Acts 22 19

Acts 22:19 kjv

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

Acts 22:19 nkjv

So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.

Acts 22:19 niv

"?'Lord,' I replied, 'these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.

Acts 22:19 esv

And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.

Acts 22:19 nlt

"'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.

Acts 22 verses

Acts 22 19 Meaning

In Acts 22:19, Paul, speaking before a hostile Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, recounts a moment during his conversion experience. He is describing his encounter with the risen Jesus (whom he addresses as "Lord") and explains his past life as a persecutor of Christians. He tells Jesus that his Jewish peers "themselves know" that he zealously imprisoned and beat believers in Jesus "in one synagogue after another," establishing his former identity as a persecutor from the perspective of his accusers. This serves to underscore the radical nature of his transformation by divine intervention.

Acts 22 19 Context

Acts 22:19 is part of Paul's defense before a hostile Jewish crowd in Jerusalem. He is accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple, teaching against the Law, and defiling the holy place (Acts 21:28). In his defense, Paul narrates his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. He recounts his fervent zeal for Judaism, which led him to persecute followers of "the Way" (the early Christians). This specific verse recalls his justification to the risen Jesus for why he could not have been called to preach to Gentiles, believing his well-known past actions against "those who believed" would hinder any acceptance. The historical context includes the growing tension between Judaism and early Christianity, the authority of the Sanhedrin over Jewish communities even abroad (allowing letters to Damascus), and the use of synagogues for legal and punitive actions within Jewish society.

Acts 22 19 Word analysis

• And I said: Paul's personal account, a direct quotation of his own words during his Damascus Road encounter with Christ. This imbues the testimony with authenticity.
• 'Lord': Greek: Kyrios (κύριος). This term is highly significant, acknowledging the divine authority and sovereignty of Jesus, a monumental shift for Paul (Saul) who previously saw Jesus as a blasphemer. It represents a confession of faith.
• 'they themselves know': Paul makes an appeal to the collective memory and understanding of his Jewish audience in Jerusalem. It implies that his persecuting activities were not hidden but widely recognized and perhaps even lauded by the Jewish authorities and populace at the time. This grounds his transformation in publicly verifiable fact.
• that in one synagogue after another': Greek: kata pasan synagogen (κατὰ πᾶσαν συναγωγήν), meaning "throughout every synagogue" or "in every single synagogue." This highlights the extensive, systematic, and widespread nature of Paul's persecution, indicating he operated with diligence across various Jewish communities, not just in Jerusalem. Synagogues served as local community centers, places of worship, legal dispute resolution, and also as venues for imposing punishment.
• 'I used to imprison': Greek: synekleion (συνέκλειον). The imperfect tense denotes a habitual or continuous action in the past. It signifies Paul's active role in arresting believers, consistent with his commission from the high priest (Acts 9:1-2). Imprisonment was a serious consequence for those seen as deviating from orthodox Judaism.
• 'and beat': Greek: deron (δέρων). A present active participle, again emphasizing the continuous or repeated nature of the action. Beating, or flogging (often with whips or rods, limited by Dt 25:3 to 40 lashes, typically 39 were administered), was a common form of corporal punishment administered by synagogue authorities for various offenses, including perceived blasphemy or heresy.
• 'those who believed in you': Greek: tous pisteuontas epi se (τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπὶ σέ). This specifies the target of his violent actions: people who had placed their faith ("believed") in Jesus as the Messiah ("in you"). It clarifies his persecution was directed specifically at followers of Jesus, recognizing them as distinct.

Words-group analysis:

• "And I said, 'Lord'": Paul's response marks a pivotal moment where he shifts from identifying the persecutor with "Lord" to addressing Jesus as his sovereign, signifying his conversion.
• "'they themselves know that in one synagogue after another'": This phrase emphasizes the undeniable public record of Paul's past actions, establishing a shared historical ground with his Jewish accusers. It underlines the extent of his persecution and implicitly suggests his Jewish brethren approved of his former zeal.
• "'I used to imprison and beat those who believed in you'": This detailed confession unequivocally describes the nature of Paul's past persecution, highlighting its physical violence and its specific targets: those who had embraced Jesus as Messiah. It's a candid admission of his direct antagonism toward Christ's followers.

Acts 22 19 Bonus section

Paul's description of his past activities, especially the reference to "beating" (flogging), would resonate powerfully with the Jewish crowd. They would have been familiar with synagogue courts exercising disciplinary authority, including administering such punishments (Matthew 10:17). By stating "they themselves know," Paul isn't merely stating a fact but appealing to his audience's complicity or at least their understanding and approval of his zeal, highlighting the dramatic irony that his transformation defied all logical expectation, rooted only in divine intervention. This serves as an indirect challenge to their current rejection of Christ; if he could be so radically wrong in his zeal, perhaps they too could be. His past persecution was perceived by him as serving God (Acts 26:9-11) and this verse is part of his plea that his actions were rooted in ignorance before his divine encounter.

Acts 22 19 Commentary

Acts 22:19 is a profound verse, central to Paul's conversion narrative and his apologetic strategy. By recalling this specific exchange with the risen Jesus, Paul not only affirms his past fervent zeal against Christians but also underscores the astonishing grace that transformed him from persecutor to apostle. He presents himself not as someone rejecting Judaism arbitrarily, but as someone confronted by a divine reality that radically reoriented his understanding of truth. His past, publicly known persecution ("they themselves know") served to validate his previous adherence to Jewish tradition, making his conversion all the more dramatic and divinely driven. The repeated acts of imprisonment and beating demonstrate a calculated and intense opposition to early believers, portraying the extent of his hostility towards Jesus before his encounter with the Risen Lord. This confession reveals Paul's deep self-awareness of his past actions, the basis for his profound humility and gratitude for God's mercy. It directly answers the question of his trustworthiness, explaining why he, a former zealous persecutor, would now be speaking of Christ.