A.T. Robertson Commentary Acts 9

Yet (ετ). As if some time elapsed between the death of Stephen as is naturally implied by the progressive persecution described in 8:3. The zeal of Saul the persecutor increased with success.

Breathing threatening and slaughter (ενπνεων απειλης κα φονου). Present active participle of old and common verb. Not "breathing out," but "breathing in" (inhaling) as in Aeschylus and Plato or "breathing on" (from Homer on). The partitive genitive of απειλης and φονου means that threatening and slaughter had come to be the very breath that Saul breathed, like a warhorse who sniffed the smell of battle. He breathed on the remaining disciples the murder that he had already breathed in from the death of the others. He exhaled what he inhaled. Jacob had said that "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf" (Genesis 49:27). This greatest son of Benjamin was fulfilling this prophecy (Furneaux). The taste of blood in the death of Stephen was pleasing to young Saul (8:1) and now he revelled in the slaughter of the saints both men and women. In 26:11 Luke quotes Paul as saying that he was "exceedingly mad against them."

Asked (ηιτησατο). First aorist middle indicative, the indirect middle, asked for himself (as a favour to himself). Felten notes that "Saul as a Pharisee makes request of a Sadducee" (the high priest) either Caiaphas if before A.D. 35, but if in 36 Jonathan, son of Caiaphas or if in 37 Theophilus, another son of Caiaphas.

Letters (επιστολας). Julius Ceasar and Augustus had granted the high priest and Sanhedrin jurisdiction over Jews in foreign cities, but this central ecclesiastical authority was not always recognized in every local community outside of Judea. Paul says that he received his authority to go to Damascus from the priests (Acts 26:10) and "the estate of the elders" (22:5), that is the Sanhedrin.

To Damascus (εις Δαμασκον). As if no disciples of importance (outside the apostles in Jerusalem) were left in Judea. Damascus at this time may have been under the rule of Aretas of Arabia (tributary to Rome) as it certainly was a couple of years later when Saul escaped in a basket (2 Corinthians 11:32). This old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). It is some 150 miles Northeast from Jerusalem and watered by the river Abana from Anti-Lebanon. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Saul's persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. Paul's language in Ac 26:11 seems to mean that Damascus is merely one of other "foreign cities" to which he carried the persecution.

If he found (εαν ευρη). Third class condition with aorist subjunctive retained after secondary tense (asked).

The Way (της οδου). A common method in the Acts for describing Christianity as the Way of life, absolutely as also in 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22 or the way of salvation (16:17) or the way of the Lord (18:25). It is a Jewish definition of life as in Isa 40:3 "the way of the Lord,"Psalms 1:6 "the way of the righteous," "the way of the wicked." Jesus called himself "the way" (John 14:6), the only way to the Father. The so-called Epistle of Barnabas presents the Two Ways. The North American Indians call Christianity the Jesus Road.

That he might bring them bound (οπως δεδεμενους αγαγη). Final clause with οπως (less common than ινα) and aorist (effective) subjunctive (αγαγη, reduplicated aorist of αγω, common verb) and perfect passive participle (δεδεμενους) of δεω, in a state of sheer helplessness like his other victims both men and women. Three times (8:3; 9:2; 22:4) this fact of persecuting women is mentioned as a special blot in Paul's cruelty (the third time by Paul himself) and one of the items in his being chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

As he journeyed (εν τω πορευεσθα). Luke's common idiom for a temporal clause (in the journeying), εν with the locative articular middle infinitive.

Drew nigh (εγγιζειν). Present active infinitive, was drawing nigh.

Shone round about him (αυτον περιηστραψεν). First aorist (ingressive) active indicative of περιαστραπτω, late compound verb common in LXX and Byzantine writers, here and 22:6 alone in the N.T. "A light from heaven suddenly flashed around him." It was like a flash of lightning. Paul uses the same verb in 22:5, but in 26:13 he employs περιλαμψαν (shining around). There are numerous variations in the historical narrative of Saul's conversion in 9:3-18 and Luke's report of Paul's two addresses, one on the steps of the Tower of Antonia facing the murderous mob (22:6-16), the other before Festus and Agrippa (26:12-20). A great deal of capital has been made of these variations to the discredit of Luke as a writer as if he should have made Paul's two speeches conform at every point with his own narrative. This objection has no weight except for those who hold that Luke composed Paul's speeches freely as some Greek writers used to do. But, if Luke had notes of Paul's speeches or help from Paul himself, he naturally preserved the form of the two addresses without trying to make them agree with each other in all details or with his own narrative in chapter 9. Luke evidently attached great importance to the story of Saul's conversion as the turning point not simply in the career of the man, but an epoch in the history of apostolic Christianity. In broad outline and in all essentials the three accounts agree and testify to the truthfulness of the account of the conversion of Saul. It is impossible to overestimate the worth to the student of Christianity of this event from every angle because we have in Paul's Epistles his own emphasis on the actual appearance of Jesus to him as the fact that changed his whole life (1 Corinthians 15:8; Galatians 1:16f.). The variations that appear in the three accounts do not mar the story, when rightly understood, as we shall see. Here, for instance, Luke simply mentions "a light from heaven," while in 22:6 Paul calls it "a great (ικανον) light" "about noon" and in 26:13 "above the brightness of the sun," as it would have to be "at midday" with the sun shining.

He fell upon the earth (πεσων επ την γην). Second aorist active participle. So in 22:7 Paul says: "I fell unto the ground" (επεσα εις το εδαφος) using an old word rather than the common γην. In 26:14 Paul states that "we were all fallen to the earth" (παντων καταπεσοντων ημων εις την γην, genitive absolute construction). But here in verse 7 "the men that journeyed with him stood speechless" (ιστηκεισαν ενεο). But surely the points of time are different. In 26:14 Paul refers to the first appearance of the vision when all fell to the earth. Here in verse 7 Luke refers to what occurred after the vision when both Saul and the men had risen from the ground.

Saul, Saul (Σαουλ, Σαουλ). The Hebrew form occurs also in 22:7; 26:14 where it is expressly stated that the voice was in the Hebrew (Aramaic) tongue as also in 9:17 (Ananias). Deissmann (Bible Studies, p. 316) terms this use of Σαουλ "the historian's sense of liturgical rhythm." For the repetition of names by Jesus note Lu 10:41 (Martha, Martha), Luke 22:31 (Simon, Simon).

Me (με). In persecuting the disciples, Saul was persecuting Jesus, as the words of Jesus in verse 5 made plain. Christ had already spoken of the mystic union between himself and his followers (Matthew 10:40; 25:40,45; John 15:1–5). The proverb (Pindar) that Jesus quotes to Saul about kicking against the goad is genuine in 26:14, but not here.

Lord (κυριε). It is open to question if κυριε should not here be translated "Sir" as in 16:30 and in Mt 21:29,30; John 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; and should be so in Joh 9:36. It is hardly likely that at this stage Saul recognized Jesus as Lord, though he does so greet him in 22:10 "What shall I do, Lord?" Saul may have recognized the vision as from God as Cornelius says "Lord" in 10:4. Saul surrendered instantly as Thomas did (John 20:28) and as little Samuel (1 Samuel 3:9). This surrender of the will to Christ was the conversion of Saul. He saw a real Person, the Risen Christ, to whom he surrendered his life. On this point he never wavered for a moment to the end.