John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:2
And desired of him letters to Damascus ,.... Damascus was the head or metropolis of Syria, Isaiah 7:8 And so Pliny F26 L. 36. c. 8. calls it Damascus of Syria: it was a very ancient city; it was in the times of Abraham; his servant Eliezer is said to be of it, Genesis 15:2 and some say it was built by him the said Eliezer; though Josephus F1 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 5. makes Uz, a grandson of Shem, to be the founder of it; whose surname is conjectured, by some, to be... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:1
And Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter ,.... The historian having given an account of the dispersion of all the preachers of the Gospel at Jerusalem, excepting the apostles, and of their success in other parts, especially of Philip's, returns to the history of Saul; who, not satisfied with the murder of Stephen, and with the havoc he made of the church at Jerusalem, haling them out of their houses to prison, continued not only to threaten them with confiscation of goods and... read more