Acts 8:3

Acts 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
• New International Version (NIV)But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
• New King James Version (NKJV)As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Context of Acts 8:3

1And Saul agreed completely with killing him. Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 5Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.

Acts 8:3 word by word

Σαῦλος δὲ ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους εἰσπορευόμενος, σύρων τε ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας παρεδίδου εἰς φυλακήν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Asδέde · thenG1161
• for SaulΣαῦλοςSaulos · SaulG4569
• he made havockλυμαίνομαιlumainomai · to ravageG3075
• of the churchὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• entering intoεἰσπορεύωeisporeuomai · to enterG1531
• everyκατάkata · according toG2596
• houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
• andτεte · and/bothG5037
• halingσύρωsurō · to dragG4951
• menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• womenγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• committedπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• prisonφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438

Cross-references for Acts 8:3

• Acts 7:58When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
• Acts 9:1Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest
• Acts 22:3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today.
• Acts 26:9Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
• Galatians 1:13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.
• Philippians 3:6In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.
• 1 Timothy 1:13even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,

Commentaries on Acts 8:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Saul made havoc of the Church - The word , from , to destroy, devastate, ravage, signifies the act of ferocious animals, such as bears, wolves, and the like, in seeking and devouring their prey. This shows with what persevering rancour this man pursued the harmless Christians; and thus we see in him what bigotry and false zeal are capable of performing. Entering into every house - For, however it might be to others, a Christian man's house was not his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3As for Saul - But Saul. He took no interest or part in the pious attentions shown to Stephen, but engaged with zeal in the work of persecution. He made havoc - ̓́ elumainetoThis word is commonly applied to wild beasts, to lions, wolves, etc., and denotes the “devastations” which they commit. Saul raged against the church like a wild beast - a strong expression, denoting the zeal and fury with which he engaged in persecution. Entering into every house - To…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Saul was there: Compare 9:1–2; 22:4; 26:9–11; Galatians 1:13–14. This major attack against the church caused all believers except the apostles to flee. Instead of losing enthusiasm, they preached the good news about Jesus wherever they went.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Saul ... entering into every house--like as inquisitor [Bengel]. haling men and women, &c.--See his own affecting confessions afterwards (Ac 22:4; 26:9, 10; 1Co 15:9; Ga 1:13; Php 3:6; 1Ti 1:13).Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 8:3

• Church
• Intolerance, Religious
• Jerusalem
• Paul

In the dictionaries

• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Havock
• Join
• Pray
• Prison

Commentaries on Acts 8

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings