Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 22:21

"And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles." — Acts 22:21 (ASV)

I will send thee . . .—It may be noted, in connection with the question discussed in the Note on Acts 22:17, that these words convey the promise of a mission rather than the actual mission itself. The work immediately before him was to depart and wait until the way should be opened to him and the inward call was confirmed, as in Acts 13:2, by an outward and express command.

Far hence unto the Gentiles.—The crowd had listened, impatiently, we may believe, up to this point, just as the speaker had once listened to St. Stephen. This—that the Christ should be represented as sending His messenger to the Gentiles, and not to the Jews—was more than they could bear.