ProphetTransforming encounter

Acts 9 — Saul encounters Jesus; Peter at Lydda and Joppa — Greek text and reception

Saints Translation: Acts 1–28 [V2]

Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.

Acts 9 — Saul encounters Jesus; Peter at Lydda and Joppa

Saul on the road to Damascus

Verse 9:1

Greek–English Translation

Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:2

Greek–English Translation

and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: The Way preserves the movement’s designation here. Both men and women and the purpose of binding them are explicit.

Verse 9:3

Greek–English Translation

As he traveled and drew near Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:4

Greek–English Translation

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:5

Greek–English Translation

He said, “Who are You, Lord?” The voice answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: The source’s reply has an unexpressed he, rendered the voice for clear English. The saying about kicking against goads is not printed here; it must not be imported from another account into this one.

Verse 9:6

Greek–English Translation

But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: No additional trembling-and-questioning exchange is present in the selected wording before this command.

Verse 9:7

Greek–English Translation

The men traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Hearing the voice translates the positive statement here. It is not changed to merely hearing a noise or not understanding to harmonize 22:9; the later account must receive its own translation and note.

Verse 9:8

Greek–English Translation

Saul rose from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Nothing is the selected object, not no one.

Verse 9:9

Greek–English Translation

For three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank.

Textual and Reception Notes

Ananias sent to Saul

Verse 9:10

Greek–English Translation

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He said, “Here I am, Lord.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:11

Greek–English Translation

The Lord said to him, “Rise, go to the street called Straight, and seek in Judas’s house a man named Saul from Tarsus. Look, he is praying,

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:12

Greek–English Translation

and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay hands upon him so that he may regain his sight.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: The selected wording explicitly includes in a vision; the named visitor and purpose of regaining sight remain intact.

Verse 9:13

Greek–English Translation

Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Saints renders hagioi, the community’s holy people, without restricting the word to later formally recognized saints.

Verse 9:14

Greek–English Translation

Here too he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Your name.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:15

Greek–English Translation

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen vessel for Me, to carry My name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Chosen vessel preserves the skeuos image; instrument is a possible idiomatic rendering. Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel remain separately named recipients.

Verse 9:16

Greek–English Translation

For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:17

Greek–English Translation

Ananias went and entered the house. Laying his hands upon him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came—so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:18

Greek–English Translation

At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He rose and was baptized,

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Like scales retains the comparison rather than asserting a modern diagnosis or a precisely identified material.

Verse 9:19

Greek–English Translation

and after taking food he regained strength. He stayed for some days with the disciples in Damascus.

Textual and Reception Notes

Saul proclaims Jesus and escapes danger

Verse 9:20

Greek–English Translation

Immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Jesus is the selected named object, followed by the explicit Son of God predicate.

Verse 9:21

Greek–English Translation

All who heard him were astonished and said, “Is this not the one who devastated those in Jerusalem who call upon this name? And had he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:22

Greek–English Translation

But Saul grew stronger and confounded the Jews living in Damascus by demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Jesus makes explicit the referent of this One. Jews denotes the local disputants in this scene; the wording is not broadened to every Jewish person, and Saul’s own background is not erased.

Verse 9:23

Greek–English Translation

After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:24

Greek–English Translation

but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night to kill him.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:25

Greek–English Translation

His disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a hamper.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: His disciples is the selected wording. Spyris is hamper, consistent with the project’s distinction from other basket terms; through the wall is retained without inserting a window into Acts’ wording. Evidence: SBL-ACTS-APP, 9:25 lists his disciples with WH/Treg/NA28; RP has him as object and the disciples without that possessive.

Verse 9:26

Greek–English Translation

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they all feared him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:27

Greek–English Translation

Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He related to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road, how He had spoken to him, and how Saul had spoken boldly in Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Saul supplies the human subject where needed to distinguish him from the Lord in the reported sequence.

Verse 9:28

Greek–English Translation

He was with them, going in and out in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:29

Greek–English Translation

He spoke and disputed with the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Hellenists preserves the source’s term for the Greek-speaking group, as at 6:1,9. It is not replaced by Gentiles.

Verse 9:30

Greek–English Translation

When the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:31

Greek–English Translation

So the Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was being built up. Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it increased.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: The selected source has singular Church and matching singular verbs throughout the three regions; it is not changed to churches. Paraklēsis is encouragement, with comfort also possible. Evidence: SBL-ACTS-APP, 9:31 records singular Church with WH/Treg/NA28 and the plural with RP.

Aeneas healed at Lydda

Verse 9:32

Greek–English Translation

As Peter traveled among them all, he also went down to the saints who lived in Lydda.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:33

Greek–English Translation

There he found a man named Aeneas who had lain on a mat for eight years, for he was paralyzed.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:34

Greek–English Translation

Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Rise and make your bed.” At once he rose.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Make your bed expresses spread for yourself, with the preceding mat supplying the natural object. The healing is expressly attributed to Jesus Christ.

Verse 9:35

Greek–English Translation

All who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Textual and Reception Notes

Tabitha raised at Joppa

Verse 9:36

Greek–English Translation

In Joppa there was a woman disciple named Tabitha, which translated is Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of almsgiving that she did.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: The feminine mathētria explicitly calls her a disciple. Tabitha and its Greek rendering Dorcas are both retained rather than replacing the narrator’s name pair with one English nickname.

Verse 9:37

Greek–English Translation

In those days she became ill and died. They washed her and laid her in an upper room.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:38

Greek–English Translation

Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging, “Do not delay in coming to us.”

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:39

Greek–English Translation

Peter rose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing the tunics and garments Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: The widows’ display and Dorcas’s actual making of the garments are retained without inventing their sale or a particular craft organization.

Verse 9:40

Greek–English Translation

Peter put everyone outside, knelt down, and prayed. Turning toward the body, he said, “Tabitha, rise.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:41

Greek–English Translation

He gave her his hand and raised her up. Then he called the saints and the widows and presented her alive.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:42

Greek–English Translation

This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Textual and Reception Notes

Verse 9:43

Greek–English Translation

He stayed in Joppa for many days with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Textual and Reception Notes

Text: Tanner identifies Simon’s occupation; this host is not silently merged with the Simon in Samaria.