Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 14:10

"said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked." — Acts 14:10 (ASV)

Lystra was an ancient Lycaonian village whose origins are unknown. Caesar Augustus turned it into a Roman colony in 6 B. C., and, by bringing army veterans and their families into it, made it the most eastern of the fortified cities of Galatia. Jews also lived there (16:1–3), but their influence seems to have been minimal. The Via Sebaste joined this city with Iconium (see comment on 14:1– 28). That Paul began the ministry at Lystra by preaching to a crowd may imply that no synagogue was available for him to preach in. While he was speaking, Paul saw “a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked” and who was listening to him attentively. Seeing “that he had faith to be healed,” Paul commanded him to stand up, and the man jumped up and walked about. Luke undoubtedly wanted his readers to recognize the parallel between the healing of this crippled man and the healing of another one by Peter (cf. 3:1– 8). But the sequel to the healing of the crippled man here differs significantly from that of Peter’s miracle.