Acts 9:29
in Acts 9He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the Grecian Jews; but they were seeking to kill him.
KJV
And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
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This verse in Acts 9
Commentary
13 notes on this verseHe says "Hellenists" of those speaking in Greek, and very wisely. For the others, that is, the native Jews, did not even wish to see him. [CHRYSOSTOM]
This site's exposition
moving about freely in Jerusalem
on Acts 9:28-30
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.
This site's exposition
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.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"But they," it says, "went about to slay him:" a token, this, of his energy, and triumphant victory, and of their exceeding annoyance at what had happened. Thereupon, fearing lest the issue should be the same as in the case of Stephen, they sent him to Caesarea.
"And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem, and speaking boldly in the name of Jesus" (v. 28): these things were demonstrative of the former, and by his acts he made good what was spoken of him. "And he spake, and disputed with the Hellenists." (v. 29.) So then the disciples were afraid of him, and the Apostles did not trust him; by this therefore he relieves them of their fear. "With the Hellenists:" he means those who used the Greek tongue: and this he did, very wisely; for those others, those profound Hebrews had no mind even to see him.
"And he was with them, coming in and going out at Jerusalem, and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus." This gave them all confidence. "But they went about to slay him: which when the brethren knew" etc. Do you observe how both there (at Damascus), and here, the rest take care for him, and provide for him the means of departure, and that we nowhere find him thus far receiving direct supernatural aid from God? So the energy of his character is betokened.
The Medieval Church2 voices
He also spoke and disputed with the Greeks. It is noted that he taught Greeks in Jerusalem and Jews in Damascus, which is a city of the Gentiles, lest perhaps it signifies that Gentiles are to be helped into the city of God and Jews …
And he spoke and disputed against the Greeks, but they sought to kill him. When the brethren knew of it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. For Tarsus is a city of Cilicia, and Caesarea Philippi is also a …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"He also spoke and disputed with the Hellenists," or with those Jews who spoke Greek. Because the other Hebrews, hardened, could not even look at him, or rather, they even resolved to kill him.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
disputed against the Grecians--(See on Ac 6:1); addressing himself specially to them, perhaps, as being of his own class, and that against which he had in the days of his ignorance been the fiercest. they went about to slay him--Thus was he made to feel, throughout his whole course, what he himself had made others so cruelly to feel, the cost of discipleship.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Disputed against the Grecians - That is, the Hellenistic Jews, viz. those who lived in Grecian cities, spoke the Greek language, and used the Septuagint version for their scriptures. And thus the Syriac version has interpreted this place. See the note on Act 6:1, where this subject is largely explained.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐλάλει | elalei | He was speaking | G2980 → | 294 times |
| τε | te | also | G5037 → | 213 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| συνεζήτει | sunezetei | he was debating | G4802 → | |
| πρὸς | pros | with | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἑλληνιστάς· | hellenistas | Hellenists; | G1675 → | 3 times |
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | but | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐπεχείρουν | epecheiroun | they were seeking | G2021 → | |
| ἀνελεῖν | anelein | to execute | G337 → | 24 times |
| αὐτόν. | auton | him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἐλάλειHe was speaking
elaleiG2980 →294 times
τεalso
teG5037 →213 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
συνεζήτειhe was debating
sunezeteiG4802 →
πρὸςwith
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
Ἑλληνιστάς·Hellenists;
hellenistasG1675 →3 times
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲbut
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐπεχείρουνthey were seeking
epecheirounG2021 →
ἀνελεῖνto execute
aneleinG337 →24 times
αὐτόν.him.
autonG846 →5565 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
Jude 1:9But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
it leads to
- Zechariah 3:2
And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
- 2 Peter 2:11
Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 34:6
And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows the location of his grave.
- Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning…
- Revelation 12:7
Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
- Zechariah 3:2
Through
Acts 6:1In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
it leads to
Through
2 Corinthians 11:26In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger…
it leads to
- Acts 14:5
But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
- Acts 14:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 21; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
