Acts 9:4

καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, cf. Acts 22:7, both expressions show the over-whelming impression made by the sudden bright light. In Acts 26:14 all fall to the ground, but there is no contradiction with Acts 9:7, see below on Acts 9:7. Lewin, Farrar (so Hackett, and some early interpreters) have held that Saul and some at least of his companions were mounted, since Saul was the emissary of the high priest, and the journey would occupy some days. On the other hand Felten (following Corn, à Lapide) holds that the text makes no suggestion of this, and that the expression “they led him by the hand” and the command “rise and enter into the city” are against it; but the near neighbourhood of Damascus might easily account for the fact that his companions led Saul by the hand for the remaining distance, which could not have been long, although the immediate proximity of the traditional site cannot be maintained (see above on Acts 9:3). As the strict Jews, like the Pharisees, seldom used horses, Felten may be right in conjecturing that Saul rode upon an ass or a mule (p. 186, note). ἤκουσε φωνὴν λέγουσαν : in St. Paul's own account we have ἤκουσα φωνῆς λεγούσης, Acts 22:7, and ἤκουσα φωνὴν λέγ., as here, in Acts 26:14. It would seem therefore that the distinction between ἀκούειν with (1) accusative, and (2) genitive; (1) to hear and understand, (2) to hear, merely, cannot be pressed (so Alford, in loco, and Simcox, Language of N. T., p. 90, and Weiss on Acts 22:7; but see on the other hand Rendall on 9 Acts 9:7). Thus in the passage before us it has been usual to explain ἀκούειν with φωνήν Acts 9:4, as indicating that Saul not only heard but understood the voice, cf. Acts 22:14, whilst ἀκούειν with φωνῆς Acts 9:7, has been taken to show that his comrades heard, but did not understand (so Weiss, in loco, and also on Acts 22:9). But there is (1) no contradiction with Acts 22:9, for there it is said of Paul's companions: τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦτός μοι they heard the utterance, Acts 9:7; Acts 22:7, but did not hear definitely, or understand who it was that spoke, μηδένα δὲ θεωροῦντες. But (2) on comparing the passages together, it appears that in Acts 9:4; Acts 9:7 a distinction is drawn between the contents of the utterance and the mere sound of the voice, a distinction drawn by the accusative and genitive; in Acts 22:7 the same distinction is really maintained, and by the same cases, since in Acts 22:7 Paul, in speaking of himself, says that he heard a voice, i.e., was conscious of a voice speaking to him (genitive, φωνῆς), (Simcox, u. s., p. 85), whilst in Acts 9:9 (accusative φωνήν) the contents of the utterance are referred to, cf. Acts 9:14 in the same chapter; in Acts 26:14 the accusative is rightly used for the contents of the utterance which are given there more fully than elsewhere. Σαούλ, Σαούλ : in each of the three narratives of the Conversion it is significant that the Hebrew form is thus given, and it is also found in the address of Ananias, probably himself a Hebrew, Acts 9:17, to the new convert. On the emphatic and solemn repetition of the name cf. Genesis 22:11, and in the N.T., Luke 10:41; Luke 22:31; Matthew 23:37, and on the frequency of this repetition of a name as characteristic of Luke in Gospel and Acts see Friedrich, pp. 75, 76, cf. Luke 8:24; Luke 10:41; Luke 22:31; cf. Luke 23:21 (see also Deissmann's note Bibelstudien, p. 184, on the introduction of the Hebrew name). τί με διώκεις; cf. Acts 7:52, and 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13. “Saul's first lesson was the mystical union between Christ and His Church” cf. Matthew 10:40; Matthew 25:40; Matthew 25:45; John 10:16, etc. No wonder that Felten sees “an ineffable pathos” in the words; Wendt quotes St. Augustine: “caput pro membris damabat,” cf. also Corn. à Lapide: “corpus enim mystcum Christi est ecclesia, membra sunt fideles”.