Acts 9:4

Acts 9:4

2 and asked ^aletters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 ^aAs he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ^awhy are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.¹ It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 And ^athe men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus ^anamed Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul ^aof Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.

12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ^ahow much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all ^awho call on Your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^ahe is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before ^bGentiles, ^ckings, and the ^dchildren of Israel.

16 For ^aI will show him how many things he must suffer for My ^bname’s sake.”

17 ^aAnd Ananias went his way and entered the house; and ^blaying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord¹ Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and ^cbe filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. ^aThen Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ

20 Immediately he preached¹ the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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Acts 9:5 >>

He fell upon the earth (peswn epi thn ghn). Second aorist active participle. So in Acts 22:7 Paul says: "I fell unto the ground" (epesa eiv to edafov) using an old word rather than the common ghn. In Acts 26:14 Paul states that "we were all fallen to the earth" (pantwn katapesontwn hmwn eiv thn ghn, genitive absolute construction). But here in verse Acts 9:7 "the men that journeyed with him stood speechless" (isthkeisan eneoi). But surely the points of time are different. In Acts 26:14 Paul refers to the first appearance of the vision when all fell to the earth. Here in verse Acts 9:7 Luke refers to what occurred after the vision when both Saul and the men had risen from the ground.

Saul, Saul (Saoul, Saoul). The Hebrew form occurs also in Acts 22:7; Acts 26:14 where it is expressly stated that the voice was in the Hebrew (Aramaic) tongue as also in Acts 9:17 (Ananias). Deissmann (Bible Studies, p. 316) terms this use of Saoul "the historian's sense of liturgical rhythm." For the repetition of names by Jesus note Luke 10:41 (Martha, Martha), Luke 22:31 (Simon, Simon).

Me (me). In persecuting the disciples, Saul was persecuting Jesus, as the words of Jesus in verse Acts 9:5 made plain. Christ had already spoken of the mystic union between himself and his followers (Matthew 10:40; Matthew 25:40, Matthew 25:45; John 15:1-5). The proverb (Pindar) that Jesus quotes to Saul about kicking against the goad is genuine in Acts 26:14, but not here.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 9:4:**

Acts 9:7
Acts 11:7
Acts 18:10
Acts 22:7
2 Corinthians 5:16
Galatians 1:1

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Acts 9:5 >>

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