Acts 9

24, 25. they watched the gates night and day to kill him--The full extent of his danger appears only from his own account ( 2 Corinthians 11:32 ): "In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me"; the exasperated Jews having obtained from the governor a military force, the more surely to compass his destruction.

25. Then the disciples . . . by night let him down--"through a window" ( 2 Corinthians 11:33 ).
by the wall--Such overhanging windows in the walls of Eastern cities were common, and are to be seen in Damascus to this day.

Acts 9:26-31 . SAUL'S FIRST VISIT TO JERUSALEM AFTER HIS CONVERSION.

26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem--"three years after" his conversion, and particularly "to see Peter" ( Galatians 1:18 ); no doubt because he was the leading apostle, and to communicate to him the prescribed sphere of his labors, specially to "the Gentiles."
he assayed to join himself to the disciples--simply as one of them, leaving his apostolic commission to manifest itself.
they were all afraid of him, &c.--knowing him only as a persecutor of the faith; the rumor of his conversion, if it ever was cordially believed, passing away during his long absence in Arabia, and the news of his subsequent labors in Damascus perhaps not having reached them.

27. But Barnabas . . . brought him to the apostles--that is, to Peter and James; for "other of the apostles saw I none," says he fourteen years after ( Galatians 1:18 Galatians 1:19 ). Probably none of the other apostles were there at the time ( Acts 4:36 ). Barnabas being of Cyprus, which was within a few hours' sail of Cilicia, and annexed to it as a Roman province, and Saul and he being Hellenistic Jews and eminent in their respective localities, they may very well have been acquainted with each other before this [HOWSON]. What is here said of Barnabas is in fine consistency with the "goodness" ascribed to him ( Acts 11:24 ), and with the name "son of consolation," given him by the apostles ( Acts 4:36 ); and after Peter and James were satisfied, the disciples generally would at once receive him.
how he had seen the Lord . . . and he--the Lord.
had spoken to him--that is, how he had received his commission direct from the Lord Himself.

28, 29. And he was with them, coming in and going out at Jerusalem--for fifteen days, lodging with Peter ( Galatians 1:18 ).

29. disputed against the Grecians--(See on Ac 6:1 ); addressing himself specially to them, perhaps, as being of his own class, and that against which he had in the days of his ignorance been the fiercest.
they went about to slay him--Thus was he made to feel, throughout his whole course, what he himself had made others so cruelly to feel, the cost of discipleship.

30. they brought him down to Cæsarea--on the coast another reason than his own apprehension for quitting Jerusalem so soon. "While he was praying in the temple, he was in a trance," and received express injunctions to this effect.
and sent him forth to Tarsus--In Galatians 1:21 he himself says of this journey, that he "came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia"; from which it is natural to infer that instead of sailing direct for Tarsus, he landed at Seleucia, travelled thence to Antioch, and penetrated from this northward into Cilicia, ending his journey at Tarsus. As this was his first visit to his native city since his conversion, so it is not certain that he ever was there again. probably was now that he became the instrument of gathering into the fold of Christ those "kinsmen," that "sister," and perhaps her "son," of whom mention is made in Acts 23:16 , &c. Romans 16:7 Romans 16:11 Romans 16:21 [HOWSON].

Acts 9:31 . FLOURISHING STATE OF THE CHURCH IN PALESTINE AT THIS TIME.

31. Then had all the churches rest--rather, "the Church," according to the best manuscripts and versions. But this rest was owing not so much to the conversion of Saul, as probably to the Jews being engrossed with the emperor Caligula's attempt to have his own image set up in the temple of Jerusalem [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 18.8.1, &c.].
throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria--This incidental notice of distinct churches already dotting all the regions which were the chief scenes of our Lord's ministry, and that were best able to test the facts on which the whole preaching of the apostles was based, is extremely interesting. "The fear of the Lord" expresses their holy walk; "the comfort of the Holy Ghost," their "peace and joy in believing," under the silent operation of the blessed Comforter.

Acts 9:32-43 . PETER HEALS ENEAS AT LYDDA AND RAISES TABITHA TO LIFE AT JOPPA.

The historian now returns to Peter, in order to introduce the all-important narrative of Cornelius ( Acts 10:1-48 ). The occurrences here related probably took place during Saul's sojourn in Arabia.

32-35. as Peter passed throughout all quarters--not now fleeing from persecution, but peacefully visiting the churches.
to the saints which dwelt at Lydda--about five miles east of Joppa.

34. And Peter said unto him, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole--(See on Ac 3:6 ).
make thy bed--(See on Joh 5:8 ).

35. all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron--(or "Sharon," a rich vale between Joppa and Cæsarea).
saw him, and turned to the Lord--that is, there was a general conversion in consequence.

36-39. at Joppa--the modern Jaffa, on the Mediterranean, a very ancient city of the Philistines, afterwards and still the seaport of Jerusalem, from which it lies distant forty-five miles to the northwest.
Tabitha . . . Dorcas--the Syro-Chaldaic and Greek names for an antelope or gazelle, which, from its loveliness, was frequently employed as a proper name for women [MEYER, OLSHAUSEN]. Doubtless the interpretation, as here given, is but an echo of the remarks made by the Christians regarding her--how well her character answered to her name.
full of good works and alms-deeds--eminent for the activities and generosities of the Christian character.

37. when they had washed--according to the custom of civilized nations towards the dead.
in an--rather, "the"
upper chamber--(compare 1 Kings 17:19 ).

38. the disciples sent unto Peter--showing that the disciples generally did not possess miraculous gifts [BENGEL].

39. all the widows--whom she had clad or fed.
stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made--that is, (as the tense implies), showing these as specimens only of what she was in the habit of making.

40-43. Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down--the one in imitation of his Master's way ( Luke 8:54 ; and compare 2 Kings 4:33 ); the other, in striking contrast with it. The kneeling became the lowly servant, but not the Lord Himself, of whom it is never once recorded that he knelt in the performance of a miracle.
opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up--The graphic minuteness of detail here imparts to the narrative an air of charming reality.

41. he gave her his hand, and lifted her up--as his Lord had done to his own mother-in-law ( Mark 1:31 ).

43. with one Simon a tanner--a trade regarded by the Jews as half unclean, and consequently disreputable, from the contact with dead animals and blood which was connected with it. For this reason, even by other nations, it is usually carried on at some distance from towns; accordingly, Simon's house was "by the seaside" ( Acts 10:6 ). Peter's lodging there shows him already to some extent above Jewish prejudice.