And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
- BSB “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.
- NKJV And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
- NASB And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
- NLT “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
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
When Saul asked who was speaking, the voice answered that he was Jesus, whom Saul persecuted. The crucified one is alive and reigning.
Overview
Saul's question and the Lord's answer confront him with the reality of the resurrection he had denied. The very Jesus he believed dead and discredited stands glorified in heaven. This revelation shatters Saul's worldview and lays the foundation for his lifelong proclamation that Jesus is Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 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 Sam 3:4–10That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
- Job 9:4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
- Job 40:9–10Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
- Isa 45:9Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
- Acts 26:9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
- Acts 5:39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
- 1 Cor 10:22Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
- Deut 32:15But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
- Ps 2:12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
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 9:5 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.