83 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And after that many days were fulfilled,.... This phrase is used by the Septuagint on Exodus 2:11 for a considerable length of time, for many years. The Jewish writers observe (t), that the phrase, "many days", signify at least three days; for by "days", in the plural number, two must be designed, and many signifies a third, or that one at least...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But their laying await was known of Saul,.... Either by divine revelation, or by some friends, who had got knowledge of it, and gave him information, as in Acts 23:16 and they watched the gates night and day to kill him; that is, the Jews, together with the governor of the city, and the garrison of soldiers in it. These all watched at the several...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the disciples took him by night,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "his disciples"; the disciples of Saul, such as he had been instrumental in making at Damascus: but it is not usual for the saints to be called in Scripture the disciples of any man; therefore the common reading is best, and designs the disciples and followers of Christ; who...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when Saul was come to Jerusalem,.... After he had escaped out of Damascus, in the manner before related, and which was three years after his conversion: he assayed to join himself to the disciples; not to the private members of the church, or ordinary disciples, as distinct from the apostles, but to the whole society, as consisting of apostles...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. They did not admit anybody and everybody into the Church. They guarded it as Christ’s Church should be guarded, that unworthy people might not enter it. If any of you should be kept back a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles,.... To Peter and James, the brother of our Lord, for no other apostles did he see at this time, Galatians 1:18. It is probable that Barnabas had been at Damascus, and had there related to him, the whole account of Saul's conversion and entrance on the ministry, which he gives a particular...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But Barnabus took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem, And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And be was with them,.... Peter and James, and the rest of the disciples; he lived with them, conversed with them, and joined with them in all religious exercises; which is signified by his coming in and going out at Jerusalem; no one of the apostles or disciples forbidding or hindering him.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus,.... He spoke the Gospel of Christ boldly, as it ought to be spoken; he spoke it openly, publicly, freely, and faithfully, not fearing the faces or revilings of any: the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions add, "to the Gentiles"; but this is not in any of the Greek copies: and disputed against the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Which when the brethren knew,.... When the members of the church heard of it, by some means or another: they brought him down to Caesarea; not that which was before called Strato's tower, the same as in Acts 8:40 but Caesarea Philippi, mentioned in Matthew 16:13 the Syriac version adds, "by night", and some copies, "and sent him forth to Tarsus";...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then had the churches rest,.... Meaning not spiritual rest in Christ; this they had before, even in tribulation, but rest from persecution; not so much because of the conversion of Saul, the great persecutor of them, for his conversion had been three years before; but rather because of his removal to other parts, the sight of whose person, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, as Peter passed through all quarters,.... The Arabic version reads, "all the foresaid places", as Judea, Galilee, and Samaria; through which he took a tour, in order to visit the new churches here planted, fix pastors over them, and confirm the Gospel by miracles, which they had received: he came down also to the saints which...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there he found a certain man,.... In a house in that city, into which he entered: named Aeneas; which is a Gentile name, and so might the person be; though there is mention made of this name among the Jews. We read of one R. Samuel Bar, אנייא "Aenea, or Aeneas" (l); but it was more common among the Greeks. Aeneas the Trojan is well known in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, c. He called him by his name, which he might without divine revelation know, though he was a stranger to him, by the people of the house, where he was: Jesus Christ maketh thee whole Peter knew, by some secret impulse upon his mind, that Christ would cure this man by him as an instrument at this time, and therefore...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron,.... Saron, which is here joined to Lydda, is the name of a fruitful country on the borders of the Mediterranean sea, between Joppa and Caesarea, beginning at Lydda. There were two countries in the land of Israel called Saron, as Jerom observes (n); there was one between Mount Tabor, and the lake of Tiberias;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now there was at Joppa,.... The same with Japho, Joshua 19:46 a sea port town in the tribe of Dan, said by some historians (w) to be a very ancient one, even before the flood. It is now called Jaffa, and its name, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies beauty: some say it had its name from Jope, the daughter of Aeolus, the wife of Cepheus, the founder of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass in those days,.... While Peter was in those parts, and particularly at Lydda, which was near: that she was sick and died; fell ill with some disorder, and died of it: whom, when they had washed; as was the manner of the Jews; and this they did, even though it was on a sabbath day: for so their canon runs (f), "they do all the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa,.... Some say it was six miles distant, but it must be eight; since from Jerusalem to Joppa were forty miles, and from Jerusalem to Lydda thirty two, and therefore it must be eight miles from thence to Joppa: and the disciples had heard that Peter was there; and also no doubt that he had healed Aeneas of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Peter arose and went with them,.... After the messengers had delivered their message, and made their request to Peter in the name of the brethren, he at once agreed to go with them, and accordingly did; whether he went to restore Dorcas to life, whose death the messengers had informed him of, and whether this was the view of the brethren with...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Peter put them all forth,.... As he had seen his Lord and Master do, when he raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, Lu 8:54 and kneeled down and prayed; it may be, as yet, he had not the mind of God in this matter, and therefore betook himself to prayer, in which he chose to be private and alone: and turning him to the body; the corpse...