Acts 9:25
in Acts 9One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.
KJV
Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
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This verse in Acts 9
Commentary
17 notes on this verseThen the disciples took him by night,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "his disciples"; the disciples of Saul, such as he had been instrumental in making at Damascus: but it is not usual for the saints to be called in Scripture the disciples of any man; therefore the common reading is best, and designs the disciples and followers of Christ; who being concerned for the preservation of so valuable a life, took Saul in the night season, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
This site's exposition
the Jews conspired to kill him
on Acts 9:23-25
The Jews conspired to kill Saul and watched the city gates day and night, so the persecutor is now the one hunted. His disciples lowered him in a basket through the wall, an escape Paul recounts in 2 Corinthians 11:32 to 33.
This site's exposition
lowered him in a basket
The BSB follows copies that read "his disciples," while John Gill and Bede prefer the reading that calls them simply disciples of Christ. Albert Barnes compares Rahab lowering the spies and David's escape from King Saul. Such windows in city walls were common.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
He would not have fled from the snares laid for him by the prince, his persecutor, except that he wished to save himself for others who needed him, and that is why he said, "But I am pulled between the two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, a thing by far the better; but to abide still in the flesh is needful for you."
This is to be on fire, this to be fervent indeed! From that day forth he knew all the commands which the Apostles had heard: "Except a man take up his cross, and follow Me." The very fact that he had been slower to come than the rest made him more zealous: for "to whom much is forgiven" the same will love more, so that the later he came, the more he loved: and having done ten thousand wrongs, he thought he could never do enough to cast the former deeds into the shade.
"Then the disciples took him by night," that the affair might not be suspected, "and let him down by the wall in a basket." What then? having escaped such a danger, does he flee? By no means, but goes where he kindled them to greater rage.
"Then the disciples," etc. Of this occurrence he says: "The ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to apprehend me." But observe the Writer here, that he does not tell the story ambitiously, and so as to show what an important person Paul was, saying, "For they stirred up the king," and so forth: but only, "Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall-in a basket:" for they sent him out alone, and none with him. And it was well they did this: the consequence being, that he showed himself to the Apostles in Jerusalem. Now they sent him out, as bound to provide for his safety by flight: but he did just the contrary-he leaped into the midst of those who were mad against him.
Since he had risen above the wicked, he deserves to escape their ambush while the gates are closed. A basket, which is customarily woven with bulrushes and palms in turn, gives covering to Saul, in glory retaining an allegory of the church, for there is …
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers2 voices
That he fled from Damascus, this was no cowardice: he preserved himself for the preaching. Had he been a coward, he would not have gone to Jerusalem, would not immediately have commenced teaching: he would have abated somewhat of his vehemence: for he had been taught by the fate of Stephen. He was no coward, but he was also prudent in husbanding himself. Wherefore he thought it no great thing to die for the Gospel's sake, unless he should do this to great advantage: willing not even to see Christ, Whom most of all he longed to see, while the work of his stewardship among men was not yet complete.
But they plotted to kill him; Saul, however, escaped from the wall in a basket through his disciples, and was preserved as a fugitive. Note that he was already gaining disciples, therefore he was wholly inflamed and filled with preaching, and it made him more …
The Medieval Church4 voices
They let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket. This kind of escape is still preserved in the Church today when someone, surrounded by the snares of the ancient enemy or the traps of this world, is not saved by his hope …
But his disciples took him by night. That is, the disciples of Christ. For in Greek, there is no addition of "his", but only "disciples" so that they are understood generally as disciples of Christ or the Church. For Paul had not yet been read …
"But the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a basket." Notice that Paul is saved not by grace, but by human wisdom, so that you may learn that the virtue of a man shines even without miracles.
He does as a soldier does who, shut up in a narrow space, flees to mor open terrain in order to slay the more.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Took him by night ... - This was done through a window in the wall, 2Co 11:33. In a basket - This word is used to denote commonly “the basket in which food was carried,” Mat 15:37; Mar 8:8, Mar 8:20. It was in this way that Rahab let down the spies Jos 2:15, and so David escaped from Saul, 1Sa 19:12. Probably this occurred in an unguarded part of the wall, where some overhanging houses, as is usual in Eastern cities, opened into the outer country.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Then the disciples . . . by night let him down--"through a window" (2Co 11:33). by the wall--Such overhanging windows in the walls of Eastern cities were common, and are to be seen in Damascus to this day.
Let him down, by the wall - Favoured, probably, by a house built against or upon the wall, through the window of which they could lower him in a basket; and by this means he made his escape. His escape was something similar to that of the spies at Jericho, Jos 2:15.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| λαβόντες | labontes | having taken | G2983 → | 257 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταὶ | mathetai | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| νυκτὸς | nuktos | by night | G3571 → | 61 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τείχους | teichous | wall | G5038 → | |
| καθῆκαν | kathekan | they let down | G2524 → | 4 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| χαλάσαντες | chalasantes | having lowered [him] | G5465 → | 7 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| σπυρίδι.¶ | spuridi | a basket. | G4711 → |
λαβόντεςhaving taken
labontesG2983 →257 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταὶdisciples
mathetaiG3101 →260 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
νυκτὸςby night
nuktosG3571 →61 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
τείχουςwall
teichousG5038 →
καθῆκανthey let down
kathekanG2524 →4 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
χαλάσαντεςhaving lowered [him]
chalasantesG5465 →7 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
σπυρίδι.¶a basket.
spuridiG4711 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Joshua 2:15Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:33
But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
- 1 Samuel 19:12–17
So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
- Joshua 6:20
So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into…
- 2 Corinthians 11:33
Through
2 Corinthians 11:33But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
it leads to
- Joshua 2:18
unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all…
- 1 Samuel 19:12
So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
- Joshua 2:18
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 13 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); Arator, ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 228; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Hugh of Saint-Cher, Commentary (church-history corpus); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.