Acts 8:3
in Acts 8But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.
KJV
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
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This verse in Acts 8
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
As for Saul - But Saul. He took no interest or part in the pious attentions shown to Stephen, but engaged with zeal in the work of persecution. He made havoc - ἐλυμαίνετο elumaineto. This word is commonly applied to wild beasts, to lions, wolves, etc., and denotes the “devastations” which they commit. Saul raged against the church like a wild beast - a strong expression, denoting the zeal and fury with which he engaged in persecution. Entering into every house - To search for those who were suspected of being Christians. Haling - Dragging, or compelling them.
This site's exposition
Saul was there, giving approval
on Acts 8:1-3
Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death, and Luke names him before the story turns to follow him. The persecution that followed scattered the believers throughout Judea and Samaria, the first steps of the outline in Acts 1:8.
This site's exposition
Saul began to destroy the church
Barnes, Clarke and Wesley note that the verb describes a wild beast ravaging its prey. Chrysostom marks that Saul acted alone and even broke into houses, zealous for the Law. Barnes sets this against the care shown to Stephen.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"As for Saul, he made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison." Great was his frenzy: that he was alone, that he even entered into houses: for indeed he was ready to give his life for the Law. "Haling," it says, "men and women:" mark both the confidence, and the violence, and the frenzy. All that fell into his hands, he put to all manner of ill-treatment: for in consequence of the recent murder, he was become more daring.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"And Saul was ravaging the church." Great was his madness, both to be alone and to break into houses. This was because he had devoted his soul to the law.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(1.) He entered into every house, making no difficulty of breaking open doors, night or day, and having a force attending him for that purpose. He entered into every house where they used to hold their meetings, or every house that had any Christians in it, or was thought to have. No man could be secure in his own house, though it was his castle.
Here is the church spreading by the ministry of Philip and others that were dispersed upon that occasion. The gospel brought to Samaria, preached there (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Saul made havoc of the Church - Like some furious beast of prey. So the Greek word properly signifies.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Saul made havoc of the Church - The word ελυμαινετο, from λυμαινω, to destroy, devastate, ravage, signifies the act of ferocious animals, such as bears, wolves, and the like, in seeking and devouring their prey. This shows with what persevering rancour this man pursued the harmless Christians; and thus we see in him what bigotry and false zeal are capable of performing. Entering into every house - For, however it might be to others, a Christian man’s house was not his castle. Haling men and women - Neither sparing age nor sex in the professors of Christianity. The word συρων signifies dragging them before the magistrates, or dragging them to justice. Committed them to prison - For, as the Romans alone had the power of life and death, the Sanhedrin, by whom Saul was employed, Act 26:10, could do no more than arrest and imprison, in order to inflict any punishment short of death. It is true, St. Paul himself says that some of them were put to death, see Act 26:10; but this was either done by Roman authority, or by what was called the judgment of zeal, i.e. when the mob took the execution of the laws into their own hands, and massacred those whom they pretended to be blasphemers of God: for these sanctified their murderous outrage under the specious name of zeal for God’s glory, and quoted the ensample of Phineas as a precedent. Such persons as these formed a sect among the Jews; and are known in ecclesiastical history by the appellation of Zealots or Sicarii.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Σαῦλος | saulos | Saul | G4569 → | 15 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐλυμαίνετο | elumaineto | was destroying | G3075 → | |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκκλησίαν | ekklesian | church | G1577 → | 113 times |
| κατὰ | kata | by | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τοὺς | tous | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οἴκους | oikous | houses | G3624 → | 112 times |
| εἰσπορευόμενος, | eisporeuomenos | entering, | G1531 → | 18 times |
| σύρων | suron | dragging off | G4951 → | 5 times |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| ἄνδρας | andras | men | G435 → | 216 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γυναῖκας | gunaikas | women | G1135 → | 211 times |
| παρεδίδου | paredidou | he was delivering [them] | G3860 → | 119 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| φυλακήν.¶ | phulaken | prison. | G5438 → | 47 times |
ΣαῦλοςSaul
saulosG4569 →15 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐλυμαίνετοwas destroying
elumainetoG3075 →
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐκκλησίανchurch
ekklesianG1577 →113 times
κατὰby
kataG2596 →468 times
τοὺς<the>
tousG3588 →19766 times
οἴκουςhouses
oikousG3624 →112 times
εἰσπορευόμενος,entering,
eisporeuomenosG1531 →18 times
σύρωνdragging off
suronG4951 →5 times
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
ἄνδραςmen
andrasG435 →216 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γυναῖκαςwomen
gunaikasG1135 →211 times
παρεδίδουhe was delivering [them]
paredidouG3860 →119 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
φυλακήν.¶prison.
phulakenG5438 →47 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 3:6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
it leads to
- Galatians 1:13–14
For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
- Acts 26:9–10
So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
- Galatians 1:13–14
Through
1 Corinthians 15:9For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
it leads to
- Acts 26:9–11
So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 3:7–8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
- 1 Timothy 1:13–15
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- 2 Corinthians 12:11
I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
- Acts 26:9–11
Through
Acts 22:19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
it leads to
- Acts 22:4
I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
- Acts 22:4
Through
Galatians 1:13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
it leads to
- Acts 22:3–5
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just…
- Acts 22:3–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
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About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 18; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.