A.T. Robertson Commentary


A.T. Robertson Commentary
"And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth;" — Acts 9:11 (ASV)
To the street (επ την ρυμην). See on Lu 14:21. A run way (from ρεω, to run) between the houses. So were the narrow lanes or alleys called streets and finally in later Greek the word is applied to streets even when broad.
Straight (ευθειαν). Most of the city lanes were crooked like the streets of Boston (old cow-paths, people say), but this one still runs "in a direct line from the eastern to the western gate of the city" (Vincent). Since the ancients usually rebuilt on the same sites, it is probable that the line of the street of that name today is the same, though the actual level has been much raised. Hence the identification of the house of Ananias and the house of Judas are very precarious.