Acts 9:1

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 9:1-31

The Ethiopian changes his skin. Of all the remarkable events in the history of human psychology, probably the most remarkable is the conversion of St. Paul, the memory of which is continually celebrated in the Church on the 25th of January. It may be viewed— I. AS AN EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY . St. Paul lived. He preached the gospel with astonishing vigor and success. Numerous Churches were founded by him in Asia and Europe. These are facts as certain as... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Acts 9:1

And Saul - See the notes on Acts 7:58; Acts 8:3. He had been engaged be fore in persecuting the Christians, but he now sought opportunity to gratify his insatiable desire on a larger scale.Yet breathing out - Not satisfied with what he had done, Acts 8:3. The word breathing out is expressive often of any deep, agitating emotion, as we then breathe rapidly and violently. It is thus expressive of violent anger. The emotion is absorbing, agitating, exhausting, and demands a more rapid circulation... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Acts 9:1-2

Acts 9:1-2. And Saul, yet ( ετι , adhuc, hitherto, or still) breathing out threatenings and slaughter This very emphatical expression refers to what is related of Saul, Acts 8:3; (where see the note;) and it shows that his zeal against the followers of Christ was so outrageous that he could be satisfied with nothing less than their utter destruction. It shows too, that the Jews were now at liberty to put them to death; probably, as Macknight observes, “because between the removal of... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Acts 9:1-19

Conversion of Saul (9:1-19a)The name by which Christianity was known was ‘the Way’ (see 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22). Possibly the name originated with the Christians themselves, who believed their movement was the way of the Lord, the way of salvation and the way of life. But to the Christians’ opponents the name represented a movement that had to be destroyed.By this time the gospel had spread north at least as far as the Syrian city of Damascus, which had a large Jewish population. The... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Acts 9:1

And = But, or Now. breathing out. Greek. empneo. Only here. threatenings. Greek. apeile. See Acts 4:17 . slaughter = murder. Greek. phonos. Occurs ten times. Always translates, murder, except here and Hebrews 11:37 . against. Greek. eis. App-104 . unto = to. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Acts 9:1

This chapter reveals the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the mighty persecutor (Acts 9:1-19), Paul's first ministry at Damascus, ending in the Jewish plot to kill him (Acts 9:20-25), his journey to Jerusalem and departure for Tarsus (Acts 9:26-30), a brief summary of the continued prosperity of the church (Acts 9:31), and the account of two miracles by Peter, (a) the healing of Aeneas at Lydda (Acts 9:32-35) and (b) the raising of Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-43).There are a number of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 9:1

Acts 9:1. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings, &c.— This is a very emphatical expression, and shews the implacable hatred which Saul bore to the Christian profession; and it must have increased his rage to hear, that those whom he had been instrumental in driving from Jerusalem, were so successful in spreading that religion which he was so eager to root out. The person now in the office of high priest, seems to have been Caiaphas, the inveterate enemy of Christ: he would therefore... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Acts 9:1

1. Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, c.—The emphatic "yet" is intended to note the remarkable fact, that up to this moment his blind persecuting rage against the disciples of the Lord burned as fiercely as ever. (In the teeth of this, NEANDER and OLSHAUSEN picture him deeply impressed with Stephen's joyful faith, remembering passages of the Old Testament confirmatory of the Messiahship of Jesus, and experiencing such a violent struggle as... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 9:1-2

Since Stephen’s martyrdom (cf. Acts 8:3), Saul had been persecuting Jews who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. [Note: See Appendix 1, "Sequence of Paul’s Activities," at the end of these notes.] "The partitive genitive of apeiles [threats] and phonou [murder] means that threatening and slaughter had come to be the very breath that Saul breathed, like a warhorse who sniffed the smell of battle. He breathed on the remaining disciples the murder that he had already breathed in from... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 9:1-9

Saul’s conversion on the Damascus road 9:1-9"Without question, the story of Saul’s ’conversion’ is one of the most important events, if not the most important event, that Luke records in Acts." [Note: Timothy J. Ralston, "The Theological Significance of Paul’s Conversion," Bibliotheca Sacra 147:586 (April-June 1990):303.] "In this passage we have the most famous conversion story in all history." [Note: Barclay, p. 71. Cf. Neil, p. 125.] "The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch was in a chariot;... read more

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