Acts 9:8

9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ¹  he could see nothing. ²  Leading him by the hand, his companions ³  brought him into Damascus.

Acts 22:11

22:11 Since I could not see because of ⁴  the brilliance ⁵  of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of ⁶  those who were with me.

Acts 9:2

9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ⁷  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ⁸  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ⁹  to Jerusalem. ¹⁰ 

Acts 22:5

22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹¹  can testify about me. From them ¹²  I also received ¹³  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ¹⁴  to make arrests there and bring ¹⁵  the prisoners ¹⁶  to Jerusalem ¹⁷  to be punished.

Acts 22:10

22:10 So I asked, ¹⁸  ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up ¹⁹  and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything ²⁰  that you have been designated ²¹  to do.’

[9:8]  ¹ tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[9:8]  ² sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of deafness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.

[9:8]  ³ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:11]  ⁴ tn BDAG 106 s.v. ἀπό 5.a has “οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτός I could not see because of the brilliance of the light Ac 22:11.”

[22:11]  ⁵ tn Or “brightness”; Grk “glory.”

[22:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “by” (ὑπό, Jupo), but this would be too awkward in English following the previous “by.”

[9:2]  ⁷ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:2]  ⁸ sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).

[9:2]  ⁹ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:2]  ¹⁰ sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.

[22:5]  ¹⁰ tn That is, the whole Sanhedrin. BDAG 861 s.v. πρεσβυτέριον has “an administrative group concerned with the interests of a specific community, council of elders – a. of the highest Judean council in Jerusalem, in our lit. usu. called συνέδριον…ὁ ἀρχιερεύς καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρ. Ac 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹¹ tn Grk “from whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:5]  ¹² tn Grk “receiving.” The participle δεξάμενος (dexameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “letters to the brothers, [and] I was going to Damascus.” Such a translation, however, might be confusing since the term “brother” is frequently used of a fellow Christian. In this context, Paul is speaking about fellow Jews.

[22:5]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “even there and bring…” or “there and even bring…” The ascensive καί (kai) shows that Paul was fervent in his zeal against Christians, but it is difficult to translate for it really belongs with the entire idea of arresting and bringing back the prisoners.

[22:5]  ¹⁵ tn BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b has “δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά bring someone as prisoner…Ac 9:2, 21; 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “I was going…to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners that they might be punished.”

[22:10]  ¹³ tn Grk “So I said.”

[22:10]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Getting up.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") is an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance and has been translated as a finite verb.

[22:10]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “about all things.”

[22:10]  ¹⁶ tn Or “assigned,” “ordered.” BDAG 991 s.v. τάσσω 2.a has “act. and pass., foll. by acc. w. inf.…περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι concerning everything that you have been ordered to do 22:10.” There is an allusion to a divine call and commission here.