1519 whom G3739 now G3568 I send G649 thee, G4571 To open G455 their G846 eyes, G3788 and to turn G1994 them from G575 darkness G4655 to G1519 light, G5457 and G2532 from the power G1849 of Satan G4567 unto G1909 God, G2316 that they G846 may receive G2983 forgiveness G859 of sins, G266 and G2532 inheritance G2819 among G1722 them which are sanctified G37 by faith G4102 that is in G1519 me. G1691
And G2532 he had G2192 in G1722 his G846 right G1188 hand G5495 seven G2033 stars: G792 and G2532 out of G1537 his G846 mouth G4750 went G1607 a sharp G3691 twoedged G1366 sword: G4501 and G2532 his G846 countenance G3799 was as G5613 the sun G2246 shineth G5316 in G1722 his G846 strength. G1411
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.