Acts 9:22

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. BUT SAUL INCREASED THE MORE IN STRENGTH, AND CONFOUNDED THE JEWS WHICH DWELT AT DAMASCUS, PROVING THAT THIS IS VERY CHRIST, [ ho (G3588) Christos (G5547).] - or more simply, 'that this is the Christ.' Had we only this record to guide us, we should certainly have supposed that Saul never left Damascus from the time that he entered it, blinded by the glory of the heavenly manifestation, until he came to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26). But we learn from the apostle himself (Galatians 1:7;...

22._And Saul waxed stronger. _Luke doth not only in this place commend the bold zeal of Paul in confessing the faith of Christ, but also he telleth us that he had strong reasons to convince the Jews. He waxed strong, saith he, that is, he got the victory in disputation; his confession did carry with it great force and efficacy, (603) because being furnished with testimonies of Scripture, and such other helps of the Holy Ghost, he did, as it were, tread all his adversaries under his feet. (604) For the word confounded, which Luke useth, doth signify, that, forasmuch as Paul did urge them out of measure, they were so stricken that they could not tell where they were. (605) The manner of the confounding is expressed, because Paul proved that Jesus was Christ. For the sense is this, that even when the Jews were most desirous to resist, they wer

10-22 A good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet with those words, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never did Christ leave any who were brought to that. Behold, the proud Pharisee, the unmerciful oppressor, the daring blasphemer, prayeth! And thus it is even now, and with the proud infidel, or the abandoned sinner. What happy tidings are these to all who understand the nature and power of prayer, of such prayer as the humbled sinner presents for the blessings of free salvation! Now he began to pray after another manner than he had done; before, he said his prayers, now, he prayed them. Regenerating grace sets people on praying; you may as well find a living man without breath, as a living Christian without prayer. Yet even eminent disciples, like Ananias, sometimes stagger at the commands of the Lord. But it is the Lord's glory to surpass our scanty expec...

Verse Acts 9:22. _CONFOUNDED THE JEWS_] συνεχυνε, Overwhelmed them so with his arguments that they were obliged to _blush_ for the weakness of their own cause. _PROVING THAT THIS_] ουτος, This person, viz. JESUS, _is very_ _Christ_; εστιν ο χριστος, IS THE CHRIST, or _Messiah_. Acts 9:21....

INCREASED THE MORE IN STRENGTH - His conviction of the truth of the Christian religion became stronger every day, and hence his moral strength or boldness increased. AND CONFOUNDED - See Acts 2:6. The word here means “confuted.” It means also occasionally “to produce a tumult or excitement,” Acts 19:32; Acts 21:31. Perhaps the idea of producing such a tumor is intended to be conveyed here. Paul confuted the Jews, and by so doing he was the occasion of their tumultuous proceedings, or he so enraged them as to lead to great agitation and excitement - a very common effect of close and conclusive argumentation. Proving that this -...

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

BUT SAUL INCREASED THE MORE IN STRENGTH,.... Not of body, but of mind; his gifts and graces, and spiritual light and knowledge increased; his abilities were greater; his fortitude of mind, boldness, and freedom of speech, every day increased: he got more, and new, and fresh arguments, by which he himself was confirmed, and he confirmed others in the truths of Christ. Some copies read, "he was more strengthened in the word"; either in the word of God, having a clearer understanding, and being more confirmed in the truth of it; or in speech, being more ready and powerful in speaking it. AND CONFOUNDED THE JEWS WHICH DWELT AT DAMASCUS; confuted them, and put them to silence, so that they had nothing to say for themselves, or against the truth: PROVING THAT THIS IS VERY CHRIST; by joining and knitting passages of Scripture in the Old Testament together, by producing and citing express test...

L, 2. _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 threatening. Slaughter seemed to be a necessity of his existence, He was breathing out threatenings and slaughter could not breathe without them could not speak without them. So full was he of fury against the people of God, that Jerusalem was not enough for him; he wanted wider hunting grounds; he must go to Damascus. Acts 9:3. _And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus._ There was his prey before him, and the wolf was ready to leap upon it. Acts 9:3. A

BUT SAUL It seems probable that (Acts 9:22) refer to Paul's labours in Damascus after his return from Arabia (Galatians 1:17). The "many days" of verse (Acts 9:23) may represent the "three years" of (Galatians 1:18); which intervened between Paul's return to Damascus and his visit to Peter....

ACTS 9:22 evnedunamou/to Copyists added the words evn tw|/ lo,gw| (C (om. evn) E 467 ith, p copG67) to make it clear that the statement, “Saul increased all the more in strength,” refers to his power in preaching and not merely to his recovery of physical strength (compare ver. Acts 9:19)....