Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Preaching boldly (parrhsiazomenov). For a while. Evidently Saul did not extend his preaching outside of Jerusalem (Galatians 1:22) and in the city preached mainly in the synagogues of the Hellenists (prov touv ellenistav) as Stephen had done (Acts 8:9). As a Cilician Jew he knew how to speak to the Hellenists.
Disputed (sunezhtei). Imperfect active of sunzhtew, the very verb used in Acts 6:9 of the disputes with Stephen in these very synagogues in one of which (Cilicia) Saul had probably joined issue with Stephen to his own discomfort. It was intolerable to these Hellenistic Jews now to hear Saul taking the place of Stephen and using the very arguments that Stephen had employed.
But they went about to kill him (oi de epexeiroun anelein auton). Demonstrative oi with de and the conative imperfect of epixeirew, to put the hand to, to try, an old verb used in the N.T. only three times (Luke 1:1; Acts 9:29; Acts 19:3). They offer to Saul the same conclusive answer that he gave to Stephen, death. Paul tells how the Lord Jesus appeared to him at this juncture in a vision in the temple (Acts 22:17-21) with the distinct command to leave Jerusalem and how Paul protested that he was willing to meet the fate of Stephen in whose death he had a shameful part. That is to Saul's credit, but the Lord did not want Saul to be put to death yet. His crown of martyrdom will come later.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 9:29:
Acts 9:29
Acts 11:20
Acts 11:25
Acts 12:2
Acts 22:18
1 Corinthians 1:20
2 Corinthians 11:26
Galatians 1:18
Galatians 1:22
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