Acts 22:5

Acts 22:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
• New International Version (NIV)as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
• English Standard Version (ESV)as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
• New King James Version (NKJV)as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

Context of Acts 22:5

3“I’m a Jew. I was born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia and received my education from Gamaliel here in Jerusalem. My education was in the strict laws handed down by our ancestors. I was as devoted to God as all of you are today. 4I persecuted people who followed the way ⌞of Christ⌟: I tied up men and women and put them into prison until they were executed. The chief priest and the entire council of our leaders can prove that I did this. In fact, they even gave me letters to take to the Jewish community in the city of Damascus. I was going there to tie up believers and bring them back to Jerusalem to punish them. 6“But as I was on my way and approaching the city of Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice asking me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’

Acts 22:5 word by word

ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς μαρτυρεῖ μοι καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον, παρ᾽ ὧν καὶ ἐπιστολὰς δεξάμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς Δαμασκὸν ἐπορευόμην, ἄξων καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖσε ὄντας δεδεμένους εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἵνα τιμωρηθῶσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• the high priestὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the high priestἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• doth bearμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the estate of the eldersπρεσβυτέριονpresbuterion · council of eldersG4244
• fromπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• I receivedδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
• lettersἐπιστολήepistolē · epistleG1992
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• and wentπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• DamascusΔαμασκόςDamaskos · DamascusG1154
• to bringἄγωagō · to bringG71
• which wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thereἐκεῖσεekeise · thereG1566
• boundδέωdeō · to bindG1210
• JerusalemἹερουσαλήμHierousalēm · JerusalemG2419
• forἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• to be punishedτιμωρέωtimōreō · to punishG5097

Cross-references for Acts 22:5

• Acts 9:1Saul kept threatening to murder the Lord’s disciples. He went to the chief priest
• Acts 26:10That is what I did in Jerusalem. By the authority I received from the chief priests, I locked many Christians in prison. I voted to have them killed every time a vote was taken.
• Acts 4:5The next day the Jewish rulers, the leaders, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings met in Jerusalem.
• Acts 5:21Early in the morning, after they had listened to the angel, the apostles went into the temple courtyard and began to teach. The chief priest and those who were with him called together the Jewish council, that is, all the leaders of Israel. They also sent men to the prison to get the apostles.
• Luke 22:66In the morning the council of the people’s leaders, the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings, gathered together. They brought Jesus in front of their highest court and asked him,
• Acts 22:1“Brothers and fathers, listen as I now present my case to you.”
• Romans 9:3I wish I could be condemned and cut off from Christ for the sake of others who, like me, are Jewish by birth.

Commentaries on Acts 22:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The high priest doth bear me witness, etc. - He probably referred to the letters of authority which he had received from the high priest, and the whole estate of the elders, , the whole of the presbytery, that is, the sanhedrin; and it is likely, that he had those letters to produce. This zeal of his against Christianity was an ample proof of his sincerity as a Pharisaical Jew.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5As also the high priest … - See the notes on Acts 9:2. All the estate of the elders - Greek: all the presbytery; that is, the whole body of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation. Unto the brethren - The Jewish brethren who were at Damascus. Paul here speaks as a Jew, and regards his countrymen as his brethren.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-21Paul gives his most complete defense of his life and faith before his own people in Jerusalem. This speech shows his flexibility as a missionary, just as his message to the Greek philosophers in Athens also did (17:22–31; see 1 Corinthians 9:20–23). He begins by showing his close connection with his audience. He explains his Jewish background and his training under Gamaliel the Elder (a respected Jewish teacher). He also describes his strong desire to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. the high priest--still alive. doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders--the whole Sanhedrim.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 22:5

• Damascus
• Extradition
• Paul
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Damascus
• Jerusalem
• High priest
• Antonia
• Hence
• James
• Persecute
• Scourge
• Uncondemned
• Acts of the Apostles

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