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And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

And Saul yet breathing — As a tired wolf, that wearied with worrying the flock, lies panting for breath. See Trapp on " Acts 8:3 "

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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.

Letters to Damascus — The high priest, it seems, then had power at Damascus, and elsewhere out of Judea, to bind and beat his Jews, for misdemeanour in point of their religion. See Acts 18:15 .

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And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

And as he journeyed — So Petrus Paulus Vergerius, the pope’s nuncio, dum confutationem Evangelicorum meditatur, fit Evangelicus; moved, perhaps, by the fearful example also of Francis Spira, whereof he had been an eyewitness.

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And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Fell to the earth — Christ unhorsed him, but did not destroy him. He is not such a monarch as loves to get authority by sternness, as Rehoboam, but by gentleness. And though gone to heaven, yet hath he not changed his nature with change of honour; but together with beams of glory, there are still in him the same bowels of pity that he had here upon earth.

Why persecutest thou me? — As unskilful hunters, shooting at wild beasts, may kill a man? so those that shoot at the saints, hit Christ. Their sufferings are held his, Colossians 1:24 ; their reproach his, Hebrews 13:13 . God is more provoked than Nehemiah,Nehemiah 4:3; Nehemiah 4:3 ; Nehemiah 4:5 . Christ retaineth still compassion, though freed from personal passion; and, though freed from feeling, he hath still yet a fellow feeling. Manet compassio etiam cum impassibilitate. Bernard. Let such among us take heed what they do, who, while they pronounce our Church antichristian, …, strike at the beast, but wound the Lamb.

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And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

To kick against the pricks — A metaphor from oxen pushing back upon the goad, when they are pricked therewith, as Beza showeth out of Aeschilus.

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And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

It shall be told thee — Christ teacheth him not immediately, but sendeth him to a preacher; so to grace his own ordinance.

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And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

Hearing a voice — Not Christ’s voice, but Saul’s only, Acts 22:9 .

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And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

He saw no man — This bodily blindness was a means to open the eyes of his mind, as Gehazi’s leprosy cured his soul.

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