Acts 26:14

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

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}.

We all fell to the ground; and then I heard a voice saying to me, in Hebrew, ‘Sha’ul! Sha’ul! Why do you keep persecuting me? It’s hard on you to be kicking against the ox-goads!’

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.

Acts 26:14 details a pivotal moment in the life of Saul of Tarsus, later known as the Apostle Paul, as he recounts his dramatic conversion experience before King Agrippa II and Festus. This verse captures the direct confrontation between the zealous persecutor and the resurrected Christ, marking the beginning of Paul's radical transformation.

Context

This verse is part of Paul's defense speech, where he is explaining to King Agrippa and Governor Festus why he is on trial and why he has embraced Christianity. He vividly describes the blinding light and the voice he heard on the road to Damascus while on his mission to persecute Christians. This account is consistent with other narratives of his conversion found in Acts 9:4 and Acts 22:7, emphasizing the divine origin of his apostolic call.

Key Themes

  • Divine Intervention and Confrontation: The voice from heaven directly addresses Saul, interrupting his zealous persecution and revealing the true identity of those he was persecuting. This highlights God's sovereign ability to intervene in human affairs and call individuals to Himself.
  • Christ's Identification with His People: The profound question, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" reveals a deep theological truth: to persecute Christ's followers is to persecute Christ Himself. This emphasizes the intimate union between Jesus and His Church, a theme Paul would later develop extensively in his epistles (e.g., 1 Corinthians 12:27).
  • Futility of Resisting God's Will: The idiom "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" vividly illustrates the painful and pointless nature of resisting divine conviction or God's purposes. Like an ox kicking against a goad, Saul's opposition only resulted in self-inflicted harm and delayed his submission to God's plan.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "in the Hebrew tongue" (more accurately, Aramaic, the common language spoken in Judea by Jews, often referred to as Hebrew in this context) underscores the direct and personal nature of Jesus' address to Saul, a devout Jew. It lent an air of undeniable authority and authenticity to the divine communication. The powerful idiom, "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Greek: skleron soi pros kentra laktizein), is a common ancient proverb. A "prick" or "goad" was a sharp stick used by farmers to guide or prod oxen. An ox that kicked back against the goad would only injure itself further. This imagery powerfully conveyed that Saul's intense efforts to suppress Christianity were not only futile but also self-destructive and ultimately in vain against the unstoppable force of God's plan.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a powerful reminder that resisting God's call or His truth is always a losing battle. For those who may feel a prompting or conviction from God, Paul's experience shows the wisdom of yielding rather than fighting. It also reinforces the profound connection between Christ and His people; when we serve or mistreat others, we are, in a sense, doing it to Him (Matthew 25:40). Ultimately, Acts 26:14 invites introspection: are we kicking against the pricks in any area of our lives, or are we humbly submitting to God's guiding hand?

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Acts 21:40

    And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto [them] in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

  • Acts 9:7

    And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

  • Acts 22:2

    (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

  • Acts 9:4

    And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

  • Acts 9:5

    And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

  • Acts 22:7

    And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

  • Acts 22:9

    And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

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