Acts 22:5
in Acts 22as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
KJV
As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
⋯
This verse in Acts 22
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
As also the high priest ... - See the notes on Act 9:2. All the estate of the elders - Greek: all the presbytery; that is, the whole body of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation. Unto the brethren - The Jewish brethren who were at Damascus. Paul here speaks as a Jew, and regards his countrymen as his brethren.
This site's exposition
I persecuted this Way
on Acts 22:4-5
Paul confesses that he persecuted this Way even to the death, throwing both men and women into prison. He calls the high priest and the whole Council as witnesses, since he obtained letters from them for his mission to Damascus.
This site's exposition
obtained letters from them
The brothers in Damascus are fellow Jews. Wesley points out that Jews used the title among themselves, and Barnes identifies the whole Council as the Sanhedrin.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Did you see how by his very experience in these things [Paul] has taught all of us that he deserved to be judged worthy of kindness from above and to be led to the path of truth? When God in his goodness sees a well-disposed soul led astray through ignorance, he does not disregard that soul or give it up to its own great recklessness, but he shows it all the good things that come from him and fails in nothing that pertains to our salvation, if we make ourselves worthy to reap abundantly the benefit of grace from above, as did that blessed apostle.
The rest, however, was without witnesses: "From whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me." Why then, these very things ought to have been held worthy of credit, from those that went before: otherwise he would not have undergone such a revolution. How if he is only making a fine story of it, say you? Answer me, Why did he suddenly fling away all this zeal? Because he looked for honor? And yet he got just the contrary. But an easy life, perhaps? No, nor that either. Well but something else? Why it is not in the power of thought to invent any other object. So then, leaving it to themselves to draw the inference, he narrates the facts. "As I came nigh," he says, "unto Damascus, about noonday." See how great was the excess of the light. What if he is only making a fine story, say you? Those who were with him are witnesses, who led him by the hand, who saw the light.
"But our friends lifted him up, for they were both more numerous and more powerful than the others; but, from their fear of God, they rather suffered themselves to be killed by an inferior force, than they would kill others. But when the evening came …
The Medieval Church1 voice
So that they would not think this was an invention, Paul shows that he did everything out of love and zeal, and not out of vainglory.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The high priest is my witness - Is able to testify. The brethren -- Jews: so this title was not peculiar to the Christians.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And perhaps he mentions it to justify God in his present trouble; how unrighteous soever those were that persecuted him, God was righteous, who permitted them to do it, for time was when he was a persecutor; and he may have a further view in it to invite and encourage those people to repent, for he himself had been a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and yet obtained mercy.
He relates the story of his conversion here very particularly, as we had it before ( ch. ix. ), aiming to show that it was purely the act of God. He was a fully bent upon persecuting the Christians just before Christ arrested him as ever. He made his journey, and was come nigh to Damascus (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
As also the high priest doth bear me witness,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The high priest doth bear me witness, etc. - He probably referred to the letters of authority which he had received from the high priest, and the whole estate of the elders, παν το πρεσβυτεριον, the whole of the presbytery, that is, the sanhedrin; and it is likely, that he had those letters to produce. This zeal of his against Christianity was an ample proof of his sincerity as a Pharisaical Jew.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀρχιερεὺς | archiereus | high priest | G749 → | 122 times |
| μαρτυρεῖ | marturei | bears witness | G3140 → | 76 times |
| μοι | moi | to me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πᾶν | pan | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πρεσβυτέριον, | presbuterion | elderhood, | G4244 → | |
| παρ᾽ | par᾽ | from | G3844 → | 192 times |
| ὧν | hon | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπιστολὰς | epistolas | letters | G1992 → | 24 times |
| δεξάμενος | dexamenos | having received | G1209 → | 56 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφοὺς | adelphous | brothers | G80 → | 343 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Δαμασκὸν | damaskon | Damascus | G1154 → | 15 times |
| ἐπορευόμην, | eporeuomen | I was on my way | G4198 → | 147 times |
| ἄξων | axon | going to bring | G71 → | 68 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοὺς | tous | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκεῖσε | ekeise | there | G1566 → | |
| ὄντας | ontas | being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| δεδεμένους | dedemenous | bound | G1210 → | 43 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Ἰερουσαλὴμ | ierousalem | Jerusalem | G2419 → | 76 times |
| ἵνα | ina | in order that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| τιμωρηθῶσιν. | timorethosin | they may be punished. | G5097 → |
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀρχιερεὺςhigh priest
archiereusG749 →122 times
μαρτυρεῖbears witness
martureiG3140 →76 times
μοιto me
moiG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πᾶνall
panG3956 →1235 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πρεσβυτέριον,elderhood,
presbuterionG4244 →
παρ᾽from
par᾽G3844 →192 times
ὧνwhom
honG3739 →1405 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπιστολὰςletters
epistolasG1992 →24 times
δεξάμενοςhaving received
dexamenosG1209 →56 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφοὺςbrothers
adelphousG80 →343 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ΔαμασκὸνDamascus
damaskonG1154 →15 times
ἐπορευόμην,I was on my way
eporeuomenG4198 →147 times
ἄξωνgoing to bring
axonG71 →68 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοὺςthose
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἐκεῖσεthere
ekeiseG1566 →
ὄνταςbeing
ontasG1510 →2333 times
δεδεμένουςbound
dedemenousG1210 →43 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ἸερουσαλὴμJerusalem
ierousalemG2419 →76 times
ἵναin order that
inaG2443 →668 times
τιμωρηθῶσιν.they may be punished.
timorethosinG5097 →
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
Acts 22:1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
it leads to
- Acts 7:2
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
- Acts 23:1
Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
- Acts 28:17
After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers,…
- 2 Timothy 4:16
At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
- Acts 7:2
Through
Luke 22:66At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, met together. They led Jesus into their Sanhedrin and said,
it leads to
- Matthew 27:1
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.
- Mark 15:1
Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.
- Acts 4:25–28
You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
- Matthew 27:1
Through
Acts 5:21At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of…
it leads to
- John 8:2
Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.
- John 8:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceSyriaDamascusThe Syrian city Saul was travelling to with letters of arrest when the light stopped him on the road; he entered it blind and left…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
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); John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, BAPTISMAL INSTRUCTIONS 4.8; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 47; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Clement, Clementine Recognitions, Book 1 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.