SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:23
¶ Y como pasaron muchos días, los Judíos hicieron entre sí consejo de matarle;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 9:23
Verse 23. And after that many days were fulfilled] What follows relates to transactions which took place about three years after his conversion, when he had come a second time to Damascus, after having been in Arabia. See Gal. i. 17, 18. What he did in Arabia we know not; he probably preached Christ in different Jewish synagogues; but with what fruit we are not told. St. Luke, who could not have been ignorant of this part of his history, passes it over in silence; and any assertion, at this distance of time, RELATIVE to his employment in Arabia for those three years, must be both foolish and impertinent.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. And after that many days were fulfilled , etc.] This phrase is used by the Septuagint on ( Exodus 2:11,23, 4:18) for a considerable length of time, for many years. The Jewish writers observe f475 , that the phrase, many days, signify at least three days; for by days, in the plural number, two must be designed, and many signifies a third, or that one at least is added to them; but here it signifies three years, as it also does, ( 1 Kings 18:1) where it is said, and it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year; and such a space of time is designed by the many days here; for when the apostle had stayed a little while at Damascus, and preached Christ in the synagogues, he went into Arabia, where he continued about three years, and then returned to Damascus, where what is related happened to him; ( Galatians 1:17,18 2 Corinthians 11:32,33). the Jews took counsel to kill him ; being filled with indignation at him, that he had changed his religion, and from a persecutor was become a preacher of the Gospel; this they had meditated some time, and now upon his return to Damascus attempted to put their counsel into execution.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 23-31 - When we enter into the way of God, we must look for trials; but the Lord knows how to deliver the godly, and will, with the temptation also make a way to escape. Though Saul's conversion was and is a proo of the truth of Christianity, yet it could not, of itself, convert on soul at enmity with the truth; for nothing can produce true faith, but that power which new-creates the heart. Believers are apt to be to suspicious of those against whom they have prejudices. The world i full of deceit, and it is necessary to be cautious, but we mus exercise charity, 1Co 13:5. The Lord will clear up the characters of true believers; and he will bring them to his people, and often give them opportunities of bearing testimony to his truth, before those wh once witnessed their hatred to it. Christ now appeared to Saul, an ordered him to go quickly out of Jerusalem, for he must be sent to the Gentiles: see ch. 22:21. Christ's witnesses cannot be slain till the have finished their testimony. The persecutions were stayed. The professors of the gospel walked uprightly, and enjoyed much comfor from the Holy Ghost, in the hope and peace of the gospel, and other were won over to them. They lived upon the comfort of the Holy Ghost not only in the days of trouble and affliction, but in days of rest an prosperity. Those are most likely to walk cheerfully, who wal circumspectly.
Greek Textus Receptus
ως 5613 ADV δε 1161 CONJ επληρουντο 4137 5712 V-IPI-3P ημεραι 2250 N-NPF ικαναι 2425 A-NPF συνεβουλευσαντο 4823 5668 V-AMI-3P οι 3588 T-NPM ιουδαιοι 2453 A-NPM ανελειν 337 5629 V-2AAN αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
23. To kill. See on Luke xxiii. 32.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:23 {When many days were fulfilled} (hws eplerounto hemerai hikanai). Imperfect passive indicative of plerow, old and common verb, were in process of being fulfilled. How "many" (considerable, hikanai, common word for a long period) Luke does not say nor does he say that Saul spent all of this period in Damascus, as we know from #Ga 1:16-18 was not the case. Paul there states definitely that he went away from Damascus to Arabia and returned there before going back to Jerusalem and that the whole period was about "three years" which need not mean three full years, but at least portions of three. Most of the three years was probably spent in Arabia because of the two explosions in Damascus (before his departure and on his return) and because he was unknown in Jerusalem as a Christian on his arrival there. It cannot be argued from the frequent lacunae in the Acts that Luke tells all that was true or that he knew. He had his own methods and aims as every historian has. We are at perfect liberty to supplement the narrative in the Acts with items from Paul's Epistles. So we must assume the return of Saul from Arabia at this juncture, between verses #22,23, when Saul resumed his preaching in the Jewish synagogues with renewed energy and grasp after the period of mature reflection and readjustment in Arabia. {Took counsel together} (sunebouleusanto). First aorist (effective) middle indicative of sunbouleuw, old and common verb for counselling (bouleuw) together (sun). Things had reached a climax. It was worse than before he left for Arabia. Paul was now seeing the fulfilment of the prophecy of Jesus about him (#9:16). {To kill him} (anelein auton). Second aorist (effective) active infinitive of anairew, to take up, to make away with, to kill (#Lu 23:32; Ac 12:1, etc.). The infinitive expresses purpose here as is done in verse #24 by hopws and the aorist active subjunctive of the same verb (anel"sin). Saul now knew what Stephen had suffered at his hands as his own life was in peril in the Jewish quarter of Damascus. It was a picture of his old self. He may even have been scourged here (#2Co 11:24).
