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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Acts 22:20

Martyr is a Greek word, that signifies a witness; and is here, and since by the ecclesiastical writers, appropriated unto such as suffer death for the testimony they give to the truths of God, or doctrine of the gospel. Consenting unto his death; as Acts 8:1. Of them that slew him; that is, of the witnesses against Stephen, as Acts 7:58. For the witnesses did slay him not only by the testimony which they gave against him, but they were to be the first who stoned him. Slew him; or murdered him.

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See also Acts 22:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Acts 22:20. _WHEN THE BLOOD OF THY MARTYR STEPHEN WAS SHED_] Acts 7:58, Acts 7:58; and Acts 8:1,...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE BLOOD OF THY MARTYR STEPHEN WAS SHED - See Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1. I ALSO WAS STANDING BY - Acts 7:58. AND CONSENTING UNTO HIS DEATH -...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 22 _ 1. The Address of the Apostle (Acts 22:1)._ 2. The Answer from the Mob, and Paul's Appeal to His Roman citizenship (Acts 22:22). What a scene it was! On the stairs, midway between the t...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PAUL'S SPEECH TO THE JEWS. The opening of the speech is like that of Stephen (Acts 7:2). In 2 Corinthians 11:22 Paul attests his full membership of the Jewish people, and having lived many years in Pa...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    "Because I was not able to see because of the glory of that light, I came into Damascus led by the hand by those who were with me. And Ananias, a pious man as regards the Law, a man to whose character...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE DEFENCE OF EXPERIENCE (Acts 22:1-10)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THY MARTYR STEPHEN. Stephen Thy witness (Greek. _martur._ See Acts 1:8). SHED. being poured out. Greek. _ekcheo_ as in Acts 2:17; Acts 2:18; Acts 2:33.

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _thy martyr Stephen_ Better, "Stephen, thy WITNESS." The Greek word had not yet come to be applied as it afterwards was to those Christians who _bore witness_to the truth by their death. _and consent...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    τῇ� omitted with אABE. Not represented in _Vulg_. 20. ΣΤΕΦΆΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ͂ ΜΆΡΤΥΡΌΣ ΣΟΥ, _of Stephen, thy witness_. The Greek word μάρτυς had not yet come to be applied, as it afterwards was, to those Chris...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    Acts 22:1-21. ST PAUL’S DEFENCE...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _PAUL'S APOSTLESHIP AMONG GENTILES ACTS 22:17-21:_ After his conversion Paul returned to Jerusalem and to the Temple to pray. In a vision he was told to leave Jerusalem because the people would not li...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΈΞΕΧΎΝΝΕΤΟ _impf. ind. pass. от_ ΈΚΧΎΝΝΩ (G1632) выливать, проливать. _Impf._ изображает развивающееся действие, ΑΎΤΌΣ (G846) эмфатическое: я сам ΈΦΕΣΤΏΣ _perf. act. part. от_ ΈΦΊΣΤΗΜΙ (G2186) стоять...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    c. Paul addresses the Jewish mob. Acts 22:1-21. Acts 22:1 Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you. Acts 22:2 And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew l...

  • Combined Bible Commentary

    See notes on verse 17...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    40 God acts in marvelous ways. Human opposition works out his purposes quite as effectively as human help. What better means could be devised to get all Jerusalem as well as representatives from the d...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ST. PAUL'S DEFENCE 1-21. St Paul's Speech to the People. St. Paul was accused of (1) hostility to the Jews, (2) contempt for the Jewish Law, and (3) the desecration of the Temple. He answers all these...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE ACTS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 22 PAUL SPEAKS TO THE CROWD, 22:1-21 V1 ‘Brothers and fathers, listen to me! I will explain what happened.’ V2 The crowd became even quieter. T...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WHEN THE BLOOD OF THY MARTYR STEPHEN.... — Better, _thy witness._ The English word is, perhaps, a little too definite and technical, and fails to remind us, as the Greek does, that the same word had b...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    τοῦ μ. σου : he identifies himself with Stephen, his testimony like that of the martyr is borne to Christ; on the word see p. 67; the term is here in a transition stage from “witness” to “martyr,” _cf...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SAVED FOR FURTHER SERVICE Acts 22:17 To the story of his conversion, as given in Acts 9:1, the Apostle here adds a detailed account of that memorable interview in the Temple, when he questioned the a...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Paul's defense as here recorded is a rare and perfect example of Christian argument. He was defending his devotion to work among the Gentiles. In that defense the last word he was permitted to utter w...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    In Damascus, a devout, God-fearing man came to Paul, restored his sight and told him God had appointed him to know his will, see the righteous one and hear his voice. He further said God planned for h...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that (b) slew him. (b) This is properly spoken, for Steven was m...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Of Stephen, thy witness. Or thy martyr, as the Greek word signifies. (Witham)_...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    Here Paul rehearses his testimony to Jesus of his leadership in his martyrdom, alleging that the Jews will certainly not receive his testimony. _“And he said unto me, Go, for I will send you far away...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The closing Chapter s from 21 to the end of the book are devoted to an episode full of interest and profit Paul's course from Jerusalem to Rome. And here we find ourselves in an atmosphere considerabl...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    He departs therefore to Jerusalem; and when there, he goes to the house of James, and all the elders assemble. Paul relates to them the work of God among the Gentiles. They turn to their Judaism, of w...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND WHEN THE BLOOD OF THY MARTYR STEPHEN WAS SHED,.... Stephen was a martyr for Christ, both by confession with his mouth, and by the effusion of his blood; he was the proto-martyr, or "the first mart...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. Ver. 20. _When the blood of thy martyr_] An honou...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _When I was come again to Jerusalem_ From Damascus; and _prayed in the temple_ By this he shows that he still paid the temple its due honour, as the house of prayer; _I was in a trance_ Or ecstasy. Pe...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    STEPHEN; chap Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AND WHEN THE BLOOD OF THY MARTYR STEPHEN WAS SHED, I ALSO WAS STANDING BY, AND CONSENTING UNTO HIS DEATH, AND KEPT THE RAIMENT OF THEM THAT SLEW HIM....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Lord's direct command to Paul:...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    The crowd having been quietened, Paul speaks with fullest respect for those he addresses, and doing so in the Hebrew language, he attracts more serious attention. He has been practically convicted by...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    AND WHEN THE BLOOD OF YOUR MARTYR STEPHEN WAS SHED, I ALSO WAS STANDING BY CONSENTING TO HIS DEATH, AND GUARDING THE CLOTHES OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLING HIM. ' 1. Paul now reminds Jesus of his involvem...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    Acts 22:18-21 Paul now reveals that the Lord had predicted two things. First, that the Jews would persecute him (just like they were doing on this day) and secondly that preaching to the Gentiles the...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-21 The apostle goes on to relate how he was confirmed in the change he had made. The Lord having chosen the sinner, that he should know his will, he is humbled, enlightened, and brought to the kno...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Acts 22:20 And G2532 when G3753 blood G129 Your G4675 martyr G3144 Stephen G4736 shed G1632 (G5712) I...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed on you, and when the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I also was standing by, and conse...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Acts 22:20. AND WHEN THE BLOOD OF THY MARTYR STEPHEN WAS BEING SHED, I ALSO WAS STANDING BY, AND CONSENTING UNTO HIS DEATH. It is hardly likely that the sense in which we understand the word ‘martyr,'...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    WAS SHED (εξεχυννετο). Imperfect passive of εκχυννω (see on Matthew 23:35), was being shed.WITNESS (μαρτυρος). And "martyr" also as in Revelation 2:13; Revelation 17:6. Transition state for the wo...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Paul's defense before the multitude. Recounts his conversion. CHARACTERS: God, Jesus, Paul, Ananias, chief captain. CONCLUSION: God's servants who are set upon with rage and fury because o...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Acts 22:1. _Men, brethren, and fathers;_ that is, men of mixed nations assembled at the feast. The persecutors had said, men of Israel, help. _Brethren,_ religious persons of the stock of Israel. _Fat...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    I WENT BACK TO JERUSALEM. This was three years after he became a Christian (Galatians 1:17-18). He goes on to show that God himself had sent him to the Gentiles. I HAD A VISION. Compare Acts 10:10. So...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And it came to pass that … while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance._ A COMMON THING REACHING THE WONDERFUL Here is-- I. A common thing--a man praying. Prayer is an instinct of the soul. Dan...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence._ PAUL’S DEFENCE 1. Whether we consider the man, the circumstances, the speech, or the effect produced, this address is worthy to be ranked among the...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 22:17. Begins the third portion of the defence. WHEN I WAS COME AGAIN TO JERUSALEM.—This visit to the Metropolis, which occurred at least three years after his conversion (Acts...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ACTS 22:1 _Brethren _for _men, brethren, _A.V. (Acts 7:2, note); the for my, A.V.; _now make _for _make now, _A.V. THE DEFENSE; ἀπολογία This is the technical word in classical Greek for...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn in our Bibles now to the twenty-second chapter of Acts. Pick up on Paul where we left him last week in that very dramatic moment. Paul in spite of repeated warnings from the Holy Spirit...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1; Luke 11:48; Revelation 17:6; Revelation 2:13;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Martyr. Better, as Rev., witness. The special sense of the word was probably not in use at this time. See on ch. Acts 1:22. It occurs, however, in Revelation 2:13; Revelation 17:6. Standing by. See o...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by — A real convert still retains the remembrance of his former sins. He confesses thorn and is humbled for them, all the days of his...

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