Acts 9:32

διὰ πάντων, through all quarters. The history now turns from Saul to Peter, to shew us that when the former had been prepared for his special work, the latter was taught by revelation that the time had arrived for the next and complete extension of the Church among all nations. Peter had been labouring, as no doubt all the rest of the Twelve also (for we have seen that only two were at Jerusalem when Saul came thither), in building up the Churches in Judæa and Samaria, and the narrative of two miracles which follow in the history makes intelligible to us the position of Peter when Cornelius is warned to send for him.

On the connexion of this portion of the history with the preceding Chrysostom says μέλλει περὶ Πέτρου λέγειν, καὶ ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους κάτεισιν. ἵν' οὖν μὴ φόβου τοῦτο νομίση τις, πρότερον ὡς εἶχον αἱ ἐκκλησίαι διηγεῖται, δεικνὺς ὅτι διωγμὸς ὅτε ἦν, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἦν, ὅτε δὲ πανταχοῦ ἐν�, τότε λοιπὸν καὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα�· οὔτως ἦν θερμὸς ὁμοῦ καὶ σφοδρός. οὐ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ εἰρήνη ἦν ἐνόμιζε μηδὲν δεῖσθαι τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας.

τοὺς ἁγίους. See note on Acts 9:13.

Λύδδα, Lydda. The Hebrew Lod, 1 Chronicles 8:12. It was afterwards called Diospolis. It was near to Joppa, and a day’s journey from Jerusalem. Josephus (Ant. XX. 6. 2) calls it ‘a village not less than a city in largeness.’