Acts 9:21

21 All who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Isn't he the man who in Yerushalayim was trying to destroy the people who call on this name? In fact, isn't that why he came here, to arrest them and bring them back to the head cohanim?"

Acts 9:21 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 9:21

But all that heard him were amazed
Not the disciples that believed in Christ, but the unbelievers, as appears from their words:

and said, is not this he that destroyed them that called on this
name in Jerusalem?
they do not express the name of Christ, out of malice and ill will; which shows who they were that said these words, and were astonished to hear Saul preaching in this name, and proving him to be the Son of God, and the true Messiah; when it was but a little while ago he consented to the death of Stephen, made havoc of the church, wasted and destroyed it as much as was in his power, and persecuted unto death such as called upon the name of Christ, or were called by his name, he could find in Jerusalem: nor did this satisfy him, for it follows,

and came hither,
that is, to Damascus,

for that intent, that he might bring them bound to the chief
priests:
whom he should find professing or invocating the name of Christ, or bearing it; now to see and hear him preach this same name, was surprising to them.

Acts 9:21 In-Context

19 then he ate some food and regained his strength. Sha'ul spent some days with the talmidim in Dammesek,

20 and immediately he began proclaiming in the synagogues that Yeshua is the Son of God.

21 All who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Isn't he the man who in Yerushalayim was trying to destroy the people who call on this name? In fact, isn't that why he came here, to arrest them and bring them back to the head cohanim?"

22 But Sha'ul was being filled with more and more power and was creating an uproar among the Jews living in Dammesek with his proofs that Yeshua is the Messiah.

23 Quite some time later, the non-believing Jews gathered together and made plans to kill him;