Acts 9:11

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.

Acts 9:11 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
11 And the Lord said unto him,Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
English Standard Version (ESV)
11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,
New Living Translation (NLT)
11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.
The Message Bible (MSG)
11 "Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying.
American Standard Version (ASV)
11 And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth;
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
11 The Lord told him, "Get up! Go to Judas' house on Straight Street, and ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He's praying.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
11 "Get up and go to the street called Straight," the Lord said to him, "to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
11 The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. Ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying.

Acts 9:11 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 9:11

And the Lord said unto him, arise
Quickly, directly, immediately, from off thy bed; the case required haste and dispatch:

and go into the street which is called Straight;
a street in the city of Damascus so called; the streets of cities were called by different names, to distinguish them as ours now are. So in Jerusalem there was the street of the house of God, which led to the temple, ( Ezra 10:9 ) and the upper street, in which idolatrous Gentiles, and such as were fullers by trade, dwelt F9; and the street of the butchers; and the street of the wool staplers F11: and this street in Damascus might be called "Straight"; because it might be a long straight street, without any windings and turnings, which might go through the city. Whether or no this was one of the streets which Benhadad allowed Ahab to make in Damascus, ( 1 Kings 20:34 ) cannot be said;

and inquire in the house of Judas;
which was in that street: who this Judas was is not certain, that he was a Jew appears by his name, but whether a believing, or an unbelieving Jew, is not known; however, he was Saul's host, and if this was the house he was recommended to from Jerusalem, or designed to go to when he set out from thence, it is very probable he was an unbeliever; but if it was an house he pitched on after his conversion, it is likely this Judas was a believer, and whether the same with Judas surnamed Barsabas may be considered, who is mentioned in ( Acts 15:22 Acts 15:32 ) however, at this man's house Ananias was to inquire

for one called Saul of Tarsus;
or Saul "by name the Tarsian". So it is said F12 of Bigthan and Teresh, ( Esther 6:2 ) that they were (Myyorj ynv) , "two Tarsians", perhaps citizens of Tarsus, as Saul was. Tarsus was a city in Cilicia, and which Solinus F13 calls the mother of cities, and is the same with the Tarshish of the Old Testament; here Saul was born, and of it he was a citizen; ( Acts 21:39 ) ( 22:3 ) and therefore is here called Saul of Tarsus, or Saul the Tarsian:

for behold he prayeth:
so as he had never prayed before; now he prayed with the Spirit, and with the understanding, from a feeling sense of his wants, for spiritual blessings, such as he had no knowledge of, nor desire after before. God has no stillborn children; as soon as any are quickened by his grace, they cry unto him; prayer is the breath of a regenerate man, and shows him to be alive. He who before was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ, now breathes after communion with Christ and them. This is said, no doubt, to encourage Ananias to go to him. The Syriac and Arabic versions place this clause at the beginning of the next verse, "for behold, whilst he prayed he saw", &c. the Ethiopic version has it not.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 Misn. Shekalim, c. 8. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.
F11 Misn. Eruvim, c. 10. sect. 9.
F12 T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 7. 1. & 13. 2. & Targum in Esther ii. 21.
F13 Polyhistor, c. 51.

Acts 9:11 In-Context

9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.

Cross References 1

  • 1. ver 30; Acts 11:25; Acts 21:39; Acts 22:3
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