Actschapter 9
43 verses · Luke · about AD 62 · Acts
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
Introduction
Luke, Acts, Acts Overview.
Luke wrote this chapter for Theophilus, and it introduces the man who fills the second half of the book. Saul has already appeared at the death of Stephen and in the persecution that followed. Here he meets the one he has been opposing. The chapter tells the story from two sides, his and that of a disciple in Damascus sent to him. Listen for the question Jesus asks him, since it says whom Saul was really fighting. Notice how the church struggles to trust him afterward. The last part of the chapter returns to Peter on the coast.
Context
- Who
- Theophilus and Gentile readers, meeting the man who will dominate the rest of the book.
- What
- The conversion and commissioning of Saul, his first preaching and escape, and Peter's healing of Aeneas and raising of Tabitha.
- Where
- The road to Damascus, the city of Damascus, Jerusalem, and the coastal towns of Lydda and Joppa.
- When
- A few years after the resurrection, about AD 33 to 36 for Saul's conversion.
- Why
- To show that Jesus Himself chose the church's fiercest enemy as His apostle to the Gentiles and that the church had peace and grew.
Historical context
Damascus lay about 135 miles from Jerusalem, a journey of roughly a week on foot. It had a large Jewish population and several synagogues, and the high priest's letters would have carried moral weight there even though the city sat outside Judea, Jewish communities abroad still looked to Jerusalem.
Show the rest of the historical context, 3 more paragraphs
Straight Street was the city's main east, west colonnaded road, and part of its line is still the main bazaar street of old Damascus today. Naming it is the kind of detail a traveller supplies.
The escape over the wall in a basket fits a city where houses were built into the fortifications, with windows overlooking the outside. Paul himself later says the governor under King Aretas was watching the gates, Aretas IV of Nabatea ruled the desert kingdom southeast of Damascus until about AD 40, which helps anchor the date.
Tarsus, where Saul is finally sent, was a wealthy university city in Cilicia and his birthplace. He disappears there for years before Barnabas comes looking for him.
Significance
For the first hearers the shock was total. The church's most effective persecutor is stopped by the risen Jesus asking why he is persecuting him, identifying himself with the people being dragged out of their homes.
Show the rest of the significance, 1 more paragraph
Ananias's fear is left in the text on purpose. He knows the man's reputation and says so, and is told to go anyway. The church's most dangerous enemy is handed to a reluctant, ordinary disciple in Damascus, and that is how he is brought in.
The heads below are this chapter's scenes. The numbered points under each are its verses.
Light on the Damascus Road: Why Persecutest Thou Me?
Acts 9:1-2
breathing out murderous threats: Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, the same man who approved Stephen's death in 8:1. He sought letters to the synagogues in Damascus to bring any men or women belonging to the Way to Jerusalem as prisoners.
Acts 9:1
“And Saul - See the notes on Act 7:58; Act 8:3. He had been engaged be fore in persecuting the Christians, but he now sought opportunity to gratify his insatiable desire on a larger scale. Yet breathing out - Not satisfied with what he had done, Act 8:3. The word breathing out is expressive often of any deep, agitating emotion, as we then breathe rapidly and violently. It is thus expressive of violent anger.”
2 more voices on this verseWhat preachers and commentators have said about this verse, in their own words.
Acts 9:1
“When as he saith, that he breathed out threatenings and slaughter as yet, his meaning is, that after that his hands were once imbued with innocent blood, he proceeded in like cruelty, and was always a furious and bloody enemy to the Church, after that he had once made that entrance whereof mention is made in the death of Stephen.”
John Calvin · Commentaries (1554)reformed
Acts 9:1
“The matter of the persecution was threatenings and slaughter. There is persecution in threatenings ( ch. iv. 17, 21 ); they terrify and break the spirit: and though we say, Threatened folks live long, yet those whom Saul threatened, if he prevailed not thereby to frighten them from Christ, he slew them, he persecuted them to death, ch. xxii.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
belonging to the Way: Matthew Henry offers three readings of the Way. It may be a name taken from Christ the Way, a sign of believers still traveling home, or an enemy's label for a faction.
Acts 9:2
“Letters to Damascus to the synagogues - Damascus, anciently called דמסק Damask, and דרמסק Darmask, was once the metropolis of all Syria. It was situated at fifty miles’ distance from the sea; from which it is separated by lofty mountains. It is washed by two rivers, Amara or Abara, which ran through it, and Pharpar, called by the Greeks Chrysorrhoas, the golden stream, which ran on the outside of its walls. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world, for it existed in the time of Abraham, Gen 14:15; and how long before is not known.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:2
“There is mention made of women, that it may the better appear how desirous he was to shed blood who had no respect of sex whom even armed enemies are wont to spare in the heat of war.”
John Calvin · Commentaries (1554)reformed
Acts 9:3-5
a light from heaven flashed around: Near Damascus a light from heaven flashed around Saul, and he fell to the ground and heard a voice. The voice asks why Saul persecutes him, so the risen Christ counts the harm done to his disciples as done to himself.
Acts 9:3
“And as he journeyed - On his way, or while he was traveling. The place where this occurred is not known. Irby and Mangles say it is “outside the eastern gate.” In the Boat and Caravan it is described as about a mile from the town, and near the Christian burying-ground which belongs to the Armenians. All that we know of it is that it was near to Damascus. And suddenly - Like a flash of lightning. There shined round about him ... - The language which is expressed here would be used in describing a flash of lightning.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:3
“Indeed, when I hear that this man was chosen by the Lord after He had attained His rest in heaven, I feel that a kind of improvidence is imputable to Christ, for not knowing before that this man was necessary to Him; and because He thought that he must be added to the apostolic body in the way of a fortuitous encounter rather than a deliberate selection; by necessity (so to speak), and not voluntary choice, although the members of the apostolate had been duly ordained, and were now dismissed to their several missions.”
Tertullian · written before 220 · Against Marcion Book Vpatristic
Acts 9:3
“In craving epistles of the high priest, he ran headlong against Christ willingly; and now he is enforced to obey whether he will or no. This is surely the most excellent mercy of God, in that that man is reclaimed unto salvation contrary to the purpose of his mind, whom so great a heat carried headlong into destruction.”
John Calvin · Commentaries (1554)reformed
Bede observes that Christ names Himself as the one persecuted, because He suffers in His body, the church. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown add from Acts 26:14 that the voice spoke in Hebrew, and they hear tenderness in the doubled name.
Acts 9:4
“For it is written, "And when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will also be made subject to him who subjected all things to him." Do you not fear, O man, the God who is called unsubjected? For he makes your subjection his own, and, because of your struggle against virtue, he calls himself unsubjected. Thus, he even said at one time that he himself was the one persecuted; for he says, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" when Saul was hastening to Damascus, desiring to put in bonds the disciples of Christ.”
Basil of Caesarea · written before 379 · LETTER 8patristic
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:4
“And he fell to the earth - Being struck down with the lightning: many persons suppose he was on horseback, and painters thus represent him; but this is utterly without foundation. Painters are, in almost every case, wretched commentators.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 9:4
“He speaks to him as to one in imminent danger, at the pit's brink, and just ready to drop in: " Saul, Saul, dost thou know whither thou art going, or what thou art doing?" [2.] The charge exhibited against him is, Why persecutest thou me? Observe here, First, Before Saul was made a saint, he was made to see himself a sinner, a great sinner, a sinner against Christ.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Barnes takes Lord here as a polite sir, since Saul did not yet know who spoke, while Chrysostom hears Saul already confessing himself a servant. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note that the reply uses the very name Saul hated.
Acts 9:5
“And he said, Who art thou, Lord? - The word “Lord” here, as is frequently the case in the New Testament, means no more than “sir,” Joh 4:19. It is evident that Saul did not as yet know that this was the Lord Jesus. He heard a voice as of a man; he heard himself addressed, but by whom the words were spoken was to him unknown. In his amazement and confusion, he naturally asked who it was that was thus addressing him.”
3 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:5
“And he said, who art thou, Lord?.... For he knew not whether it was God, or an angel, or who it was that spake to him; he knew not Christ by his form or voice, as Stephen did, when he saw him standing at the right hand of God; he was in a state of ignorance, and knew neither the person, nor voice of Christ, and yet his heart was so far softened and wrought upon, that he was desirous of knowing who he was; and the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.”
Acts 9:5
“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 Ac 22:8 --was now speaking to him from the skies, "crowned with glory and honor" (see Ac 26:9).”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Acts 9:5
“THIS expression is highly characteristic of the Savior from its figurative form. While He was on earth He spoke to the people in parables, and speaking out of Heaven, in this instance, He still adopts the parabolic style, as He did in Patmos, when He revealed Himself to John as walking among the golden candlesticks.”
go into the city: The Lord gives Saul an order with the details held back: go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. Obeying an unfinished instruction becomes his first act of faith.
Acts 9:6
Then it was, too, that Paul, when he believed, was baptized; and this is the meaning of the precept which the Lord had given him when smitten with the plague of loss of sight, saying, "Arise, and enter Damascus; there shall be demonstrated to thee what thou oughtest to do," to wit-be baptized, which was the only thing lacking to him. That point excepted, he bad sufficiently learnt and believed "the Nazarene" to be "the Lord, the Son of God."
Tertullian · written before 220 · On Baptismpatristic
3 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:6
“Trembling - Under a strong apprehension of meeting the judgment he deserved. And astonished - At the light, the thunder, and the voice. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? - The word Κυριε, Lord, is here to be understood in its proper sense, as expressing authority and dominion: in the 5th verse it appears to be equivalent to our word sir. The pride of the Pharisee is now brought down to the dust; and the fury of the persecutor is not only restrained, but the lion becomes a lamb. What wilt thou have me to do?”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 9:6
“Note, A serious desire to be instructed by Christ in the way of salvation is an evidence of a good work begun in the soul. Or, [2.] As a sincere resignation of himself to the direction and government of the Lord Jesus. This was the first word that grace spoke in Paul, and with this began a spiritual life: Lord Jesus, What wilt thou have me to do?”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Acts 9:6
“The question, "What shall I do, Lord?" or, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" indicates a state of mind singularly interesting (see on Ac 2:37). Its elements seem to be these: (1) Resistless conviction that "Jesus whom he persecuted," now speaking to him, was "Christ the Lord." (See on Ga 1:15, 16).”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Acts 9:7-9
stood there speechless: The men with Saul stood there speechless and heard the voice but did not see anyone, while 22:9 says they did not understand it. The Greek puts voice in a different case in each verse.
Acts 9:7
“The men - stood - Having risen before Saul; for they also fell to the ground, chap. xxvi, 14. It is probable they all journeyed on foot. Hearing the noise - But not an articulate voice.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:7
“No external means will of themselves work a change in the soul, without the Spirit and grace of God, which distinguish between some and others; among these that journeyed together, one is taken, and the others left. They stood speechless; none of them said, Who art thou, Lord? or, What wilt thou have me to do? as Paul did, but none of God's children are born dumb.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
he could not see a thing: Matthew Henry notes that Saul's companions kept their sight, so the cause was his sight of Christ more than the light itself. Chrysostom finds a picture in eyes open yet unseeing. Saul had read the Law the same way until the name of Jesus was put on him.
Acts 9:8
“When his eyes were opened, he saw no man - Instead of ουδενα, no man, the Codex Alexandrinus, the Syriac, Vulgate, and some others, have ουδεν nothing. He not only saw no man, but he saw nothing, being quite blind; and therefore was led by the hand to Damascus, μη βλεπων, being without sight.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:8
“It was not so much this glaring light that, by dazzling his eyes, had dimmed them--Nimium sensibile lædit sensum; for then those with him would have lost their sight too; but it was a sight of Christ, whom the rest saw not, that had this effect upon him. Thus a believing sight of the glory of God in the face of Christ dazzles the eyes to all things here below.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
he did not eat or drink: Jamieson, Fausset & Brown count the three days in the Hebrew way, as parts of three days. Albert Barnes and Theophylact trace the fast to grief over his sins, and Theophylact adds that Saul prayed for forgiveness. Bede links the three days to the resurrection Saul had denied.
Acts 9:9
“And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink--that is, according to the Hebrew mode of computation: he took no food during the remainder of that day, the entire day following, and so much of the subsequent day as elapsed before the visit of Ananias.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:9
“And he was three days - An important season! So long he seems to have been in the pangs of the new birth. Without sight - By scales growing over his eyes, to intimate to him the blindness of the state he had been in, to impress him with a deeper sense of the almighty power of Christ, and to turn his thoughts inward, while he was less capable of conversing with outward objects.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Acts 9:9
“And neither did eat nor drink - Probably because he was overwhelmed with a view of his sins, and was thus indisposed to eat. All the circumstances would contribute to this. His past life; his great sins; the sudden change in his views; his total absorption in the vision; perhaps also his grief at the loss of his sight, would all fill his mind, and indispose him to partake of food. Great grief always produces this effect.”
Ananias Sent to a Chosen Vessel
Acts 9:10-12
a disciple named Ananias: In Damascus a disciple named Ananias answers the Lord's vision with Here I am, Lord, the answer Samuel gave in 1 Samuel 3:4 to 10. Saul has already seen a man named Ananias come to restore his sight, so the two visions meet.
Acts 9:10
“A certain disciple - named Ananias - A general opinion has prevailed in the Greek Church that this Ananias was one of the seventy-two disciples, and that he was martyred; and they celebrate his martyrdom on the first of October. It has been farther stated that his house was turned into a church, which remains to the present day, though now occupied as a Turkish mosque; but even the Mohammedans have the tradition, and treat his memory with great respect.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:10
“Note, Christ very well knows where to find out those that are his, in their distresses: when their relations, it may be, know not what is become of them, they have a friend in heaven, that knows in what street, in what house, nay, and which is more, in what frame they are: he knows their souls in adversity.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
for he is praying: Straight Street, as Albert Barnes describes it, ran in a direct line across Damascus from gate to gate. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown contrast the praying Saul with the man who breathed out threats in verse 1. Charles Spurgeon calls prayer the surest mark of conversion.
Acts 9:11
“THESE words are the hallmark of genuine conversion. "Behold, he prays" is a surer witness of a man's conversion than, "Behold, he sings," or, "Behold, he reads the Scripture," or, "Behold, he preaches." These things may be admirably done by men who are not regenerate! But if, in God's sense of the term, a man really prays, we may know for sure that he has passed from death unto life.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:11
“It was situated on the river Cydnus, was a "large and populous city" (says XENOPHON, and see Ac 21:39), and under the Romans had the privilege of self-government. behold, he prayeth--"breathing out" no longer "threatenings and slaughter," but struggling desires after light and life in the Persecuted One.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
In a vision he has seen: Adam Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note that God prepares both men at once, as He later prepares Cornelius and Peter in chapter 10. Albert Barnes adds that the vision would assure Saul that Ananias was genuine. Saul even knew his name.
Acts 9:12
“And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias, &c.--Thus, as in the case of Cornelius and Peter afterwards, there was a mutual preparation of each for each.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:12
“He had, in prayer, spread the misery of his own case before God, and God presently manifests himself and the kind intentions of his grace to him; and it is very encouraging to know God's thoughts to us-ward. [2.] As designed to raise his expectations, and to make Ananias's coming more welcome to him.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Acts 9:13-14
many people have told me: Ananias objects, citing the harm Saul has done to the saints in Jerusalem. The text records the objection without rebuke, as Moses in Exodus 3:11 and Gideon in Judges 6:15 met their own calls.
Acts 9:13
“Not, "Therefore I do not owe him so much service. Why should I do him a kindness who has done and designed us so much unkindness?" No, Christ has taught us another lesson, to render good for evil, and pray for our persecutors; but if he be such a persecutor of Christians, [1.] Will it be safe for Ananias to go to him?”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:13
“I have heard by many ... - This was in the vision, Act 9:10. The passage of such a train of thoughts through the mind was perfectly natural at the command to go and search out Saul. There would instantly occur all that had been heard of his fury in persecution; and the expression here may indicate the state of a mind amazed that such a one should need his counsel, and afraid, perhaps, of entrusting himself to one thus bent on persecution.”
authority from the chief priests: Adam Clarke explains that Ananias had heard of Saul's commission and raises it as a reason to keep away from so dangerous a man. Theophylact suggests how the news reached Damascus. People living in fear learn what is plotted against them.
Acts 9:15-16
said the Lord: The Lord overrules the objection with one word, Go, and names Saul His chosen instrument to carry His name before Gentiles, kings and Israel. The call names the cost before Saul takes a step: I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.
Acts 9:15
“He is designed, (1.) For eminent services: He is to bear my name before the Gentiles, is to be the apostle of the Gentiles, and to carry the gospel to heathen nations. Christ's name is the standard to which souls must be gathered, and under which they must be enlisted, and Saul must be a standard-bearer.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:15
“But again, we allege the same against those who do not recognise Paul as an apostle: that they should either reject the other words of the Gospel which we have come to know through Luke alone, and not make use of them; or else, if they do receive all these, they must necessarily admit also that testimony concerning Paul, when he (Luke) tells us that the Lord spoke at first to him from heaven: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”
Irenaeus · written before 202 · Against Heresies Book IIIpatristic
how much he must suffer: The persecutor will now suffer for the message he persecuted. John Gill points to Paul's own list of hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:23, including beatings, prison, shipwreck and stoning. Albert Barnes reads the words as comfort for Ananias, since Saul would prove his change by suffering.
Acts 9:16
“I will show him--(See Ac 20:23, 24; 21:11). how great things he must suffer for my name--that is, Much he has done against that Name; but now, when I show him what great things he must suffer for that Name, he shall count it his honor and privilege.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
3 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:16
“For I will show him,.... In vision, and by prophecy, either now, or hereafter; or by facts, as they come upon him: how great things he must suffer for my name's sake; such as weariness, pain, and watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold, and nakedness, perils on various accounts, and from different quarters, stripes, scourges, imprisonment, shipwreck, stoning, and death, of which he himself gives a detail, 2Co 11:23 so that Ananias had no reason to be afraid to go to him, and converse with him, and do unto him as he was directed.”
Acts 9:16
“How great things he must suffer - Instead of proceeding as a persecutor, and inflicting sufferings on others, I will show him how many things he himself must suffer for preaching that very doctrine which he has been hitherto employed in persecuting. Strange change indeed! And with great show of reason, as with incontrovertible strength of argument, has a noble writer, Lord Lyttleton, adduced the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and his subsequent conduct, as an irrefragable proof of the truth of Christianity.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 9:16
“Saul's sufferings for Christ shall redound so much to the honour of Christ and the service of the church, shall be so balanced with spiritual comforts and recompensed with eternal glories, that it is no discouragement to him to be told how great things he must suffer for Christ's name's sake. Ananias presently goes on Christ's errand to Saul, and with good effect.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Acts 9:17-18
So Ananias went to the house: Ananias placed his hands on Saul and greets the man he had feared as Brother Saul. At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored, and he rose and was baptized.
Acts 9:17
“Ananias went his way, and putting his hands on him, said, Brother Saul--How beautifully childlike is the obedience of Ananias to "the heavenly vision!" the Lord, even Jesus--This clearly shows in what sense the term "Lord" is used in this book.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
3 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:17
The Holy Spirit worked immediately and not only changed Paul's blindness to sight but also imparted the seal to his soul, making him a vessel of election to carry the name of the Lord who had appeared to him before kings and the children of Israel; and he fashioned his former persecutor into a herald and a good servant who "from Jerusalem round about as far as Illyricum completed the gospel of Christ."
Cyril of Jerusalem · written before 386 · Catechetical Lecture 17.26patristic
Acts 9:17
“At the word of Ananias, Saul was discharged from his confinement by the restoring of his sight; for Christ's commission to open the prison to those that were bound ( Isa. lxi. 1 ) is explained by the giving of sight to the blind, Luke iv. Christ's commission is to open the blind eyes, and to bring out the prisoners from the prison.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Acts 9:17
“Putting his hands on him - This was not “ordination,” but was the usual mode of imparting or communicating blessings. See the notes on Mat 19:13; Mat 9:18. Brother Saul - An expression recognizing him as a fellow-Christian. Be filled with the Holy Ghost - See the notes on Act 2:4.”
something like scales fell: Clarke explains the scales as real damage to the eye from the brilliant light. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown hold that both the blindness and its cure were supernatural.
Acts 9:18
“There fell from his eyes as it had been scales - This was real: he had been so dazzled with the brightness of the light that we may suppose the globe of the eye, and particularly the cornea, had suffered considerable injury. The structure of the cornea was doubtless much disturbed, and the whole of that humor would be rendered opaque, and incapable of permitting the rays of light to pass through the different humours to the retina, where all the images of things transmitted through the lenses, or humours, are distinctly painted.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
he regained his strength: After taking some food, Saul regained his strength and spent several days with the disciples in Damascus, a period Luke leaves brief. Galatians 1:17 to 18 fills it in with a stay in Arabia before Saul returned to Damascus.
Acts 9:19
“Then was Saul certain days with the disciples at Damascus--making their acquaintance, in another way than either he or they had anticipated, and regaining his tone by the fellowship of the saints; but not certainly in order to learn from them what he was to teach, which he expressly disavows (Ga 1:12, 16).”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:19
“Had received meat - Food. The word “meat” has undergone a change since our translation was made. It then meant, as the original does, food of all kinds. With the disciples - With Christians, compare Act 2:42. Order? certain days with the disciples? - Certain days: How long is not known. It was long enough, however, to preach the gospel, Act 9:22; Act 26:20. It might have been for some months, as he did not go to Jerusalem under three years from that time.”
Saul Preaches, and Escapes Over the Wall in a Basket
Acts 9:20-22
proclaim Jesus in the synagogues: Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring Him the Son of God, and the hearers were astounded. He confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ, the Greek verb meaning to bring evidence together.
Acts 9:20
“Preached Christ in the synagogues - Instead of ΧριϚον, Christ, Ιησουν, Jesus, is the reading of ABCE, several others of high importance, together with the Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Slavonic, and Vulgate. The great question to be determined, for the conviction of the Jews, was that Jesus was the Son of God. That the Christ, or Messiah, was to be the Son of God, they all believed. Saul was now convinced that Jesus, whom they had crucified, and who had appeared to him on the way, was the Son of God, or Messiah; and therefore as such he proclaimed him.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:20
Paul himself also-after that the Lord spoke to him out of heaven, and showed him that, in persecuting His disciples, he persecuted his own Lord, and sent Ananias to him that he might recover his sight, and be baptized-"preached," it is said, "Jesus in the synagogues at Damascus, with all freedom of speech, that this is the Son of God, the Christ."
Irenaeus · written before 202 · Against Heresies Book IIIpatristic
wreaked havoc in Jerusalem: The Greek word behind wreaked havoc, Adam Clarke explains, can mean to plunder, to imprison or to kill, and Saul had done all three. Paul describes this same past in Galatians 1:13. Chrysostom notes that the hearers say this name, unable in their hatred to speak the name of Jesus.
Acts 9:21
“Were amazed - Amazed at his sudden and remarkable change. That destroyed - That opposed; laid waste; persecuted. Compare Gal 1:13. For that intent - With that design, that he might destroy the church at Damascus.”
proving that Jesus is the Christ: Albert Barnes explains that confounded means refuted, and that the same word can describe stirring up a tumult, which fits the plot that follows. Chrysostom observes that Saul's opponents thought Stephen's death had ended the debate. They found a stronger debater in his place.
Acts 9:22
“22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. As for God, his work is perfect; if he begin, he will make an end: a good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet, in that word, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never did Christ leave any that were brought to that.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:22
“Confounded the Jews - Συνεχυνε, Overwhelmed them so with his arguments that they were obliged to blush for the weakness of their own cause. Proving that this - Οὑτος, This person, viz. Jesus, is very Christ; εϚιν ὁ ΧριϚος, Is the Christ, or Messiah. See on Act 9:21 (note).”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 9:22
“But Saul increased the more in strength,.... Not of body, but of mind; his gifts and graces, and spiritual light and knowledge increased; his abilities were greater; his fortitude of mind, boldness, and freedom of speech, every day increased: he got more, and new, and fresh arguments, by which he himself was confirmed, and he confirmed others in the truths of Christ.”
Acts 9:23-25
the Jews conspired to kill him: The Jews conspired to kill Saul and watched the city gates day and night, so the persecutor is now the one hunted. His disciples lowered him in a basket through the wall, an escape Paul recounts in 2 Corinthians 11:32 to 33.
Acts 9:23
“And after that many days were fulfilled,.... This phrase is used by the Septuagint on Exo 2:11 for a considerable length of time, for many years.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:23
“And after that many days ... - How long a time elapsed before this is not recorded in this place, but it is evident that the writer means to signify that a considerable time intervened. There is, therefore, an interval here which Luke has not filled up; and if this were the only narrative which we had, we should be at a loss how to understand this.”
they watched the city gates: Paul's own account in 2 Corinthians 11:32 adds that the governor under King Aretas guarded the city, as Albert Barnes notes. Adam Clarke explains that Aretas ruled Damascus then and was at war with Herod, who had put away his daughter. Chrysostom observes that Saul escaped by ordinary human means.
Acts 9:24
“But their laying await was known of Saul,.... Either by divine revelation, or by some friends, who had got knowledge of it, and gave him information, as in Act 23:16 and they watched the gates night and day to kill him; that is, the Jews, together with the governor of the city, and the garrison of soldiers in it. These all watched at the several gates of the city, night and day, that Saul might not make his escape, and that they might take him, and put him to death.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:24
“They watched the gates day and night to kill him - At this time Damascus was under the government of Aretas, king of Arabia, who was now at war with Herod, his son-in-law, who had put away his daughter in order to marry Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
lowered him in a basket: The BSB follows copies that read "his disciples," while John Gill and Bede prefer the reading that calls them simply disciples of Christ. Albert Barnes compares Rahab lowering the spies and David's escape from King Saul. Such windows in city walls were common.
Acts 9:25
“Took him by night ... - This was done through a window in the wall, 2Co 11:33. In a basket - This word is used to denote commonly “the basket in which food was carried,” Mat 15:37; Mar 8:8, Mar 8:20. It was in this way that Rahab let down the spies Jos 2:15, and so David escaped from Saul, 1Sa 19:12. Probably this occurred in an unguarded part of the wall, where some overhanging houses, as is usual in Eastern cities, opened into the outer country.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:25
“Then the disciples took him by night,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "his disciples"; the disciples of Saul, such as he had been instrumental in making at Damascus: but it is not usual for the saints to be called in Scripture the disciples of any man; therefore the common reading is best, and designs the disciples and followers of Christ; who being concerned for the preservation of so valuable a life, took Saul in the night season, and let him down by the wall in a basket.”
Acts 9:25
“Then the disciples . . . by night let him down--"through a window" (2Co 11:33). by the wall--Such overhanging windows in the walls of Eastern cities were common, and are to be seen in Damascus to this day.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Acts 9:26-27
they were all afraid of him: In Jerusalem the disciples were all afraid of Saul, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas, whose name 4:36 explains as Son of Encouragement, brought him to the apostles and vouched for him.
Acts 9:26
“He assayed to join himself to the disciples - Επειρατο κολλασθαι, He endeavored to get closely united to them, to be in religious fellowship with them. Believed not that he was a disciple - They did not suppose it possible that such a person could be converted to the faith of Christ. The full power of Divine grace, in the conversion of the soul, was not yet completely known.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Then Barnabas brought him: Paul says in Galatians 1:18-19 that he saw only Peter and James, so Jamieson, Fausset & Brown take these two as the apostles meant. Albert Barnes and Chrysostom suggest Barnabas knew Saul before, and Barnes notes that Cyprus lies near Tarsus. Saul himself stays silent about all this.
Acts 9:27
“But Barnabas - See the notes on Act 4:36. Barnabas was of Cyprus, not far from Tarsus, and it is not improbable that he had been before acquainted with Saul. To the apostles - To Peter and James, Gal 1:18-19. Probably the other apostles were at that time absent from Jerusalem. And declared unto them ... - It may seem remarkable that the apostles at Jerusalem had not before heard of the conversion of Saul.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:27
“To the apostles - Peter and James, Gal. i, 18, 19. Gal. i, 18, 19 And declared - He who has been an enemy to the truth ought not to be trusted till he gives proof that he is changed.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Acts 9:28-30
moving about freely in Jerusalem: Saul debated with the Grecian Jews, the Greek-speaking Jews of the synagogues Stephen had faced in 6:9, and they tried to kill him. The brothers sent him by Caesarea to Tarsus, his home city, a period Galatians 1:21 describes more fully than Acts.
Acts 9:28
“He was with them coming in and going out - Freely conversing and associating with them; but this seems to have continued only fifteen days. See Gal 1:18.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
debated with the Grecian Jews: The Grecian Jews spoke Greek, lived in Greek cities and read the Septuagint, as Adam Clarke explains from Acts 6:1. Oecumenius says the native Jews would not even look at Saul. Chrysostom notes that the brothers feared a repeat of Stephen's death.
Acts 9:29
“And spake boldly - He openly defended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah. In the name ... - By the authority of the Lord Jesus. Against the Grecians - See the word “Grecians” explained in the notes on Act 6:1. It means that he not only maintained that Jesus was the Christ in the presence of those Jews who resided at Jerusalem, and who spoke the Hebrew language, but also before those foreign Jews who spoke the Greek language, and who had come up to Jerusalem.”
sent him off to Tarsus: John Gill takes this Caesarea to be Caesarea Philippi, while Adam Clarke follows Calmet in reading it as Caesarea of Palestine. Tarsus was Saul's home city in Cilicia. Galatians 1:21 records that he preached in that region, as Albert Barnes notes.
Acts 9:30
“Which when the brethren knew,.... When the members of the church heard of it, by some means or another: they brought him down to Caesarea; not that which was before called Strato's tower, the same as in Act 8:40 but Caesarea Philippi, mentioned in Mat 16:13 the Syriac version adds, "by night", and some copies, "and sent him forth to Tarsus"; a city of Cilicia, his own native place, where he might be more safe, and also useful among his friends and acquaintance; Gal 1:21.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:30
“They brought him down to Caesarea - Calmet contends that this was Caesarea of Palestine, and not Caesarea Philippi; it being his opinion, and indeed that of others, that where this word occurs without any addition, in the New Testament, Caesarea of Palestine is meant, and not Caesarea Philippi. See on Act 8:40 (note). Sent him forth to Tarsus - This was his own city; and it was right that he should proclaim to his own countrymen and relatives that Gospel through which he was become wise to salvation.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
experienced a time of peace: Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace, closing the section the persecution of chapter 8 opened. It grew in strength and numbers, the Jerusalem congregation now spread across three regions.
Acts 9:31
“And being built up - In holy, loving faith, continually increasing, and walking in - That is, speaking and acting only from this principle, the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Ghost - An excellent mixture of inward and outward peace, tempered with filial fear.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:31
“Then had the churches rest - That is, the persecutions against Christians ceased. Those persecutions had been excited by the opposition made to Stephen Act 11:19; they had been greatly promoted by Saul Act 8:3; and they had extended doubtless throughout the whole land of Palestine. The precise causes of this cessation of the persecution are not known. Probably they were the following: (1) It is not improbable that the great mass of Christians had been driven into other regions by these persecutions.”
Acts 9:31
“Then had the churches rest,.... Meaning not spiritual rest in Christ; this they had before, even in tribulation, but rest from persecution; not so much because of the conversion of Saul, the great persecutor of them, for his conversion had been three years before; but rather because of his removal to other parts, the sight of whose person, and especially his ministry, had afresh stirred up the Jews to wrath and fury.”
Aeneas Made Whole and Dorcas Raised at Joppa
Acts 9:32-35
he went to visit the saints: At Lydda, Aeneas, paralyzed and bedridden for eight years, is healed with the words Jesus Christ heals you. The credit is placed on Christ's name, as at the temple gate in 3:6.
Acts 9:32
“As Peter passed throughout all quarters - Δια παντων, Bp. Pearce thinks, should be translated, not through all quarters, but through all the saints. The Churches having rest, the apostles made use of this interval of quiet to visit the different congregations, in order to build them up on their most holy faith. Of Saul we hear no more till Act 11:30, which is supposed to be about five years after this time; eight in all from his conversion.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
a man named Aeneas: Aeneas is a Greek name, and Albert Barnes thinks he was probably a Greek-speaking Jew. Adam Clarke notes that many in Palestine carried both a Greek and a Hebrew name, as Peter and Saul did. Eight years of illness made his case widely known.
Acts 9:33
“And there he found a certain man,.... In a house in that city, into which he entered: named Aeneas; which is a Gentile name, and so might the person be; though there is mention made of this name among the Jews. We read of one R. Samuel Bar, אנייא "Aenea, or Aeneas" (l); but it was more common among the Greeks. Aeneas the Trojan is well known in history, who, after the destruction of Troy, went into Italy, and settled there; and from him the Trojans are sometimes called Aeneadae.”
Albert Barnes and Adam Clarke note that Peter claims no power of his own and credits Jesus Christ directly. Putting away the mat gave public proof of the cure. Chrysostom observes that Peter asks no faith of Aeneas first, for the apostles' power had not yet been shown there.
Acts 9:34
“Jesus Christ maketh thee whole - Not Peter, for he had no power but what was given him from above. And, as an instrument, any man could heal with this power as well as Peter; but God chose to put honor upon those primitive preachers of his word, that men might see that they were commissioned from heaven. Arise, and make thy bed - Give now full proof that Jesus Christ Has made thee whole, by arising, and by making thy bed.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
all who lived in Lydda and Sharon: Lydda lay one day's travel from Jerusalem, in the fertile plain of Sharon between Caesarea and Joppa, as John Wesley describes. Albert Barnes explains that all means the general body of the people. The man was well known, so his cure was widely examined.
Acts 9:35
“Lydda was a large town, one day's journey from Jerusalem. It stood in the plain or valley of Sharon, which extended from Caesarea to Joppa, and was noted for its fruitfulness.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 9:35
“And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron,.... Saron, which is here joined to Lydda, is the name of a fruitful country on the borders of the Mediterranean sea, between Joppa and Caesarea, beginning at Lydda. There were two countries in the land of Israel called Saron, as Jerom observes (n); there was one between Mount Tabor, and the lake of Tiberias; and there was another which reached from Caesarea of Palestine, to the town of Joppa; the former was inhabited by the Gadites, and was beyond Jordan, 1Ch 5:16 the other was on this side Jordan, near Lydda.”
Acts 9:36-38
a disciple named Tabitha: In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, called Dorcas in Greek. Luke introduces her by her deeds alone: she was always occupied with works of kindness and charity.
Acts 9:36
“Tabitha, which is by interpretation Dorcas - She was probably a Hellenist Jew, known among the Hebrews by the Syriac name Tabitha, while the Greeks called her in their own language, Dorcas. They are both words of the same import, and signify a roe or fawn.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
3 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:36
“Doubtless the interpretation, as here given, is but an echo of the remarks made by the Christians regarding her--how well her character answered to her name. full of good works and alms-deeds--eminent for the activities and generosities of the Christian character.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Acts 9:36
“And so, if it were agreed that even the blessed apostles had granted any such indulgence (to any crime) the pardon of which (comes) from God, not from man, it would be competent (for them) to have done so, not in the exercise of discipline, but of power. For they both raised the dead, which God alone (can do), and restored the debilitated to their integrity, which none but Christ (can do); nay, they inflicted plagues too, which Christ would not do.”
Tertullian · written before 220 · On Modestypatristic
Acts 9:36
“Now there was at Joppa,.... The same with Japho, Jos 19:46 a sea port town in the tribe of Dan, said by some historians (w) to be a very ancient one, even before the flood. It is now called Jaffa, and its name, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies beauty: some say it had its name from Jope, the daughter of Aeolus, the wife of Cepheus, the founder of it; and others derive it from the name of Japhet, because it looks towards Europe, which is inhabited by the sons of Japhet.”
her body was washed: Washing the body before burial was a widespread custom, and Albert Barnes notes that nothing shows the disciples expected Peter to raise her. Her good works did not spare her from death.
Acts 9:37
“Whom, when they had washed - Among most people it has been customary to wash the body before it is buried or burned. They prepared her in the usual manner for interment. In an upper chamber - See the notes on Act 1:13. There is no evidence that they expected that Peter would raise her up to life.”
Lydda lay about four leagues from Joppa, by Adam Clarke's reckoning. Albert Barnes and Clarke both doubt the disciples expected a raising, since no apostle had yet raised the dead and Stephen had not been restored. Chrysostom notes that they leave the matter entirely to Peter.
Acts 9:38
“Sent unto him - desiring - that he would not delay to come - Tabitha died at Joppa, and Peter was at Lydda, about four leagues distant. But why did they send for Peter? We cannot tell. It is not likely that they had any expectation that he should raise her from the dead; for none of the apostles had as yet raised any; and if God did not choose to restore Stephen to life, this favor could not be reasonably expected in behalf of inferior persons.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 9:39-41
went with them: As Jesus did beside Jairus's daughter in Mark 5:40 to 41, Peter sent them all out of the room, knelt and prayed. His words Tabitha, get up echo the Talitha koum of that scene, and he took her by the hand and presented her alive.
Acts 9:39
“Then Peter arose - See the notes on Luk 15:18. And all the widows - Whom Dorcas had benefited by her kindness. They had lost a benefactress; and it was natural that they should recall her kindness, and express their gratitude, by enumerating the proofs of her beneficence. Each one would therefore naturally dwell on the kindness which had been shown to herself.”
He knelt down and prayed: Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note that Jesus is never recorded kneeling to work a miracle, and Peter kneels as a servant. Adam Clarke suggests Peter did not know God's will beforehand and cleared the room to pray without distraction. This is the first dead person Peter raises.
Acts 9:40
“Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed - It was not even known to Peter that God would work this miracle: therefore he put all the people out, that he might seek the will of God by fervent prayer, and during his supplications be liable neither to distraction nor interruption, which he must have experienced had he permitted this company of weeping widows to remain in the chamber. And turning - to the body - Σωμα, The lifeless body, for the spirit had already departed.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 9:40
“Neither, beloved brethren, are we so bringing forward these things, as that we should not prove what Raphael the angel said, by the testimony of the truth. In the Acts of the Apostles the faith of the fact is established; and that souls are delivered by almsgiving not only from the second, but from the first death, is discovered by the evidence of a matter accomplished and completed.”
Cyprian · written before 258 · Treatise VIII. On Works and Alms 6patristic
Acts 9:40
“The kneeling became the lowly servant, but not the Lord Himself, of whom it is never once recorded that he knelt in the performance of a miracle. opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up--The graphic minuteness of detail here imparts to the narrative an air of charming reality.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
presented her to them alive: Albert Barnes compares Elijah, who gave the widow's son back to his mother in 1 Kings 17:23. Widows formed a distinct group in the early church. Theophylact says Tabitha returned as comfort to the saints and as protector to the widows.
Acts 9:41
"Having called the saints and widows, he presented her before them alive" – to the former as a consolation, and to the latter as a protectress.
Theophylact of Ohrid · written before 1107 · Commentary on Actspatristic
Acts 9:42-43
This became known all over Joppa: Peter stayed in Joppa with a tanner named Simon, a trade Jewish custom held unclean because it handled the skins of dead animals. He lodges there before the vision of the next chapter, on the roof of the same house.
Acts 9:42
“Many believed in the Lord - That is, in Christ Jesus, in whose name and through whose power they understood this miracle to be wrought. This miracle, as well as that at Lydda, was not only the means of strengthening the faith of the disciples, and gaining credit to the cause of Christianity, but also of bringing many sincere converts to the Lord, so that the Church was thereby both builded up and multiplied.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
with a tanner named Simon: Tanning was held half unclean among Jews because it involved dead animals and blood, as Jamieson, Fausset & Brown explain. For that reason Simon's house stood by the sea.
Acts 9:43
“He tarried many days in Joppa - Taking advantage of the good impression made on the people’s minds by the miracle, he preached to them the great truths of Christianity, and thus established them in the faith. Simon a tanner - Whether the original word βυρσευς signifies a tanner or a currier, is of little consequence. The person who dealt in the hides, whether of clean or unclean animals, could not be in high repute among the Jews. Even in Joppa, the trade appears to have been reputed unclean; and therefore this Simon had his house by the sea side.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
How this psalm is built
The form: The call of Saul told in scenes from the Damascus road to Jerusalem, then Peter's healing of Aeneas at Lydda and raising of Tabitha at Joppa, as 9 classes it.
The patterns in this chapter
| Device | What it does | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| Two visions that meet | Verses 10 to 12 hold one vision inside another. In verse 10 the Lord speaks to Ananias in a vision. In verse 12 the Lord tells Ananias that Saul in a vision has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him. Each man is shown the other before they meet. Theophylact of Ohrid asks why a disciple of no great fame was given the task of teaching and healing the man who would become so great a preacher.Counted from the Berean Standard Bible text of Acts 9, The chapter's own text, verses 10 to 17. | Acts 9:10, Acts 9:11, Acts 9:12, Acts 9:17 |
| Get up | The command to get up runs through both halves of the chapter, eight times in all. Jesus tells Saul Now get up and go into the city in verse 6, and Saul got up from the ground in verse 8. The Lord says Get up to Ananias in verse 11, and in verse 18 Saul got up and was baptized. Peter says to Aeneas Get up and put away your mat in verse 34, and to the dead woman in verse 40 he says Tabitha, get up.Counted from the Berean Standard Bible text of Acts 9, The chapter's own text, verses 6 to 40. | Acts 9:6, Acts 9:8, Acts 9:11, Acts 9:18, Acts 9:34, Acts 9:40 |
| A summary of peace | Verse 31 closes the story of Saul with a summary. The church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace, grew in strength and numbers, and lived in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. Bede points out that the Greek phrase for throughout all is the source of the word catholic, the church spread through the whole world. The next verse turns to Peter.Bede, Retractions on Acts. | Acts 9:31 |
How this chapter is built
1 more paragraph on the patterns
Acts 9 is built in scenes. Verses 1 to 9 take place on the road to Damascus, verses 10 to 19 are in the house on Straight Street. Verses 19 to 25 are in the synagogues of Damascus, and verses 26 to 30 in Jerusalem. Saul moves in the chapter from breathing out murderous threats to declaring in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Verse 31 closes that story with a report of peace and growth. Verses 32 to 43 follow Peter to Lydda and Joppa, where the command to get up raises Aeneas from his bed and Tabitha from death.
Keep studying
Sources for this chapter
The summary
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.
The form and classifications
Counted from the Berean Standard Bible text of Acts 9, The chapter's own text, verses 1 to 43.
The exposition
Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes; Bede; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1860: “"Behold, He Prays"” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin; John Chrysostom; John Gill; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.