Acts 22:4

Act 22:4. Ταύτην, this way) Christianity. At first he speaks indefinitely.—δεσμεύων, binding) An appropriate word, employed by one that was bound.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_22:4-5. Ταύτ. τ. ὁδόν] for Christianity was in his case the evident cause of the enmity. Comp. on ὁδός, Act_9:2, Act_18:25, Act_19:9; Act_19:23.

ἄχρι θανάτου] Grotius appropriately remarks: quantum scil in me erat. It indicates how far the intention in the ἐδίωξα went, namely, even to the bringing about of their execution.

ὁ ἀρχιερ.] The high priest at the time (still living). See on Act_9:2.

μαρτυρεῖ] not futurum Atticum, but: he is (as the course of the matter necessarily involves) my witness.

καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτ.] and the whole body of the elders. Comp. on Luk_22:66, and the γερουσία, Act_5:21.

πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελΦούς] i.e. to the Jews. See Act_9:2. Bornemann: against the Christians. Paul would in that case have entirely forgotten his pre-Christian standpoint, in the sense of which he speaks; and the hostile reference of πρός must have been suggested by the context, which, however, with the simple ἐπιστ. δεξάμ. πρός is not at all here the case.

καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖσε (i.e. εἰς Δαμασκόν) ὄντας] also those who were thither. Paul conceives them as having come thither (since the persecution about Stephen) and so being found there; hence ἐκεῖσε does not stand for ἐκεῖ (so still de Wette), but is to be explained from a pregnant construction common especially with later writers (Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 44; comp. Act_2:39, Act_21:3).

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 22:4 . ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν , see above Act 9:2 . ἄχρι θανάτου : sometimes taken to mean not that he prosecuted the Christians “unto death” (for if this was the meaning the following participles would sound feeble), but that this was his aim; Act 22:20 and Act 26:10 , however, seem fully to justify the former meaning. φυλακὰς : plural, perhaps in relation to Act 26:11 , where Paul’s persecuting fury extends to strange cities; usually singular.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I persecuted, &c.--(See on Act 9:1-2; Act 9:5-7).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. I persecuted this way] Ταυτην την ὁδον; This doctrine, the way of worshipping God, and arriving at a state of blessedness. See Clarke on Ac 9:2.

Binding and delivering into prisons] See Clarke on Ac 8:3; and See Clarke on Ac 9:2.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. I persecuted this way. This is the second point, that he was an enemy to Christ’s doctrine, and that he was more fervent in resisting the same than all the rest, until he was pulled back by the hand of God; which thing he saith the chief priests and elders can testify. Therefore, there can be no suspicion in such a sudden change. Whereas he saith, that he had letters given him to deliver to the brethren, it must be referred unto the Jews, as if he had called them his countrymen; but he meant to appease them with a more honorable title. For this is Paul’s drift, that he may declare his natural and lawful beginning which he took of that nation; and also how desirous he was to be linked with them in friendship.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(4) And I persecuted this way.—The speaker obviously uses the current colloquial term (see Notes on Act_9:2; Act_19:23), used by the disciples as indicating that they had found in Christ the way of eternal life; used, it may be, by others with a certain tone of scorn, as of people who had chosen their own way, and must be left to take it.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. And I persecuted this way, &c.] On “the Way” as the designation of the Christian religion, cp. note on Act_9:2 We are not told of any Christians who were put to death through Saul’s zealous persecution, for in the case of Stephen he was not a very active agent, but his own statement in this verse, and the stronger expression Act_26:10, “when they were put to death I gave my voice against them,” make it certain that the persecutions in which he took part were carried beyond imprisonment even to the martyrdom of the accused.

into prisons] The original has the plural “prisons,” and it is probably intended to express by it, what in chap. 26 is given in more detail, the wide field over which Saul’s zeal was exerted, “being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I persecuted this way unto the death,.... That is, the Christian religion, and the professors of it; whom the apostle breathed out threatenings and slaughter against, haled out of their houses, and committed to prison; consented to their death, as he did to Stephen's; and whenever it was put to the vote, whether they should die or not, he gave his voice against them; so that he was a most bitter enemy, and an implacable persecutor of them; which shows how very averse he was to this way, and how great his prejudices were against it; wherefore it must be a work of divine power, and there must be the singular hand of God in it, to reconcile him to it, and cause him to embrace and profess it:

binding and delivering into prisons, both men and women: see Act 8:3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Ver. 4. {See Trapp on "Act 9:1"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I persecuted - Act 8:3.

This way - Those who were of this mode of worshipping God; that is, Christians. See the notes on Act 9:2.

Unto the death - Intending to put them to death. He did not probably put any to death himself, but he committed them to prison; he sought their lives; he was the agent employed in arresting them; and when they were put to death, he tells us that he gave his voice against them Act 26:10; that is, he joined in, and approved of their condemnation.

Delivering into prisons ... - Act 8:3.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This way. That is, the Christian faith, which now I profess. (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

This way; the doctrine and practice of Christianity.

Unto the death; as much as in him lies, being one of the most furious persecutors, that hunted for the precious life, breathing out threatenings and slaughters with every breath, Act 9:1.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. This way—As yet Christianity had received no normal and permanent name. Hence this vague phrase repeatedly.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I persecuted. (see 1Co_15:9; 1Ti_1:13; Act_26:11) This Way. (see Act_9:2 Act_18:25 Act_19:9, Act_19:23) Unto the death. (comp. Act_9:1) Binding, etc.. (comp. Act_8:3 Act_9:2)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And persecuted this way - With the same zeal that you do now. Binding both men and women - How much better was his condition, now he was bound himself.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 3

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4, 5. I persecuted this way. He did this from his zeal towards God, whom he thought he thus served. Unto the death. This seems to imply that Stephen was not the only martyr in whose death he was an accomplice.

The high priest doth bear me witness. The high priest in a.d. 37, the time Saul of Tarsus was sent to Damascus, was not now high priest, having been deposed by the Romans, but was probably a member of the Sanhedrim at this time. It is also probable that the present high priest personally knew about all facts. There were many present who knew that he had been a commissioned persecutor.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

4. ὃς ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδίωξα ἄχρι θανάτου, and I persecuted this Way unto the death. On ἡ ὁδὸς as the designation of the Christian religion, cf. note on Act 9:2. We are not told of any Christians who were put to death through Saul’s zealous persecution, for in the case of Stephen he was not a very active agent, but his own statement in this verse, and the stronger expression Act 26:10, ‘when they were put to death I gave my voice against them,’ make it certain that the persecutions in which he took part were carried beyond imprisonment, even to the martyrdom of the accused.

εἰς φυλακάς, into prisons. The plural here used is probably intended to express, what in chap. 26 is given in more detail, viz., the wide field over which Saul’s zeal was exerted, ‘being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.’ The usual phrase has the singular. Cf. 2Ch 16:10, καὶ παρέθετο αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακήν. Also Gen 40:3, ἔθετο αὐτοὺς ἐν φυλακῇ.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Way. See on ch. Act 9:2.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.