Acts 9:20
in Acts 9Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.
KJV
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
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This verse in Acts 9
Commentary
10 notes on this versePaul 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."
This site's exposition
proclaim Jesus in the synagogues
on Acts 9:20-22
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.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"And he was with the disciples which were at Damascus certain days. And straightway in the synagogues he preached Jesus, that He is the Son of God." See, straightway he was a teacher in the synagogues. He was not ashamed of the change, was not afraid while the very things in which he was glorious afore-time, the same he destroyed. Even from his first appearance on the stage here was a man, death-dealing, ready for deeds of blood: seest thou what a manifest sign was here?
"And straightway in the synagogues he preached Jesus"-for he was accurate in the faith-"that this is the Son of God." He did not merely say, "that He is risen"-not this: no, nor "that He liveth": but what? immediately he strictly expounded the doctrine-"that this is the Son of God."
As a learned man he silenced them and would not let them speak, but proved from the Scriptures. That is, reconciling, teaching with gentleness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. [CHRYSOSTOM]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Paul does not say that Jesus is risen, that He is alive, but what? He immediately carefully proves that "He is the Son of God." He immediately became a teacher, because he was not ashamed that a change had occurred in him with regard to …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
preached Christ . . . that he is the Son of God--rather, "preached Jesus," according to all the most ancient manuscripts and versions of the New Testament (so Ac 9:21, "all that call on this name," that is, Jesus; and Ac 9:22, "proving that this Jesus is very Christ").
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And straightway - Immediately. It was an evidence of the genuineness of his conversion that he was willing at once to avow himself to be the friend of the Lord Jesus. He preached Christ - He proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ. See Act 9:22. Many manuscripts read here Jesus instead of Christ. Griesbach has adopted this reading. Such is also the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Ethiopic. The reading accords much better with the subject than the common reading. That Christ, or the Messiah, was the Son of God, all admitted. In the New Testament the names Christ and Son of God are used as synonymous. But the question was whether Jesus was the Christ, and was therefore the Son of God, and this Paul showed to the Jews. Paul continued the practice of attending the synagogues; and in the synagogues anyone had a right to speak who was invited by the officiating minister. See Act 13:15. That he is the Son of God - That he is the Messiah.
The words behind it
15 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 |
| εὐθέως | eutheos | immediately | G2112 → | 87 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναγωγαῖς | sunagogais | synagogues | G4864 → | 56 times |
| ἐκήρυσσεν | ekerussen | he was proclaiming | G2784 → | 59 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦν, | iesoun | Jesus, | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὗτός | houtos | He | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ.¶ | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εὐθέωςimmediately
eutheosG2112 →87 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
συναγωγαῖςsynagogues
sunagogaisG4864 →56 times
ἐκήρυσσενhe was proclaiming
ekerussenG2784 →59 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
Ἰησοῦν,Jesus,
iesounG2424 →908 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὗτόςHe
houtosG3778 →1381 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςSon
huiosG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.¶of God.
theouG2316 →1312 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
Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved…
it leads to
- Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- 2 Corinthians 5:15
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.
- Romans 6:4–6
We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of…
- Colossians 3:3–4
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
- 2 Corinthians 4:10–11
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
- Galatians 5:24
Through
John 20:28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
it leads to
- John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
- John 1:1
Where this verse is studied
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About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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 Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book III; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 20; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.