SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:2
y demand de l letras para Damasco a las sinagogas, para que si hallase algunos hombres o mujeres de este camino, los trajese presos a Jerusaln.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 9:2
Verse 2. Letters to Damascus to the synagogues] Damascus, anciently called qsmd Damask, and qsmrd Darmask, was once the metropolis of all Syria. It was situated at fifty miles' distance from the sea; from which it is separated by lofty mountains. It is washed by two rivers, Amara or Abara, which ran through it, and Pharpar, called by the Greeks Chrysorrhoas, the golden stream, which ran on the outside of its walls. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world, for it existed in the time of Abraham, Genesis xiv. 15; and how long before is not known. The city of Damascus is at present a place of considerable trade, owing to its being the rendezvous for all the pilgrims from the north of Asia, on their road to and from the temple of Mecca. It is surrounded with pretty strong walls, which have nine gates, and is between four and five miles in circumference. It contains about 100,000 inhabitants, some say more, the principal part of whom are Arabs and Turks, with whom live, in a state of considerable degradation, about 15,000 Christians. Damascus, like other places of importance, has passed through the hands of many masters. It was captured and ruined by Tiglath Pileser, who carried away its inhabitants to Kin, beyond the Euphrates, about 740 years before the Christian aera; and thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, Isa. xvii. 1-3, and that of Amos, Amos i. 4, 5. It was also taken by Sennacherib, and by the generals of Alexander the Great. Metellus and Laelius seized it, during the war of Pompey with Tigranes; before Christ 65. It continued under the dominion of the Romans till the Saracens took possession of it, in A.D. 634. It was besieged and taken by Teemour lenk, A.D. 1400, who put all the inhabitants to the sword. The Egyptian Mamelukes repaired Damascus when they took possession of Syria; but the Turkish Emperor Selim having defeated them at the battle of Aleppo in 1516, Damascus was brought under the government of the Turks, and in their hands it still remains. In the time of St. Paul it was governed by Aretas, whose father, Obodas, had been governor of it under Augustus. Damascus is 112 miles south of Antioch; 130 N.N.E. of Jerusalem; and 270 S.S.W; of Diarbek.
Longitude 37 east: latitude 33 45' north. The fruit tree called the Damascene, vulgarly Damazon, and the flower called the Damask rose, were transplanted from Damascus to the gardens of Europe; and the silks and linens, known by the name of Damasks, were probably first manufactured by the inhabitants of this ancient city.
Any of this way] That is, this religion, for so rd derec in Hebrew, and odov, hodos, in Hellenistic Greek, are often to be understood. hwhy rd derec Yehovah, the way of the Lord, implies the whole of the worship due to him, and prescribed by himself: the way or path in which he wills men to walk, that they may get safely through life, and finally attain everlasting felicity. The Jewish writers designate the whole doctrine and practice of Christianity by a similar expression, yrxwnh rd derec hanotsarim, the way, doctrine, or sect of the Christians.
Whether they were men or women] Provided they were Jews; for no converts had as yet been made among the Gentiles; nor did the power of the high priest and Sanhedrin extend to any but those who belonged to the synagogues. Pearce.
In every country where there were Jews and synagogues, the power and authority of the Sanhedrin and high priest were acknowledged: just as papists in all countries acknowledge the authority of the pope. And as there can be but one pope, and one conclave, so there could be but one high priest, and one Sanhedrin; and this is the reason why the high priest and sanhedrin at Jerusalem had authority over all Jews, even in the most distant countries.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. And desired of him letters to Damascus , etc.] Damascus was the head or metropolis of Syria, ( Isaiah 7:8) And so Pliny calls it Damascus of Syria: it was a very ancient city; it was in the times of Abraham; his servant Eliezer is said to be of it, ( Genesis 15:2) and some say it was built by him the said Eliezer; though Josephus makes Uz, a grandson of Shem, to be the founder of it; whose surname is conjectured, by some, to be Dimshak, seeing that and Uz differ not in sense: and Justin says f458 , it had its name from Damascus, the king of it, in honour of whom the Syrians made a temple of the sepulchre of his wife Arathis, and her a goddess; after Damascus, he says, Azelus, then Azores, Abraham, and Israel were kings of it. Some think it has its name from blood, and that it signifies a sack or bag, or, as Jerom explains, a cup of blood f459 , or one that drinks blood; who says, it is a true tradition, that the field in which Abel was killed by Cain, was in Damascus f460 : but it seems rather to be so called from the redness of the earth about it; for some very good writers affirm, that the earth in the fields of Damascus is like wax tinged with red lead; so if it be read Dammesek, as it commonly is, in the Arabic language, Damma signifies to tinge, and Meshko is used for red earth; or if Dummesek, as it is in ( 2 Kings 16:10 *marg), Daumo, in the same language, is permanent, what always abides, and Meshko, as before, red earth, and so Dummesek is never failing red earth; or if it be Darmesek, as in ( 1 Chronicles 18:5 *marg) the same with Darmsuk, it may be observed, that the Syrians call red earth Doro sumoko: so that, upon the whole, this seems to be the best etymology of the word f461 , and the rise of the name of this famous city, which Justin calls the most noble city of Syria. It is said to be an hundred and sixty miles from Jerusalem.
Here might be many Christians before, and others might flee hither upon this persecution; and Saul, not content with driving them from their native place, persecuted them, as he himself says, to strange cities: and that he might do this with safety to himself, and with the greater force and cruelty to them, he got letters from the high priest, and sanhedrim, at Jerusalem; either recommending him to the Jews at Damascus, and exhorting them to assist him in what he came about; or empowering him to act under his authority, or both: and these were directed to be delivered to the synagogues ; to the rulers of them; for the Jews being numerous in this place, they had more synagogues than one. Josephus says f463 , that under Nero the inhabitants of Damascus killed ten thousand Jews in their own city: and Benjamin Tudelensis in his time says, there were about three thousand Jews (Pharisees), besides two hundred Karaites (or Scripturarians), and four hundred Samaritans, who lived in peace together.
Now to these synagogues, and the chief men of them, was Saul recommended for assistance and direction, that if he found any of this way ; of thinking; that were of this sect of religion, and either professed to believe, or preach, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah: whether they were men or women ; without any fear of one, or mercy to the other: he might bring them bound to Jerusalem ; to be examined and punished by the sanhedrim there, as they should think fit; and for this purpose he must take with him a considerable number of men; and that he had men with him is certain from ( Acts 9:7).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he coul against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let suc despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is signal token of Divine favour, if God, by the inward working of his grace, or the outward events of his providence, stops us from prosecuting or executing sinful purposes. Saul saw that Just One, ch 22:14; 26:13. How near to us is the unseen world! It is but for God to draw aside the veil, and objects are presented to the view, compare with which, whatever is most admired on earth is mean and contemptible Saul submitted without reserve, desirous to know what the Lord Jesu would have him to do. Christ's discoveries of himself to poor souls ar humbling; they lay them very low, in mean thoughts of themselves. For three days Saul took no food, and it pleased God to leave him for tha time without relief. His sins were now set in order before him; he wa in the dark concerning his own spiritual state, and wounded in spiri for sin. When a sinner is brought to a proper sense of his own stat and conduct, he will cast himself wholly on the mercy of the Saviour asking what he would have him to do. God will direct the humble sinner, and though he does not often bring transgressors to joy an peace in believing, without sorrows and distress of conscience, unde which the soul is deeply engaged as to eternal things, yet happy ar those who sow in tears, for they shall reap in joy.
Greek Textus Receptus
ητησατο 154 5668 V-AMI-3S παρ 3844 PREP αυτου 846 P-GSM επιστολας 1992 N-APF εις 1519 PREP δαμασκον 1154 N-ASF προς 4314 PREP τας 3588 T-APF συναγωγας 4864 N-APF οπως 3704 ADV εαν 1437 COND τινας 5100 X-APM ευρη 2147 5632 V-2AAS-3S της 3588 T-GSF οδου 3598 N-GSF οντας 5607 5752 V-PXP-APM ανδρας 435 N-APM τε 5037 PRT και 2532 CONJ γυναικας 1135 N-APF δεδεμενους 1210 5772 V-RPP-APM αγαγη 71 5632 V-2AAS-3S εις 1519 PREP ιερουσαλημ 2419 N-PRI
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Of this way (thv odou). Rev., more correctly, "the way." A common expression in the Acts for the Christian religion: "the characteristic direction of life as determined by faith on Jesus Christ" (Meyer). See ch. xix. 9; xxii. 4; xxiv. 22. For the fuller expression of the idea, see ch. xvi. 17; xviii. 25.Women. Paul three times alludes to his persecution of women as an aggravation of his cruelty (ch. viii. 3; ix. 2; xxii. 4).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:2 {Asked} (eitesato). First aorist middle indicative, the indirect middle, asked for himself (as a favor to himself). Felten notes that "Saul as a Pharisee makes request of a Sadducee" (the high priest) either Caiaphas if before A.D. 35, but if in 36 Jonathan, son of Caiaphas or if in 37 Theophilus, another son of Caiaphas. {Letters} (epistolas). Julius Ceasar and Augustus had granted the high priest and Sanhedrin jurisdiction over Jews in foreign cities, but this central ecclesiastical authority was not always recognized in every local community outside of Judea. Paul says that he received his authority to go to Damascus from the priests (#Acts 26:10) and "the estate of the elders" (#22:5), that is the Sanhedrin. {To Damascus} (eis damaskon). As if no disciples of importance (outside the apostles in Jerusalem) were left in Judea. Damascus at this time may have been under the rule of Aretas of Arabia (tributary to Rome) as it certainly was a couple of years later when Saul escaped in a basket (#2Co 11:32). this old city is the most enduring in the history of the world (Knowling). It is some 150 miles Northeast from Jerusalem and watered by the river Abana from Anti-Lebanon. Here the Jews were strong in numbers (10,000 butchered by Nero later) and here some disciples had found refuge from Saul's persecution in Judea and still worshipped in the synagogues. Paul's language in #Ac 26:11 seems to mean that Damascus is merely one of other "foreign cities" to which he carried the persecution. {If he found} (ean heurei). Third class condition with aorist subjunctive retained after secondary tense (asked). {The Way} (tes hodou). A common method in the Acts for describing Christianity as the Way of life, absolutely as also in #19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22 or the way of salvation (#16:17) or the way of the Lord (#18:25). It is a Jewish definition of life as in #Isa 40:3 "the way of the Lord," #Ps 1:6 "the way of the righteous,"the way of the wicked." Jesus called himself "the way" (#Joh 14:6), the only way to the Father. The so-called epistle of Barnabas presents the Two Ways. The North American Indians call Christianity the Jesus Road. {That he might bring them bound} (hopws dedemenous agagei). Final clause with hopws (less common than hina) and aorist (effective) subjunctive (agagei, reduplicated aorist of ag", common verb) and perfect passive participle (dedemenous) of dew, in a state of sheer helplessness like his other victims both men and women. Three times (#8:3; 9:2; 22:4) this fact of persecuting women is mentioned as a special blot in Paul's cruelty (the third time by Paul himself) and one of the items in his being chief of sinners (#1Ti 1:15).
