Acts 22:20

Acts 22:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
• New International Version (NIV)And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

Context of Acts 22:20

18In the vision, I saw the Lord and he spoke to me. He said, “Hurry. Leave Jerusalem quickly. The people here will not believe what you say to them about me.” 19I replied, “Lord, the people here know what I have been doing. They know that I wanted to take hold of all the people who believed in you. I went to all our Jewish meeting places to look for the believers. When I found them, I put them in prison and I hit them with sticks. I myself was there when the people killed Stephen. He was your servant who told people your message. But I agreed that it was right to kill him. I even held the coats of the people while they killed him.” 21But the Lord said to me, “Go! I will now send you a long way away. You must go to the Gentiles and tell them my message.” ’ 22The people listened carefully to Paul until he spoke about the Gentiles. Then they began to shout loudly, ‘Take him away! Kill him! It is not right that he should live any longer!’

Acts 22:20 word by word

καὶ ὅτε ἐξεχύννετο τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤμην ἐφεστὼς καὶ συνευδοκῶν καὶ φυλάσσων τὰ ἱμάτια τῶν ἀναιρούντων αὐτόν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• the bloodὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
• of thyσύsu · youG4771
• martyrμάρτυςmartus · witnessG3144
• StephenΣτέφανοςStephanos · StephenG4736
• was shedἐκχέωekcheō ekchunō · to pour outG1632
• Iαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• standing byἐφίστημιephistēmi · to approachG2186
• consenting untoσυνευδοκέωsuneudokeō · to agree toG4909
• deathἀναίρεσιςanairesis · murderG336
• keptφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: protectG5442
• the raimentἱμάτιονhimation · clothingG2440
• that slewἀναιρέωanaireō · to killG337

Cross-references for Acts 22:20

• Revelation 2:13I know where you live. It is the place where Satan sits as king. But you still continue to trust me. You remember Antipas who spoke a clear message about me. Because of that, some people in your city killed him. You saw what happened to him, but you continued to believe in me. You still serve me, even there where Satan lives.
• Revelation 17:6I saw that the woman was like a drunk. She was like someone who had drunk the blood of God's people. She had killed them because they had told other people about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very surprised.
• Acts 7:58They took hold of Stephen and they pulled him out of the city. They removed their coats. They gave them to a young man to keep them safe. This young man was called Saul. Then they began to throw stones at Stephen to kill him.
• Acts 8:1Saul was standing there while the Jewish leaders killed Stephen. He agreed with what they did. On the same day that Stephen died, the group of believers who lived in Jerusalem began to have great trouble. People did bad things to them. All the believers left Jerusalem and went to other places in Judea and Samaria. Only Jesus' 12 apostles stayed in Jerusalem.
• Luke 11:48You know that your ancestors killed the prophets. Now you build up the places where they buried them. So you show that you agree with your ancestors. You agree with what they did.
• Romans 1:32These people understand God's message about what is right. They know that people who do bad things like this ought to die. But they still continue to do those bad things. They are even happy when other people do those bad things too.

Commentaries on Acts 22:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed - See on Acts 7:58; (note); Acts 8:1; (note). All these things Paul alleged as reasons why he could not expect to be received by the Christians; for how could they suppose that such a persecutor could be converted?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed - See Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1. I also was standing by - Acts 7:58. And consenting unto his death - Acts 8:1. And kept the raiment - The outer robes or garments, which were usually laid aside when they engaged in running or labor. See Acts 7:58. All this showed that, though Paul was not engaged in stoning Stephen, yet he was with them in spirit, and fully accorded with what they did. These circumstances are mentioned…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-21Verses 12-21 The apostle goes on to relate how he was confirmed in the change he had made. The Lord having chosen the sinner, that he should know his will, he is humbled, enlightened, and brought to the knowledge of Christ and his blessed gospel. Christ is here called that Just One; for he is Jesus Christ the righteous. Those whom God has chosen to know his will, must look to Jesus, for by him God has made known his good-will to us. The great gospel…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-22While Paul was praying in the temple, he saw a vision of Jesus. Jesus told him that the people of Jerusalem would not accept his message. The Lord then sent him to the Gentiles. The crowd’s reaction to this report confirmed this reality (22:22–23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. it came to pass, &c.--This thrilling dialogue between the glorified Redeemer and his chosen vessel is nowhere else related. when I was come again to Jerusalem--on the occasion mentioned in Ac 9:26-29. while I prayed in the temple--He thus calls their attention to the fact that after his conversion he kept up his connection with the temple as before.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 22:20

• Paul
• Stephen
• Temple
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Stephen
• Antonia
• Hence
• James
• Martyr
• Persecute
• Scourge
• Uncondemned
• Acts of the Apostles
• Felix; Antonius

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