Acts 9:4

Acts 9:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
• New International Version (NIV)He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Context of Acts 9:4

2And desired from him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shone around him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the goads. 6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:4 word by word

καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἤκουσεν φωνὴν λέγουσαν αὐτῷ· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;Read the interlinear

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• fellπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
• toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• earthγῆgē · earth: soilG1093
• heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• SaulΣαούλSaoul · SaulG4549
• whyτίςtis · which?G5101
• thouδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• meμέme · meG3165

Cross-references for Acts 9:4

• Acts 5:10Then she fell down immediately at his feet, and died: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
• Numbers 16:45Remove from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
• John 18:6As soon then as he had said to them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
• Romans 11:22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou shalt continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
• 1 Corinthians 4:7For who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ?
• Genesis 3:9And the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, Where art thou?
• Genesis 16:8And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, from where didst thou come? and where wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
• Genesis 22:11And the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
• Exodus 3:4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
• Luke 10:41And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art worried and troubled about many things:
• John 20:16Jesus saith to her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith to him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
• John 21:15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him, Feed my lambs.
• Acts 22:7And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
• Acts 26:14And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goads.
• Isaiah 63:9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old.
• Zechariah 2:8For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me to the nations which wasted you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

Commentaries on Acts 9:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And he fell to the earth - Being struck down with the lightning: many persons suppose he was on horseback, and painters thus represent him; but this is utterly without foundation. Painters are, in almost every case, wretched commentators.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And he fell to the earth - He was astonished and overcome by the sudden flash of light. There is a remarkable similarity between what occurred here, and what is recorded of Daniel in regard to the visions which he saw, Daniel 8:17. Also Daniel 10:8, “Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision; and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness (vigor) was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength.” The effect was such as to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-19The conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road is central to the story in Acts. Luke tells the story three times (also 22:1–21; 26:1–29). Paul (Saul) mentions this experience several times in his letters (1 Corinthians 15:8–10; Galatians 1:11–17; Philippians 3:4–11; see 1 Timothy 1:12–17). Saul’s conversion was his call as a prophet and commission as an apostle (Acts 9:15; 22:15, 21; 26:15–18). No one is beyond God's power to reach, save, and use…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-64-6. he fell to the earth--and his companions with him (Ac 26:14), who "saw the light" (Ac 22:9). and heard a voice saying unto him--"in the Hebrew tongue" (Ac 26:14). Saul, Saul--a reduplication full of tenderness [De Wette]. Though his name was soon changed into "Paul," we find him, in both his own narratives of the scene, after the lapse of so many years, retaining the original form, as not daring to alter, in the smallest detail, the overpowering…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 9:4

• Bigotry
• Call
• Converts
• Heart
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miracles
• Paul
• Persecution
• Regeneration
• Syria
• Vision
• Voice

In the dictionaries

• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Apostle
• Authority
• Confound
• Damascus
• Forthwith
• Kick
• Resurrection of Christ
• Acts of the Apostles

Commentaries on Acts 9

• 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