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So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Acts 9:6 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
  • KJV And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
  • BSB “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
  • ESV But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
  • NASB but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.”
  • NLT Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Jesus commanded Saul to rise and enter the city, where he would receive further instruction. Grace comes with a call to obedience.

Overview

The Lord does not reveal everything at once but directs Saul to wait for guidance through the church. This shows that even an apostle called directly by Christ is brought into the community of believers. Saul's submission marks the beginning of a life wholly surrendered to the will of the one he once opposed.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Acts 22:10I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’
  • 1 Tim 1:14–16The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
  • Acts 26:16But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you;
  • Acts 9:15–16But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.
  • Acts 11:13–14He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, ‘Send to Joppa, and get Simon, who is called Peter,
  • Gal 1:15–16But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,
  • Acts 24:25–26As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.”
  • Rom 7:9I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
  • Rom 10:20Isaiah is very bold, and says, “I was found by those who didn’t seek me. I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”
  • Acts 10:32Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is also called Peter. He lodges in the house of a tanner named Simon, by the seaside. When he comes, he will speak to you.’
  • Rom 5:20The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;
  • Acts 10:22They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say.”
  • Rom 9:15–24For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
  • Rom 10:3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
  • Phil 2:12So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
  • Acts 16:29–30He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,
  • Isa 57:18I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
  • Ps 94:12Blessed is the man whom you discipline, Yah, and teach out of your law;
  • 1 Sam 28:5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
  • Isa 66:2For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh: “but to this man will I look, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.
  • Ps 25:12What man is he who fears Yahweh? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose.
  • Matt 19:30But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.
  • Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
  • Ezek 16:6–8“‘“When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’
  • Acts 10:6He lodges with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the seaside.
  • Luke 3:10The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”
  • Ps 25:8–9Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.
  • Hab 3:16I heard, and my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place, because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people who invade us.
  • Jas 4:6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (9)

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 9:6YouTube · 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 9:6 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.