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And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Acts 22:4 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
  • BSB I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
  • NKJV I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
  • NASB I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,
  • NLT And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.

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 admits he persecuted 'this Way' to the death, imprisoning men and women. He confesses his former violent hostility to the very faith he now preaches.

Overview

'The Way' was an early name for the Christian movement (Acts 9:2). Paul's candid confession of having persecuted believers underscores the radical nature of his transformation and magnifies God's grace (1 Timothy 1:13-16). The chief opponent of Christ became his chief apostle, a living display of the gospel's power to save the worst of sinners.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Acts 22:19–20And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
  • Acts 26:9–11I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
  • 1 Tim 1:13–15Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
  • 1 Cor 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
  • Acts 16:17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
  • Acts 8:1–4And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
  • Acts 18:26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
  • Acts 7:58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
  • Acts 19:23And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
  • Acts 9:21But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
  • Acts 19:9But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
  • Acts 9:1–2And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
  • Acts 24:14But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
  • Phil 3:6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
  • Acts 9:13–14Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 22:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 22:4 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.