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I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
Acts 22:7 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
  • KJV And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
  • BSB I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
  • NKJV And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
  • NASB and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

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 fell to the ground and heard a voice asking, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' The risen Christ confronts him personally.

Overview

Christ identifies himself so closely with his church that to persecute believers is to persecute him (Matthew 25:40). The repeated name 'Saul, Saul' carries both solemnity and tenderness. This question pierced Paul's conscience and began his turning from enemy to apostle of the very Lord he had opposed.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Jer 2:9“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” says Yahweh, “and I will contend with your children’s children.
  • Matt 25:45“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’
  • 1 Tim 1:13although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
  • Jer 2:5Yahweh says, “What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after worthless vanity, and have become worthless?
  • 1 Sam 3:10Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
  • Gen 22:11Yahweh’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
  • Gen 3:9Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
  • Gen 22:1After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
  • Isa 43:22–26Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.
  • Exod 3:4When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”
  • Gen 16:8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”
  • Matt 27:23But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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 22:7YouTube · 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 22:7 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.