12 And G1161 one G5100 Ananias, G367 a devout G2152 man G435 according G2596 to the law, G3551 having a good report G3140 of G5259 all G3956 the Jews G2453 which dwelt G2730 there,
And G1161 they said, G2036 Cornelius G2883 the centurion, G1543 a just G1342 man, G435 and G2532 one that feareth G5399 God, G2316 and G5037 of good report G3140 among G5259 all G3650 the nation G1484 of the Jews, G2453 was warned from God G5537 by G5259 an holy G40 angel G32 to send G3343 for thee G4571 into G1519 his G846 house, G3624 and G2532 to hear G191 words G4487 of G3844 thee. G4675
Wherefore, G3767 brethren, G80 look ye out G1980 among G1537 you G5216 seven G2033 men G435 of honest report, G3140 full G4134 of the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 and G2532 wisdom, G4678 whom G3739 we may appoint G2525 over G1909 this G5026 business. G5532
And, G2532 behold, G2400 there was G2258 a man G444 in G1722 Jerusalem, G2419 whose G3739 name G3686 was Simeon; G4826 and G2532 the same G3778 man G444 was just G1342 and G2532 devout, G2126 waiting G4327 for the consolation G3874 of Israel: G2474 and G2532 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 was G2258 upon G1909 him. G846
And G1161 devout G2126 men G435 carried G4792 Stephen G4736 to his burial, and G2532 made G4160 great G3173 lamentation G2870 over G1909 him. G846
And G1161 there was G2258 a certain G5100 disciple G3101 at G1722 Damascus, G1154 named G3686 Ananias; G367 and G2532 to G4314 him G846 said G2036 the Lord G2962 in G1722 a vision, G3705 Ananias. G367 And G1161 he said, G2036 Behold, G2400 I G1473 am here, Lord. G2962 And G1161 the Lord G2962 said unto G4314 him, G846 Arise, G450 and go G4198 into G1909 the street G4505 which G3588 is called G2564 Straight, G2117 and G2532 enquire G2212 in G1722 the house G3614 of Judas G2455 for one called G3686 Saul, G4569 of Tarsus: G5018 for, G1063 behold, G2400 he prayeth, G4336 And G2532 hath seen G1492 in G1722 a vision G3705 a man G435 named G3686 Ananias G367 coming in, G1525 and G2532 putting G2007 his hand G5495 on G2007 him, G846 that G3704 he might receive his sight. G308 Then G1161 Ananias G367 answered, G611 Lord, G2962 I have heard G191 by G575 many G4183 of G4012 this G5127 man, G435 how much G3745 evil G2556 he hath done G4160 to thy G4675 saints G40 at G1722 Jerusalem: G2419 And G2532 here G5602 he hath G2192 authority G1849 from G3844 the chief priests G749 to bind G1210 all G3956 that call G1941 on thy G4675 name. G3686 But G1161 the Lord G2962 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Go thy way: G4198 for G3754 he G3778 is G2076 a chosen G1589 vessel G4632 unto me, G3427 to bear G941 my G3450 name G3686 before G1799 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 kings, G935 and G5037 the children G5207 of Israel: G2474 For G1063 I G1473 will shew G5263 him G846 how great things G3745 he G846 must G1163 suffer G3958 for G5228 my G3450 name's sake. G3686 G5228 And G1161 Ananias G367 went his way, G565 and G2532 entered G1525 into G1519 the house; G3614 and G2532 putting G2007 his hands G5495 on G1909 him G846 said, G2036 Brother G80 Saul, G4549 the Lord, G2962 even Jesus, G2424 that appeared G3700 unto thee G4671 in G1722 the way G3598 as G3739 thou camest, G2064 hath sent G649 me, G3165 that G3704 thou mightest receive thy sight, G308 and G2532 be filled with G4130 the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151 And G2532 immediately G2112 there fell G634 from G575 his G846 eyes G3788 as G5616 it had been scales: G3013 and he received sight G308 forthwith, G3916 and G5037 arose, G450 and G2532 was baptized. G907
By G1223 honour G1391 and G2532 dishonour, G819 by G1223 evil report G1426 and G2532 good report: G2162 as G5613 deceivers, G4108 and G2532 yet true; G227
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 22
Commentary on Acts 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
Ac 22:1-30. Paul's Defense from the Stairs of the Fortress—The Rage of the Audience Bursting Forth, the Commandant Has Him Brought into the Fort to Be Examined by Scourging, but Learning that He Is a Roman, He Orders His Release and Commands the Sanhedrin to Try Him.
2. when they heard … the Hebrew tongue—(See on Ac 21:40).
they kept the more silence—They could have understood him in Greek, and doubtless fully expected the renegade to address them in that language, but the sound of their holy mother tongue awed them into deeper silence.
3. a Jew of Tarsus, brought up in this city, at the feet—(See on Lu 10:39).
of Gamaliel—(See on Ac 5:34); a fact of great importance in the apostle's history, standing in the same relation to his future career as Moses' education in the Egyptian court to the work for which he was destined.
the perfect manner of the law of the fathers—the strictest form of traditional Judaism.
zealous—"a zealot."
toward God as ye all are this day—his own former murderous zeal against the disciples of the Lord Jesus being merely reflected in their present treatment of himself.
4. I persecuted, &c.—(See on Ac 9:1,2; Ac 9:5-7).
5. the high priest—still alive.
doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders—the whole Sanhedrim.
8. Jesus of Nazareth—the Nazarene. See on Ac 9:5.
9-11. they that were with me—(See on Ac 9:7, &c.)
12. Ananias, a devout man, according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there—One would not know from this description of Ananias that he was a Christian at all, the apostles object being to hold him up as unexceptionable, even to the most rigid Jews.
13-15. The God of our fathers hath chosen thee—studiously linking the new economy upon the old, as but the sequel of it; both having one glorious Author.
14. that thou shouldest … see that—"the"
Just One—compare Ac 3:14; 7:52.
hear the voice of his mouth—in order to place him on a level with the other apostles, who had "seen the [risen] Lord."
16. be baptized and wash away thy sins—This way of speaking arises from baptism being the visible seal of remission.
calling on the name of the Lord—rather, "having called," that is, after having done so; referring to the confession of Christ which preceded baptism, as Ac 8:37.
17-21. it came to pass, &c.—This thrilling dialogue between the glorified Redeemer and his chosen vessel is nowhere else related.
when I was come again to Jerusalem—on the occasion mentioned in Ac 9:26-29.
while I prayed in the temple—He thus calls their attention to the fact that after his conversion he kept up his connection with the temple as before.
18. get … quickly out of Jerusalem—compare Ac 9:29.
for they will not receive thy testimony … And I said, Lord, they know, &c.—"Can it be, Lord, that they will resist the testimony of one whom they knew so well as among the bitterest of all against Thy disciples, and whom nothing short of resistless evidence could have turned to Thee?"
21. depart for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles—that is, "Enough; thy testimony is not to be thrown away upon Jerusalem; the Gentiles, afar off, are thy peculiar sphere."
22, 23. gave him audience to this word … then … Away with such a fellow from the earth, &c.—Their national prejudices lashed into fury at the mention of a mission to the Gentiles, they would speedily have done to him as they did to Stephen, but for the presence and protection of the Roman officer.
24-26. examined by scourging—according to the Roman practice.
that he might know wherefore they cried so—Paul's speech being to him in an unknown tongue, he concluded from the horror which it kindled in the vast audience that he must have been guilty of some crime.
25. Paul said to the centurion that stood by—to superintend the torture and receive the confession expected to be wrung from him.
Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, &c.—See on Ac 16:37.
27-29. art thou a Roman?—showing that this being of Tarsus, which he had told him before (Ac 21:39) did not necessarily imply that he was a Roman citizen.
28. With a great sum obtained I this freedom—Roman citizenship was bought and sold in the reign of Claudius, we know, at a high price: at a subsequent date, for next to nothing. But to put in a false claim to this privilege was a capital crime.
I was free born—born to it, by purchase, or in reward of services, on the part of his father or some ancestor.
29. chief captain also was afraid, &c.—See on Ac 16:38.
30. commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear—that is, the Sanhedrim to be formally convened. Note here the power to order a Sanhedrim to try this case, assumed by the Roman officers and acquiesced in on their part.