성경 주석서

Acts 22:1-21 Paul declareth at large the manner of his conversion

and call to the apostleship.

Acts 22:22-24 At the very mentioning of the Gentiles the people

exclaim furiously against him: whereupon the chief

captain ordereth to examine him by scourging,

Acts 22:25-29 which he avoideth by pleading the privilege of a

Roman citizen.

Acts 22:30 He is brought before the Jewish council.

Although they were wicked men, and cruel persecutors, St. Paul giveth them their titles of respect, which by the places God had put them in, are due unto them: See Poole on "Acts 7:2".

The Hebrew tongue; the ordinary Hebrew; that which was taken for Hebrew, and spoken by the Hebrews after their return from the captivity, though mixed with the Syriac; as Acts 21:40.

They kept the more silence; it being more grateful unto them to hear Paul speak in their mother tongue, especially they having so great a prejudice against all other nations and languages.

At the feet; the apostle alludes unto the posture that the disciples of any rabbi, or teacher, in those times did use; the master sitting in some high or elevated place, did teach his scholars, who sat at his feet on the ground; and as they grew in knowledge, were advanced to sit nearer to their master: Deu 33:3. Abraham is thus said to be called to God’s foot, Isaiah 41:2; and Mary sat at our Saviour’s feet, Luke 10:39.

Of Gamaliel; the same Gamaliel who made that moderating speech in the apostle’s behalf, Acts 5:34.

The perfect manner of the law; this perfect manner of the law is Pharisaism, in which the apostle was brought up, and before his conversion made a profession of, Philippians 3:5. Not that the apostle reckoned upon any perfection in this profession; but because, as Acts 26:5, it was the most strait sect of their religion, observing a great deal of punctuality and accurateness, making what they called a hedge about the law.

Of the fathers; not observing only the law, which was given by God to their fathers by the hand of Moses; but the traditions of their fathers he was exceeding zealous in; as Galatians 1:14.

Zealous toward God; or, as some copies read, zealous toward the law; both in the same sense. His zeal for the law was sincere, not out of by-ends, but out of his love to God, though it was not according to knowledge, Romans 10:2. It was truly according unto what he knew or believed, but it was not according to true knowledge.

This way; the doctrine and practice of Christianity.

Unto the death; as much as in him lies, being one of the most furious persecutors, that hunted for the precious life, breathing out threatenings and slaughters with every breath, Acts 9:1.

The estate of the elders; their sanhedrim or great council.

Letters; commission or orders.

The brethren; the Jews of Damascus are called brethren, because they descended from the patriarchs as well as he. And still, as Acts 22:1, he would overcome that stubborn people with civility, heaping up coals of fire on their heads, Romans 12:20, that they might be melted, and then formed after a more excellent manner.

As lightning it suddenly encompassed him. But see Acts 9:3, and read on; where this history is set down by St. Luke. And here little more can be taken notice of, than some small variety in the expressions.

Saul, Saul; as men that call another earnestly repeat his name; as when the angel of the Lord called Abraham, Abraham, Genesis 22:11.

I am Jesus of Nazareth; that contemned (though not contemptible) name is owned by Christ from heaven, that they might not be ashamed when they were reproached by it on earth. Of the rest, See Poole on "Acts 9:5".