Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Who art thou, Lord?—"Jesus knew Saul ere Saul knew Jesus" [BENGEL]. The term "Lord" here is an indefinite term of respect for some unknown but august speaker. That Saul saw as well as heard this glorious Speaker, is expressly said by Ananias (Acts 9:17; Acts 22:14), by Barnabas (Acts 9:27), and by himself (Acts 26:16); and in claiming apostleship, he explicitly states that he had "seen the Lord" (I Corinthians 9:1; I Corinthians 15:8), which can refer only to this scene.
I am Jesus whom thou persecutest—The "I" and "thou" here are touchingly emphatic in the original; while the term "JESUS" is purposely chosen, to convey to him the thrilling information that the hated name which he sought to hunt down—"the Nazarene," as it is in Acts 22:8 —was now speaking to him from the skies, "crowned with glory and honor" (see Acts 26:9).
It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks—The metaphor of an ox, only driving the goad deeper by kicking against it, is a classic one, and here forcibly expresses, not only the vanity of all his measures for crushing the Gospel, but the deeper wound which every such effort inflicted upon himself.
he fell to the earth—and his companions with him (Acts 26:14), who "saw the light" (Acts 22:9).
and heard a voice saying unto him—"in the Hebrew tongue" (Acts 26:14).
Saul, Saul—a reduplication full of tenderness [DE WETTE]. Though his name was soon changed into "Paul," we find him, in both his own narratives of the scene, after the lapse of so many years, retaining the original form, as not daring to alter, in the smallest detail, the overpowering words addressed to him.
why persecutest thou me?—No language can express the affecting character of this question, addressed from the right hand of the Majesty on high to an infuriated, persecuting mortal. (See Matthew 25:45, and that whole judgment scene).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Acts 9:5:
Ecclesiastes 12:11
Isaiah 65:1
Jeremiah 31:18
Jeremiah 36:28
Lamentations 3:28-30
Ezekiel 35:12-13
Acts 9:6
Acts 22:4
Acts 22:8
Romans 1:1
1 Corinthians 8:12
Galatians 1:15
Philippians 2:9
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