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Acts 9

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The Conversion of Saul 1–9

1
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, ​
2
And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. ​
3
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ​
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. ​
6
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7
And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. ​
8
And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9
And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. ​

Ananias Ministers to Saul 10–19

10
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ​
11
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, ​
12
And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13
Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: ​
14
And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on 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 shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. ​
17
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ​
18
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. ​
19
And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

Saul Preaches and Escapes 20–31

20
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. ​
21
But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? ​
22
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23
And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: ​
24
But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25
Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
26
And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not 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 he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ​
28
And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29
And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30
Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. ​
31
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. ​

Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda 32–35

32
And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. ​
33
And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34
And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. ​
35
And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and 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 was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38
And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39
Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing 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 him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ​
41
And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
42
And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
43
And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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's 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 — Three days 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 — 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 — 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': necessity under the Lord's purpose. The Lord says he will 'shew' (hypodeiknymi) him; the persecutor is to learn suffering from the other side. 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: 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).