Acts 22:3

Acts 22:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I 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.
• New International Version (NIV)“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

Context of Acts 22:3

1“Brethren and fathers (kinsmen), hear my defense which I now offer to you.” 2When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet. And he continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being ardent and passionate for God just as all of you are today. 4I persecuted and pursued the followers of this Way to the death, binding them with chains and putting [followers of Jesus] both men and women into prisons, 5as the high priest and all the Council of the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) can testify; because from them I received letters to the brothers, and I was on my way to Damascus in order to bring those [believers] who were there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.

Acts 22:3 word by word

ἐγώ εἰμι ἀνὴρ Ἰουδαῖος γεγεννημένος ἐν Ταρσῷ τῆς Κιλικίας, ἀνατεθραμμένος δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιὴλ πεπαιδευμένος κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου, ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τοῦ θεοῦ καθὼς πάντες ὑμεῖς ἐστε σήμερον,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• verilyμένmen · on the other handG3303
• a manἀνήρanēr · manG435
• a JewἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• TarsusΤαρσόςTarsos · TarsusG5019
• in CiliciaΚιλικία, ΚιλικίαKilikia · CiliciaG2791
• yetδέde · thenG1161
• brought upἀνατρέφωanatrephō · to bring upG397
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• atπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• the feetπούςpous · footG4228
• of GamalielΓαμαλιήλGamaliēl · GamalielG1059
• taughtπαιδεύωpaideuō · to instructG3811
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• the perfect mannerἀκρίβειαakribeia · strictnessG195
• of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• of the fathersπατρῷοςpatrōos · ancestralG3971
• and wasὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• zealousζηλωτήςzēlōtēs · zealotG2207
• toward Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• this dayσήμερονsēmeron · todayG4594

Cross-references for Acts 22:3

• Acts 21:39Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia (Mersin Province, Turkey), a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”
• Romans 11:1I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
• 2 Corinthians 11:22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
• Philippians 3:5circumcised when I was eight days old, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews [an exemplary Hebrew]; as to the [observance of the] Law, a Pharisee;
• Acts 9:11And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul; for he is praying [there],
• Acts 11:25And Barnabas left for Tarsus to search for Saul;
• Acts 6:9However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen.
• Acts 15:23With them they sent the following letter: “The apostles and the brothers who are the elders, to the brothers and sisters who are from the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, Greetings.
• Acts 23:34After reading the letter, he asked which province Paul was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province],
• Galatians 1:21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
• Deuteronomy 33:3Indeed, He loves His people; All Your holy ones are in Your hand. They followed in Your steps; They accept and receive direction from You.
• 2 Kings 4:38Elisha came back to Gilgal during a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook stew for the sons of the prophets.”
• Luke 2:46Three days later they found Him in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
• Luke 8:35And people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind (mentally healthy); and they were frightened.
• Luke 10:39She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching.
• Acts 5:34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

Commentaries on Acts 22:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I am verily a man which am a Jew - A periphrasis for, I am really a Jew: and his mentioning this adds weight to the conjecture in the preceding note. He shows that he could not be ignorant of the Jewish religion, as he had had the best instructer in it which Jerusalem could produce. Yet brought up, etc. - Bp. Pearce proposes that this verse should be thus read and translated: but brought up in this city; instructed at the feet of Gamaliel, according to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Born in Tarsus - See the notes on Acts 9:11. Brought up in this city - In Jerusalem, sent there for the advantage of more perfect instruction in the Law. At the feet of Gamaliel - As a scholar or disciple of Gamaliel. The phrase to sit at the feet of one is expressive of the condition of a disciple or learner. Compare Deuteronomy 33:3; Luke 10:39. It is probable that the expression arose from the fact that the learners occupied a lower place or seat than…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3at the feet of Gamaliel: See study note on 5:34.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. a Jew of Tarsus, brought up in this city, at the feet--(See on Lu 10:39). of Gamaliel--(See on Ac 5:34); a fact of great importance in the apostle's history, standing in the same relation to his future career as Moses' education in the Egyptian court to the work for which he was destined. the perfect manner of the law of the fathers--the strictest form of traditional Judaism. zealous--"a zealot." toward God as ye all are this day--his own former…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 22:3

• Bigotry
• Children
• Feet
• Gamaliel
• Instruction
• Paul
• Pharisees
• School
• Tarsus
• Tutor

In the dictionaries

• Cilicia
• God
• Tarsus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Antonia
• Hence
• James
• Persecute
• Scourge
• Uncondemned

Commentaries on Acts 22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings