I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.
Parallel translations
- KJV And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
- BSB ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
- NKJV So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.
- NASB And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.
- NLT “‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul protests that surely the people will listen, since they know how he once imprisoned and beat believers. He reasons that his dramatic change should make his testimony compelling.
Overview
Paul assumes his notorious past as a persecutor would lend force to his witness. Yet the Lord knows the hardness of hearts better than Paul does. The exchange shows that even a powerful testimony cannot compel faith; only God can open hearts to receive his word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Acts 22:4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
- Matt 10:17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you.
- Acts 8:3But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.
- Acts 9:1But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
- Acts 26:9–12“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 22:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.