Acts 9:24
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but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
they watched the gates night and day to kill him--The full extent of his danger appears only from his own account (Co2 11:32): "In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me"; the exasperated Jews having obtained from the governor a military force, the more surely to compass his destruction.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The famous story of St. Paul's conversion from being an outrageous persecutor of the gospel of Christ to be an illustrious professor and preacher of it. I. How he was first awakened and wrought upon by an appearance of Christ himself to him as he was going upon an errand of persecution to Damascus: and what a condition he was in while he lay under the power of those convictions and terrors (Act 9:1-9). 2. How he was baptized by Ananias, by immediate directions from heaven (Act 9:10-19). 3. How he immediately commenced doctor, and preached the faith of Christ, and proved what he preached (Act 9:20-22). 4. How he was persecuted, and narrowly escaped with his life (Act 9:23-25). 5. How he was admitted among the brethren at Jerusalem: how he preached, and was persecuted there (Act 9:26-30). 6. The rest and quietness which the churches enjoyed for some time after this (Act 9:31). II. The cure wrought by Peter on Eneas, who had long been laid up with a palsy (Act 9:32-35). III. The raising of Tabitha from death to life, at the prayer of Peter (Act 9:36-43).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.
where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
Though they intend You harm, the schemes they devise will not prevail.