Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 22:18
And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
18. and saw him saying unto me ] In Act 9:29-30 no mention is made that a vision had appeared to Saul commanding him to depart from Jerusalem. It is only said that “the disciples” sent him away. But these two statements are not inconsistent with each other. Saul might be warned to go, and the disciples at the same time prompted to send him. In the same way two different causes, one natural, the other supernatural, are mentioned Act 13:2-4, viz. the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the act of the Church of Antioch. And still more like is the statement of St Paul (Gal 2:2), that he went up to Jerusalem “by revelation,” when it is placed side by side with Act 15:2 where we are told that the Christians of Antioch determined that Paul and Barnabas should go up to consult the church in Jerusalem.
get thee quickly out of Jerusalem ] We know from Gal 1:18 that the duration of the Apostle’s stay was but fifteen days.
receive thy testimony concerning me ] Better (with Rev. Ver.), “receive of thee testimony, &c.” The Apostle, as is clear from what follows in the next verse, considered that he would be specially a messenger likely to persuade and convince men of the truths of the Christian faith. God, in the vision, points out that this will not be so.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And saw him – Evidently, the Lord Jesus, Act 22:14. He had received his commission from him, and he now received a distinct command to go to the Gentiles.
For they will not receive – The inhabitants of Jerusalem, probably including both Jews and Christians. The Jews would not listen to him because he had become, in their view, an apostate, and they would hate and persecute him. The Christians would not be likely to receive him, for they would remember his former persecutions, and would be suspicious of him because he had been so long in Arabia, and had not sooner connected himself with them. See the notes on Act 9:26, And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; this St. Paul takes notice of, that it might appear unto the Jews that he did not out of choice, or because he bare a grudge against them, decline them, and preach to the Gentiles.
For they will not receive thy testimony concerning me; as if Christ had said, They who were appointed unto life, and were curable, are already cured; but the rest who are hardened, nothing remains for them but utter destruction.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. get . . . quickly out ofJerusalemcompare Ac 9:29.
for they will not receive thytestimony . . . And I said, Lord, they know, &c.”Canit be, Lord, that they will resist the testimony of one whom theyknew so well as among the bitterest of all against Thy disciples, andwhom nothing short of resistless evidence could have turned to Thee?”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I saw him saying unto me,…. That is, the Lord Jesus Christ, that just One, whom he had seen in his way to Damascus, and whose voice he had heard, and whose name he had called upon at his baptism:
make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: not because his life was in danger, but because Christ had work for him to do elsewhere, which required haste; and that he might not continue here useless and unprofitable, as he would have been, had he staid;
for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me; Christ the omniscient God, and the searcher of the hearts, knew the hardness and unbelief of the Jews; and that they would continue therein, notwithstanding the ministry of the apostle; and that they would give no credit to any testimony of his, that he saw him, as he went to Damascus, and heard words from his mouth. The Ethiopic version renders it without the negative, “for they will receive thee, my witness concerning me”; as if Christ sent the apostle away in all haste from Jerusalem, lest he preaching there, the Jews should believe and be healed; compare with this Mt 13:14. Very likely this interpreter might be induced to leave out the negative, as thinking that the apostle’s reasoning in the following words required such a sense and reading.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Saw him saying ( ). The first visit after his conversion when they tried to kill him in Jerusalem (9:29).
Because (, and ),
for that .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And saw Him saying unto me,” (kai idein auton legonta moi) “I saw (perceived) Him instructing me,” as He, the Lord, was instructing me personally.
2) “Make haste, and get thee quickly (speuson kai ekselthe en tachei) “Make haste and go forth,” get out or escape quickly, Gal 1:18; casting not his pearls before the swine, Mat 7:6.
3) “Out of Jerusalem: (eks lerousalem) “Out of and away from Jerusalem,” as assisted by the disciples of the church there, Act 9:29-30.
4) “For they will not receive thy testimony concerning me,” (dioti ou paradeksontai sou marturian peri mou) Because they will not receive your testimony concerning me,” will not believe what you say about me. Time is not to be wasted among rejectors of truth; For the “dust of one’s feet” is to be shaken off, before the obstinate rejectors, Mat 10:14; Mar 6:11; Luk 9:5. For the servant is not greater than his Lord, Joh 15:20.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
−
18. Because they will not. Though the commandment of God alone ought to be sufficient enough to bind us to obey, yet to the end Paul might be the more willing to follow, Christ showeth him a reason why he will have him depart out of Jerusalem; to wit, because he should lose his labor there; but he was not chosen to that end that he might be idle, or do no good by teaching; though this were a sore trial, and such as we may think did sore shake him. − (515) Not long before the function of preaching the gospel was enjoined him, that his voice might sound throughout the whole world; now even at the first entrance he is inhibited; yea, his labor seemeth to be condemned of peculiar reproach when his witness [testimony] is rejected, because his person is hated. But it was meet that the holy servant of the Lord should be thus humbled, that all the preachers of the gospel might learn to give over themselves wholly to obey Christ, that when they be excluded from one place, they may be ready immediately to go to another, and that they may not be discouraged, nor cease off from doing their duty, though they be undeservedly loathed. −
(515) −
“
Sancti hominis pectus,” the holy man’s breast.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18)Get thee quickly out of Jerusalem.It is obvious that this fits in better with the first hurried visit after St. Pauls conversion than with the second, when he came with Barnabas with alms for the sufferers from the famine. (See Note on Act. 11:30.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Act 22:18. And saw him That is, the Lord Jesus. Some suppose, that this memorable event happened in the second journey that St. Paul made to Jerusalem. See ch. Act 11:30. But the expression rather seems to intimate that it was on his first return to Jerusalem that he had this vision in the temple; and what he pleads here, Act 22:19-20 as to the probability of their receiving his testimony, suits that circumstance of time much better than the other. His dispute with some Hellenist Jews who, toward the close of his first visit to Jerusalem, attempted to kill him, ch. Act 9:29 engaged the brethren to hasten his departure; and our Lord’s orders to him at this critical season would of course determine him to yield to their instances, which perhaps his desire and hope of usefulness at Jerusalem might otherwise have opposed. But when he had been forced in that manner to flee for his life, while the memory of his zeal against Christianity was comparatively fresh in their minds, it does not seem natural to suppose that he would have pleaded the probability of their regarding it, after an interval of six years more.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
Ver. 18. They will not receive ] And I have ordained thee for a better purpose than to lie idle He therefore that heareth, let him hear, and he that forebeareth, let him forbear. God will not always be with men in the opportunities of grace but make them know the worth by the want. Eze 3:27 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
18. ] is to be taken with , not with the verb, as Meyer and Winer maintain. Their objection, that then it must be . is answered by remarking, (1) that Paul does not always observe accuracy in this usage of the article: e.g. Eph 6:5 , , for . . , or , which he has written in the [146] , Col 3:22 , 1Th 4:16 , . See also Rom 6:4 ; Col 2:14 , and notes: and (2) that there may have been a reason for the irregularity here, inasmuch as, if either the article had been expressed after ., or . . . had been used, would have appeared to be governed by ‘they will not receive from thee thy testimony concerning me,’ which is not precisely the meaning intended to be conveyed. (See Mr. Green’s Gram. of N. T. p. 163.)
[146] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25 , the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified , thus, ‘ Mk.,’ or ‘ Mt. Mk.,’ &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 22:18 . .: implying danger, cf. Act 9:29 . .: grounded upon the occurrence before Damascus, and so a striking testimony.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
saying. Before “saying” supply ellipsis, “and heard Him”.
quickly = with (Greek. en. App-104.) speed.
out of. Greek. ek. App-104.
receive. Greek. paradechomai. See note on Act 16:21. Figure of speech Tapeinosis. App-6.
testimony. Greek. marturia. See note on p. 1511 and Compare Act 1:8.
concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
18.] is to be taken with , not with the verb, as Meyer and Winer maintain. Their objection, that then it must be . is answered by remarking, (1) that Paul does not always observe accuracy in this usage of the article: e.g. Eph 6:5, , for . . , or , which he has written in the [146], Col 3:22, 1Th 4:16, . See also Rom 6:4; Col 2:14, and notes:-and (2) that there may have been a reason for the irregularity here, inasmuch as, if either the article had been expressed after ., or . . . had been used, would have appeared to be governed by -they will not receive from thee thy testimony concerning me,-which is not precisely the meaning intended to be conveyed. (See Mr. Greens Gram. of N. T. p. 163.)
[146] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25, the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified, thus, Mk., or Mt. Mk., &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 22:18. , Him) Jesus, Act 22:8.-, make haste) on account of the plot laid for thee, and in order that the sooner thou mayest preach elsewhere.- , they will not receive) Tapeinosis [see Append.]: i.e. they will fight against thy testimony.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
saw: Act 22:14
Make: Mat 10:14, Mat 10:23, Luk 21:21
for: Act 3:19, Eze 3:6, Eze 3:7
Reciprocal: Num 12:6 – in a vision Luk 4:24 – No Joh 3:11 – ye Joh 14:21 – and will Act 18:9 – spake Act 23:9 – if Act 23:11 – for Act 26:20 – and at Rom 11:11 – but rather 1Co 1:6 – the 1Co 2:1 – the testimony 1Co 15:8 – he was Gal 1:18 – I went up 1Th 2:15 – persecuted us
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
Act 22:18. The Lord knew the stub-borness of the people of Jerusalem, that they would not receive Paul’s preaching, and hence he should not waste it on them.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 22:18. Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. They included both the Jews still strangers to the new covenant, and also the Jewish Christians of the Holy City. By the former he was hated as an apostate; by the latter he was viewed probably as a spy, and as no real Christian.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 17
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
18. And I saw him, saying, Hasten and depart quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. This second appearing of Jesus unto Paul took place in Jerusalem after he had returned out of Arabia by way of Damascus and came up to the metropolis, introduced to the apostles and vindicated by Barnabas. Here he states that the same glorified Savior who had shone on him as he journeyed to Damascus appeared to him in the temple while praying in an ecstacy, i. e., a rapture, in which his whole being was flooded with heavenly glory.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
In this vision the risen and exalted Jesus of Nazareth instructed Paul to leave Jerusalem. Luke did not mention this instruction earlier (Act 9:29-30) but emphasized the activity of Paul’s fellow believers in sending him to Tarsus. Their insistence was in harmony with the Lord’s command. Jerusalem was God’s originally intended place of witness, and the temple had been His place of revelation. The reason Paul needed to leave Jerusalem was that the Jews there would not accept his testimony about Jesus even though Paul had formerly persecuted Jesus’ disciples.