Acts 9:1

CHAPTER IX.

Saul, bent on the destruction of the Christians, obtains letters

from the high priest, authorizing him to seize those whom he

should find at Damascus, and bring them bound to Jerusalem,

1, 2.

On his way to Damascus, he has a Divine vision, is convinced of

his sin and folly, is struck blind, and remains three days

without sight, and neither eats nor drinks, 3-9.

Ananias, a disciple, is commanded in a vision to go and speak to

Saul, and restore his sight, 10-16.

Ananias goes and lays his hands on him, and he receives his

sight, and is baptized, 17-19.

Saul, having spent a few days with the Christians at Damascus,

goes to the synagogues, proclaims Christ, and confounds the

Jews, 20-22.

The Jews lay wait to kill him, but the disciples let him down

over the walls of the city in a basket, by night, and he

escapes to Jerusalem, 23-25.

Having wished to associate with the disciples there, they avoid

him; but Barnabas takes and brings him to the apostles, and

declares his conversion, 26, 27.

He continues in Jerusalem preaching Christ, and arguing with the

Hellenistic Jews, who endeavour to slay him; but the disciples

take him to Caesarea, and send him thence to his own city

Tarsus, 28-30.

About this time, the Churches, being freed from persecution, are

edified and multiplied, 31.

Peter heals Eneas at Lydda, who had been afflicted with the

palsy eight years: in consequence of which miracle, all the

people of Lydda and Saron are converted, 32-35.

Account of the sickness and death of a Christian woman named

Tabitha, who dwelt at Joppa; and her miraculous restoration to

life by the ministry of Peter, 36-41.

Gracious effects produced among the inhabitants of Lydda by this

miracle, 42, 43.

NOTES ON CHAP. IX.

Verse Acts 9:1. Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter] The original text is very emphatic, ετι εμπνεων απειλης και φονου, and points out how determinate Saul was to pursue and accomplish his fell purpose of totally destroying the infant Church of Christ. The mode of speech introduced above is very frequent in the Greek writers, who often express any vehement and hostile affection of the mind by the verb πνεειν, to breathe, to pant; so Theocritus, Idyll. xxii. ver. 82:

Ες μεσσον συναγον, φονον αλλαλοισι πνεοντες.

They came into the assembly, breathing mutual slaughter. Euripides has the same form, πυρ πνεουσα και φονον, breathing out fire, and slaughter, Iphig. in Taur.

And Aristophanes more fully, referring to all the preparations for war:-

Αλλα πνεοντας δορυ και λογχας και λευκολοφους τρυφαλειας,

Και πηληκας, και κνημιδας, και θυμους ἑπταβοειους.

They breathed spears, and pikes, and helmets, and

crests, and greaves, and the fury of redoubted heroes.

The figure is a favourite one with Homer: hence μενεα πνειοντες αβαντες, the Abantes breathing strength.-Il. ii. 536. And how frequently he speaks of his fierce countrymen as, μενεα πνειοντες αχαιοι, the Greeks breathing strength, see Il. iii. 8; xi. 508; xxiv. 364, which phrase an old Scholiast interprets, being filled with strength and fury. St. Luke, who was master of the Greek tongue, chose such terms as best expressed a heart desperately and incessantly bent on accomplishing the destruction of the objects of its resentment. Such at this time was the heart of Saul of Tarsus; and it had already given full proof of its malignity, not only in the martyrdom of Stephen, but also in making havoc of the Church, and in forcibly entering every house, and dragging men and women, whom he suspected of Christianity, and committing them to prison. See Acts 8:3.

Went unto the high priest] As the high priest was chief in all matters of an ecclesiastical nature, and the present business was pretendedly religious, he was the proper person to apply to for letters by which this virulent persecutor might be accredited. The letters must necessarily be granted in the name of the whole Sanhedrin, of which Gamaliel, Saul's master, was at that time the head; but the high priest was the proper organ through whom this business might be negotiated.