As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.
- BSB But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- NKJV As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
- NASB But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison.
- NLT But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into 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
Saul violently ravaged the church, imprisoning men and women alike. His zealous persecution shows the depth of his opposition before his conversion.
Overview
Saul went house to house, dragging believers to prison, displaying intense hostility to the church (Acts 9:1-2; 22:4). This portrait of his violence makes his later transformation by grace all the more remarkable. The fierce persecutor would become the church's foremost missionary and a vessel of God's mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Tim 1:13Who 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.
- Gal 1:13For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
- Phil 3:6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
- Acts 22:19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
- 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 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 22:3–4I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
- Acts 9:1–13And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
- Jas 2:6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
- Acts 26:9–11I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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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 8:3 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
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