Acts 8:3

ἐλυμαίνετο, he made havock of. His own words (Acts 22:4) are ‘I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.’ For the verb cf. LXX. Psalms 79:13 ἐλυμήνατο αὐτὴν σῦς ἐκ δρυμοῦ, of the rage and ravages of a wild beast.

κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους εἰσπορευόμενος, entering into every house. Having authority from the high-priests probably (as Acts 9:14), and making search everywhere that none should escape.

γυναῖκας. He had no mercy on sex. See also Acts 9:2.

εἰς φυλακήν, to prison. To be kept till there should be an opportunity of bringing them to judgment, which was a slow process because of the numerous arrests. No persecutor equals in zeal the religious persecutor.