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Acts 9

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The Conversion of Saul 1–9

1
But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, ​
2
and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ​
3
And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven:
4
and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ​
5
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: ​
6
but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7
And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no man. ​
8
And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9
And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. ​

Ananias Ministers to Saul 10–19

10
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ​
11
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth; ​
12
and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.
13
But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem: ​
14
and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name.
15
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: ​
16
for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake. ​
17
And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. ​
18
And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized; ​
19
and he took food and was strengthened. And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus.

Saul Preaches and Escapes 20–31

20
And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. ​
21
And all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests. ​
22
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
23
And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him: ​
24
but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night that they might kill him:
25
but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.
26
And when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
27
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. ​
28
And he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem,
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preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the Grecian Jews; but they were seeking to kill him.
30
And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. ​
31
So the church throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied. ​

Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda 32–35

32
And it came to pass, as Peter went throughout all parts, he came down also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda. ​
33
And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had kept his bed eight years; for he was palsied.
34
And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ healeth thee: arise, and make thy bed. And straightway he arose. ​
35
And all that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. ​

Peter Raises Dorcas at Joppa 36–43

36
Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. ​
37
And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick, and died: and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38
And as Lydda was nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men unto him, entreating him, Delay not to come on unto us.
39
And Peter arose and went with them. And when he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40
But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ​
41
And he gave her his hand, and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
42
And it became known throughout all Joppa: and many believed on the Lord.
43
And it came to pass, that he abode many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 9

Verse 1

breathing out threatenings and slaughter — Empneo, to breathe in or be animated by; it occurs only here in the New Testament. Saul gives his own later account: 'beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it' (Gal 1:13). He had already 'made havock of the church' (Acts 8:3); now he seeks the high priest's authority.

Verse 2

any of this way — Hodos, a road or course of life: believers are 'this way' here and in 'that way' (Acts 19:9, 23), and Paul owns it before Felix: 'after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers' (Acts 24:14). The letters were to the 'synagogues' (synagoge) of Damascus, with power to bind 'men or women'.

Verse 4

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? — The doubled name is the form of Gen 22:11 and 1 Sam 3:10. The persecuted are one with their Lord: 'he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye' (Zech 2:8). Paul gives the words 'in the Hebrew tongue' (Acts 26:14), which is why the form is Saoul, not Saulos.

Verse 5

kick against the pricks — Kentron is an ox-goad, the pointed stick with which the driver urged the animal on; kicking back only wounds the animal. Saul's reply, 'Who art thou, Lord?', is answered with the name 'Jesus', the one whose disciples he was persecuting; Paul later says he 'ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth' (Acts 26:9).

Verse 7

stood speechless — Enneos, silent from astonishment. The companions 'heard a voice', yet Paul says they 'heard not the voice of him that spake to me' (Acts 22:9): they heard the sound but did not receive the words. All 'fallen to the earth' (Acts 26:14), they saw the light but not the speaker.

Verse 9

neither did eat nor drink — For three days he was without sight and without food or drink, the span of Esther's fast, 'neither eat nor drink three days, night or day' (Esth 4:16). The man who had come to bind others is himself led by the hand (v.8). The Lord's word in v.11 shows how the days were spent: 'behold, he prayeth'.

Verse 10

Behold, I am here, Lord — This is the answer of those called by God: Abraham (Gen 22:1), Samuel (1 Sam 3:4), Isaiah (Isa 6:8). Ananias is later described as 'a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there' (Acts 22:12). The vision is horama, the word used again for Saul's own vision in v.12.

Verse 11

the street which is called Straight — Euthys, straight or level; the street is one of only four places where the Greek word rhyme (lane, street) appears in the New Testament. The Lord gives street, house, host's name and the guest's origin: 'Saul, of Tarsus'. The sign offered is 'behold, he prayeth' (proseuchomai).

Verse 13

thy saints at Jerusalem — Hagioi, holy ones, the Lord's people; here Ananias gives the church a name the Lord does not correct. His report agrees with Acts 8:3, where Saul was 'haling men and women' to prison. Paul later confesses the same: 'I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee' (Acts 22:19).

Verse 15

a chosen vessel — This is literally a vessel of choice (skeuos … ekloge): an instrument picked for use, and the 'name' is what it carries. The three audiences are fulfilled: Gentiles (Rom 11:13, 'the apostle of the Gentiles'), kings (Acts 26, before Agrippa), and the children of Israel. Paul recalls that God 'separated me from my mother's womb' (Gal 1:15).

Verse 16

how great things he must suffer — Dei, 'must', is the word for what has to happen under the Lord's purpose. The Lord says he will 'shew' (hypodeiknymi) him, so the man who persecuted others will now learn what it is to suffer. Paul's list runs 'in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft' (2 Cor 11:23); Agabus's warning is in Acts 21:11.

Verse 17

Brother Saul — Ananias greets the man he feared in the Lord's name, and his hands convey the two gifts promised: sight and the Holy Ghost. 'Receive thy sight' is anablepo, the verb of v.12 and of v.18. He names Jesus as 'that appeared unto thee in the way', although the Lord had not told him that in the vision.

Verse 18

as it had been scales — Lepis, a flake or scale, which occurs only here in the New Testament; 'as it had been' (hosei) marks a likeness. Sight returns 'forthwith' and Saul is baptized at once. Ananias later says, 'arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord' (Acts 22:16).

Verse 20

preached Christ in the synagogues — Kerysso, to proclaim as a herald. The synagogues are the very ones to which he carried letters (v.2). His message is 'that he is the Son of God'; the churches later hear, 'he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed' (Gal 1:23).

Verse 21

destroyed them which called on this name — Portheo, to ravage or sack. The same verb is 'wasted' in Gal 1:13 and 'destroyed' in Gal 1:23. To 'call on' the name (epikaleomai) is the Lord's own mark of believers: 'whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Acts 2:21).

Verse 23

many days were fulfilled — Hikanos, ample or considerable. Paul fills the gap: he 'went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus' (Gal 1:17), and 'after three years' went up to Jerusalem (Gal 1:18). The Jews 'took counsel to kill him', as the Lord had said that he must suffer (v.16).

Verse 27

Barnabas took him — Barnabas, 'the son of consolation' (Acts 4:36), takes hold of the man the disciples feared (v.26) and vouches for him with three facts: he saw the Lord, the Lord spoke to him, and he 'preached boldly' (parrhesiazomai) at Damascus. Paul names whom he saw: 'other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother' (Gal 1:19).

Verse 30

sent him forth to Tarsus — The brethren take him 'down' to the port at Caesarea and send him away to Cilicia, his birthplace (Acts 22:3). He is later fetched from there: 'Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul' (Acts 11:25). He himself says, 'Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia' (Gal 1:21).

Verse 31

in the comfort of the Holy Ghost — Paraklesis, encouragement, kin to the word for the Comforter promised in John 14:16. 'Rest' is eirene, peace. Judaea, Galilee and Samaria are the regions of the commission in Acts 1:8. Their walk is 'in the fear of the Lord', in the sense of Ps 111:10, 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom'; they 'were multiplied'.

Verse 32

the saints which dwelt at Lydda — Lydda is the Old Testament Lod, built by Benjamites (1 Chr 8:12) and listed with Hadid and Ono among those who returned (Ezra 2:33). Peter 'passed throughout' (dierchomai), visiting believers already gathered there since the scattering that followed Stephen (Acts 8:1, 4).

Verse 34

Jesus Christ maketh thee whole — Iaomai, to heal, in the present tense, which means the cure is Christ's now. Peter had said as much earlier, 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk' (Acts 3:6). 'Make thy bed' echoes Christ's word to the paralytic, 'Arise, take up thy bed' (Matt 9:6).

Verse 35

Lydda and Saron — Saron is Sharon, the coastal plain, named with Carmel in Isa 35:2 and pasture for the king's herds in 1 Chr 27:29. All who 'saw him' (Aeneas, healed) 'turned to the Lord' (epistrepho, to turn round), the phrase used again of Antioch: 'a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord' (Acts 11:21).

Verse 36

Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas — The Aramaic and Greek names both mean 'gazelle'. Mathetria, a woman disciple, occurs only here in the New Testament. Joppa is the seaport to which Solomon's timber was floated (2 Chr 2:16). She is 'full of good works and almsdeeds' (eleemosyne, acts of mercy).

Verse 40

Tabitha, arise — Peter 'put them all forth', as the Lord did at Jairus's house (Luke 8:54, 'Maid, arise'; Mark 5:40), and Elisha shut himself in with the dead child (2 Kings 4:32–36). He kneels and prays first, then speaks to the body. The word anistemi, 'arise', is the same verb with which he raised Aeneas (v.34).

Verse 43

Simon a tanner — Byrseus, from byrsa, a hide. Touching the carcase of a dead beast brought uncleanness until the even (Lev 11:39), which bore on a tanner's work. Peter's long stay with him ('many days') comes just before the vision at Joppa, where the house is described as 'by the sea side' (Acts 10:6).