Acts 9:2

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. AND DESIRED OF HIM LETTERS - of authorization; showing that, under the Roman power at this time, the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem had jurisdiction over Jews resident in foreign parts. TO DAMASCUS - the capital of Syria, and the great highway between, eastern and western Asia, about 130 miles Northeast of Jerusalem; the most ancient city, perhaps, in the world, and 'lying in the center of a verdant and inexhaustible paradise.' It abounded, as appears from Josephus ('Jewish Wars,' 2: 20, section 2), both with Jews-and accordingly this verse speaks of more synagogues than one in it-and with Gentile proselytes to the Jewish faith. The Gospel had penetrated there; and Saul, flushed with past successes, undertakes to crush it out....

2.And Luke describeth therewithal that he was furnished with weapons and power to do hurt, when as he saith that he had _obtained _letters of the highest priest, that he might bring all those bound to Jerusalem whom he should find professing the name of Christ. There is mention made of women, that it may the better appear how desirous he was to shed blood who had no respect of sex whom even armed enemies are wont to spare in the heat of war. Therefore he setteth forth before us a fierce and cruel beast who had not only liberty given him to rage, but had also his power increased to devour and destroy godly men, as if a madman had a sword put into his hand. Whereas I have translated it sect, Luke hath way, which metaphor is common enough in the Scriptures. Therefore Paul’s purpose was quite to put out the name of Christ by destroying all the godly cruelly....

1-9 So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he could against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is a signal token of Divine favour, if God, by the inward working of his grace, or the outward events of his providence, stops us from prosecuting or executing sinful purposes. Saul saw that Just One, ch. Acts 22:14; Acts 26:13. How near to us is the unseen world! It is but for God to draw aside the veil, and objects are presented to the view, compared with which, whatever is most admired on earth is mean and contemptible. Saul submitted without reserve, desirous to know what the Lor...

Verse Acts 9:2. _LETTERS TO DAMASCUS TO THE SYNAGOGUES_] Damascus, anciently called דמסק _Damask_, and דרמסק _Darmask_, was once the metropolis of all Syria. It was situated at fifty miles' distance from the sea; from which it is separated by lofty mountains. It is washed by two rivers, _Amara_ or _Abara_, which ran through it, and _Pharpar_, called by the Greeks _Chrysorrhoas_, the golden stream, which ran on the outside of its walls. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world, for it existed in the time of Abraham, Genesis 14:15; and how long _before_ is not known. The city of Damascus is at present a place of considerable trade, owing to its being the rendezvous for all the pilgrims from the north of Asia, on their road to and from the temple of _Mecca_. It is...

AND DESIRED OF HIM - This shows the intensity of his wish to persecute the Christians, that he was willing to ask for such an employment. LETTERS - Epistles, implying a commission to bring them to Jerusalem for trial and punishment. From this it seems that the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem claimed jurisdiction over all synagogues everywhere. TO DAMASCUS - This was a celebrated city of Syria, and long the capital of a kingdom of that name. It is situated in a delightful region about 120 miles northeast of Jerusalem, and about one 190 miles southeast of Antioch. It is in the midst of an extensive plain, abounding with cypress and palm-trees, and extremely fertile. It is watered by the river Barrady, anciently called “Abana,” 2 Kings 5:12. About 5 miles from the city is a place called t

EXPOSITION ACTS 9:1 _But _for _and, _A.V.; _breathing _for _breathing out, _A.V.; _threatening _for _threatenings, _A.V. THREATENING AND SLAUGHTER. The phrase ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς κ.τ.λ., is rather a difficult one, and is variously explained. Schleusner takes the genitives in "threatening and slaughter" as genitives of the thing desired, "punting after threatening and slaughter" (comp. Amos 2:7). Meyer explains it "out of the threatenings and murder [in his heart] breathing hard at the disciples"—an expression indicating passion. Alford, taking nearly the sense of the A.V., makes "threatenings and slaughter" to be as it were the very material of his breath, whether breathed out or breathed in. Considering that ἐμπνέω means "to br

AND DESIRED OF HIM LETTERS TO DAMASCUS,.... Damascus was the head or metropolis of Syria, Isaiah 7:8 And so Pliny z 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 a makes Uz, a grandson of Shem, to be the founder of it; whose surname is conjectured, by some, to be Dimshak, seeing that and Uz differ not in sense: and Justin says b, it had its name from Damascus, the king of it, in honour of whom the Syrians made a temple of the sepulchre of his wife Arathis, and her a goddess; after Damascus, he says, Azelus, then Azores, Abraham, and Israel were kings of it. Some think it has its name from blood, and that it signifies a "sack" or bag, or, as Jerom explains

Acts 9:1. _And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem._ His very breath was hot with malice against the saints, he could not live without venting his spite upon the disciples of Christ. He showed this by the fact that he not only sought to arrest men, but he was equally cruel towards women, who, from their weakness, one would have thought might have been let alone but he expressly desired it to be written in the letters that, «whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.» Acts 9:3. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and sudden

OF THIS WAY that were of The Way, that is, Christ. (John 14:6)....

ACTS 9:2 th/j o`dou/ o;ntaj There are six variant readings: th/j o`dou/ o;ntaj (B C E H L P many minuscules), o;ntaj th/j o`dou/ (î74 a A 81 88 242 323 467 915 1739 2298), th/j o`dou/ tau,thj o;ntaj (181 1838 _al_), o;ntaj th/j o`dou/ tau,thj (104), th/j o`dou/ (33 429* 522 1175 1827 1891 copsa, bo), th/j o`dou/ tau,thj (ite vg). It is clear that tau,thj was introduced at various positions by scribes who wished thereby to relieve the peculiarity of the term h` o`do,j, used here for the first time in reference to C...