Acts 8:3

Laid waste (elumaineto). Imperfect middle of lumainomai, old verb (from lumh, injury), to dishonour, defile, devastate, ruin. Only here in the N.T. Like the laying waste of a vineyard by a wild boar ( Psalms 79:13 ). Picturesque description of the havoc carried on by Saul now the leader in the persecution. He is victor over Stephen now who had probably worsted him in debate in the Cilician synagogue in Jerusalem. Into every house (kata tou oikou). But Luke terms it "the church" (thn ekklhsian). Plainly not just an "assembly," but an organized body that was still "the church" when scattered in their own homes, "an unassembled assembly" according to the etymology. Words do not remain by the etymology, but travel on with usage. Haling (surwn). Literally, dragging forcibly (=hauling). Present active participle of surw, old verb. Men and women (andra kai gunaika). A new feature of the persecution that includes the women. They met it bravely as through all the ages since (cf. Psalms 9:2 ; Psalms 22:4 ). This fact will be a bitter memory for Paul always. Committed (paredidou). Imperfect active of paradidwmi, old verb, kept on handing them over to prison.