Acts 9:19
in Acts 9and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he took food and was strengthened. And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus.
KJV
And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
⋯
This verse in Acts 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verse"Having risen, he was baptized, and having taken food, he was strengthened," because his strength had weakened partly from the journey, partly from fear, partly from hunger, and partly from faintheartedness. Note that he did not venture to take food until he had received the …
This site's exposition
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.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And having taken food, he recovered strength." He was faint, therefore, both from his journey and from his fear; both from hunger, and from dejection of mind. Wishing therefore to deepen his dejection, He made the man blind until the coming of Ananias: and, that he might not imagine the blindness to be only fancy, this is the reason of the scales. He needed no other teaching: that which had befallen was made teaching to him.
And why saith it, "Having taken food, he was strengthened?" Because they that are in such case become relaxed: he had no heart to partake of food before, until he obtained the mighty gifts. It seems to me, that both Paul and Cornelius, at the very instant when the words were spoken, received the Spirit. And yet in this case the giver was no great one. So true is it, that there was naught of man's in the things done, nor aught was done by man, but God was present, the Doer of these things. And at the same time the Lord both teaches him to think modestly of himself, in that He does not bring him to the Apostles who were so admired, and shows that there is nothing of man here. He was not filled, however, with the Spirit which works signs: that in this way also his faith might be shown; for he wrought no miracles.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And when he had received meat,....
The Lord is for the body, and therefore care must be taken of it, to keep it in good plight, that it may be fit to serve the soul in God's service, and that Christ may be magnified in it, Phil. i.
He had continued three days fasting, which, with the mighty weight that was all that time upon his spirits, had made him very weak; but, when he had received meat, he was strengthened,
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
When he had received meat, he was strengthened - His mind must have been greatly worn down under his three days’ conviction of sin, and the awful uncertainty he was in concerning his state; but when he was baptized, and had received the Holy Ghost, his soul was Divinely invigorated; and now, by taking food, his bodily strength, greatly exhausted by three days’ fasting, was renewed also. The body is not supported by the bread of life, nor the soul by the bread that perisheth: each must have its proper aliment, that the whole man may be invigorated, and be enabled to perform all the functions of the animal and spiritual life with propriety and effect. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples - Doubtless under instructions, relative to the doctrines of Christianity; which he must learn particularly, in order to preach them successfully. His miraculous conversion did not imply that he must then have a consummate knowledge of every Christian doctrine. To this day we find that even the genuine Christian convert has a thousand things to learn; and for his instruction he is placed in the Church of Christ, where he is built up on his most holy faith by the ministry and experience of the disciples. Without the communion of saints, who is likely to make a steady and consistent Christian; even though his conversion should have been the most sincere and the most remarkable?
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λαβὼν | labon | having taken | G2983 → | 257 times |
| τροφὴν | trophen | food | G5160 → | 16 times |
| ἐνίσχυσεν.¶ | enischusen | he strengthened. | G1765 → | |
| Ἐγένετο | egeneto | He was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| τῶν | ton | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| Δαμασκῷ | damasko | Damascus | G1154 → | 15 times |
| μαθητῶν | matheton | [the] disciple,s | G3101 → | 260 times |
| ἡμέρας | hemeras | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| τινάς· | tinas | [for] some; | G5100 → | 528 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λαβὼνhaving taken
labonG2983 →257 times
τροφὴνfood
trophenG5160 →16 times
ἐνίσχυσεν.¶he strengthened.
enischusenG1765 →
ἘγένετοHe was
egenetoG1096 →667 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
τῶνthose
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ΔαμασκῷDamascus
damaskoG1154 →15 times
μαθητῶν[the] disciple,s
mathetonG3101 →260 times
ἡμέραςdays
hemerasG2250 →389 times
τινάς·[for] some;
tinasG5100 →528 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
Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 3:12–13
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
- Deuteronomy 12:7
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
- Ecclesiastes 10:19
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
- Ecclesiastes 8:15
So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his…
- Ecclesiastes 3:12–13
Through
Acts 11:26and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 4:16
But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.
- Acts 26:28
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
- 1 Peter 4:16
Through
Acts 26:20First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of…
it leads to
- Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
- Matthew 3:8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
- Acts 3:19
Where this verse is studied
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 20; 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.