Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 9:1

"But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest," — Acts 9:1 (ASV)

Chapter 9

Introduction

This chapter begins a very important part of the Acts of the Apostles—the conversion and labors of Saul of Tarsus. The remainder of the book is primarily concerned with an account of his labors and trials in establishing churches and in spreading the gospel throughout the Gentile world. Because it was a very important fact that the gospel was to be preached in this manner to the Gentiles, and because the toils of the apostle Paul and his fellow-laborers for this purpose were exceedingly interesting, it was desirable to preserve an authentic record of those labors. That record is what we find in the remainder of this book.

And Saul. (See the notes on Acts 7:58 and Acts 8:3.)

He had been engaged before in persecuting the Christians, but he now sought an opportunity to gratify his insatiable desire on a larger scale.

Yet breathing. Not satisfied with what he had done (Acts 8:3). The phrase breathing out is often expressive of any deep, agitating emotion, as we then breathe rapidly and violently. It is thus expressive of violent anger.

The emotion is absorbing, agitating, and exhausting, and demands a more rapid circulation of blood to supply the exhausted vitality. This, in turn, demands an increased supply of oxygen, or vital air, which leads to the increased action of the lungs.

The word is often used in this sense in the classics (Schleusner). It is a favorite expression with Homer. Euripides has the same expression: "Breathing out fire and slaughter." So Theocritus: "They came to the assembly, breathing mutual slaughter" .

Threatening. Denunciation; threatening them with every breath—the action of a man violently enraged and bent on vengeance. It also denotes intense activity and energy in persecution.

Slaughter. Murder. Intensely desiring to put to death as many Christians as possible. He rejoiced in their death and joined in condemning them (Acts 26:10–11). From this latter passage, it seems that he had been involved in putting many of them to death.

The disciples of the Lord. Against Christians.

Went to the High Priest. The letters were written and signed in the name and by the authority of the Sanhedrin, or great council of the nation. The high priest did this as president of that council (Acts 22:5).

The high priest at that time was Theophilus, son of Artanus, who had been appointed at the Feast of Pentecost, A.D. 37, by Vitellius, the Roman governor. His brother Jonathan had been removed from that office the same year (Kuinoel).