The Meaning of Acts 22:19 Explained

Acts 22:19

KJV: And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

YLT: and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

Darby: And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;

ASV: And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I  said,  Lord,  they  know  that  I  imprisoned  and  beat  in every  synagogue  them that believed  on  thee: 

What does Acts 22:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 22:17-30 - Saved For Further Service
To the story of his conversion, as given in Acts 9:1-43, the Apostle here adds a detailed account of that memorable interview in the Temple, when he questioned the advisability of the Lord's command that he should leave Jerusalem, and received his final and irrevocable commission to go to the Gentiles. It is a great privilege to be permitted to overhear this dialogue! How close and intimate is the disciple's relationship with his Lord! God allowed Abraham, Moses, and Jeremiah to reason with Him. He does not crush down our intelligence. It is His own word, "Come, let us reason together." But there is a point beyond which we may not go, when we must accept without question the final instructions of our Captain.
A free-born Roman was Paul. More than once he had asserted his rights as a Roman citizen, as at Philippi. There are various social and political advantages which we can turn to account in our service of the gospel, but they cannot carry us very far, and ultimately we are better off if we step out upon the unwonted waters, simply because Jesus says, Come! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 22

1  Paul declares how he was converted to the faith,
17  and called to his apostleship
22  At the very mentioning of the Gentiles the people exclaim on him
24  He would have been scourged;
25  but claiming the privilege of a Roman, he escapes

Greek Commentary for Acts 22:19

Imprisoned and beat [ημην πυλακιζων και δερων]
Periphrastic imperfect active of πυλακιζω — phulakizō (lxx and late Koiné, here alone in the N.T.) and δερω — derō (old verb to skin, to beat as in Matthew 21:35 which see). [source]
In every synagogue [κατα τας συναγογας]
Up and down (κατα — kata) in the synagogues. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 22:19

Romans 4:5 Believeth on Him [πιστεύοντι ἐπὶ τὸν]
The verb πιστεύω tobelieve is used in the New Testament as follows: 1. Transitively, with the accusative and dative: to entrust something to one, Luke 16:11; John 2:24. In the passive, to be entrusted with something, Romans 3:2; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Galatians 2:7. With the simple accusative, to believe a thing, John 11:26; 1 John 4:16. -DIVIDER-
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2. With the infinitive, Acts 15:11. -DIVIDER-
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3. With ὅτι that Matthew 9:28; Mark 11:24; James 2:19. Especially frequent in John: John 4:21; John 11:27, John 11:42; John 13:19; John 14:10, John 14:11; John 16:27, John 16:30, etc. -DIVIDER-
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4. With the simple dative, meaning to believe a person or thing, that they are true or speak the truth, John 2:22; John 4:21; John 5:46. See on John 1:12; see on John 2:22, John 2:23; see on John 8:31; see on John 10:37. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
5. With the preposition ἐν inNot frequent, and questioned in some of the passages cited for illustration. In John 3:15, ἐν αὐτῷ inHim, is probably to be construed with have eternal life. The formula occurs nowhere else in John. In Mark 1:15we find πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ believein the gospel. The kindred noun πίστις faithoccurs in this combination. Thus Galatians 3:26, though some join in Christ Jesus with sons. See also Ephesians 1:15; Colossians 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; Romans 3:25. This preposition indicates the sphere in which faith moves, rather than the object to which it is directed, though instances occur in the Septuagint where it plainly indicates the direction of faith, Psalm 78:22; Jeremiah 12:6. -DIVIDER-
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6. With the preposition ἐπί uponon to, unto. a. With the accusative, Romans 4:5; Acts 9:42; Acts 11:17; Acts 16:31; Acts 22:19. The preposition carries the idea of mental direction with a view to resting upon, which latter idea is conveyed by the same preposition. b. With the dative, 1 Timothy 1:16; Luke 24:25; compare Romans 9:33; Romans 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6. The dative expresses absolute superposition. Christ as the object of faith, is the basis on which faith rests. -DIVIDER-
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7. With the preposition εἰς into Matthew 18:6; John 2:11; Acts 19:4; Romans 10:14; Galatians 2:16; Philemon 1:29, etc. The preposition conveys the idea of the absolute transference of trust from one's self to another. Literally the phrase means to believe into. See on John 1:12; see on John 2:23; see on John 9:35; see on John 12:44.Is counted for righteousness ( λογίζεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην )Rev., is reckoned. See on Romans 4:3. The preposition εἰς has the force of as, not the telic meaning with a view to, or in order that he may be (righteous); nor strictly, in the place of righteousness. Faith is not a substitute for righteousness, since righteousness is involved in faith. When a man is reckoned righteous through faith, it is not a legal fiction. He is not indeed a perfect man, but God does not reckon something which has no real existence. Faith is the germ of righteousness, of life in God. God recognizes no true life apart from holiness, and “he that believeth on the Son hath life.” He is not merely regarded in the law's eye as living. God accepts the germ, not in place of the fruit, but as containing the fruit. “Abraham believed God … . No soul comes into such a relation of trust without having God's investment upon it; and whatever there may be in God's righteousness - love, truth, sacrifice - will be rightfully imputed or counted to be in it, because, being united to Him, it will have them coming over derivatively from Him” (Bushnell). The idea of logical sequence is inherent in λογίζεται isreckoned - the sequence of character upon faith. Where there is faith there is, logically, righteousness, and the righteousness is from faith unto faith (Romans 1:17). Nevertheless, in the highest development of the righteousness of faith, it will remain true that the man is justified, not by the works of righteousness, which are the fruit of faith, but by the faith which, in making him a partaker of the life and righteousness of God, generates and inspires the works. Observe that the believer's own faith is reckoned as righteousness. “In no passage in Paul's writings or in other parts of the New Testament, where the phrase to reckon for or the verb to reckon alone is used, is there a declaration that anything belonging to one person is imputed, accounted, or reckoned to another, or a formal statement that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers” (President Dwight, “Notes on Meyer”). -DIVIDER-
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[source]

What do the individual words in Acts 22:19 mean?

And I said Lord they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in each of those synagogues those believing on You
Κἀγὼ εἶπον Κύριε αὐτοὶ ἐπίστανται ὅτι ἐγὼ ἤμην φυλακίζων καὶ δέρων κατὰ τὰς συναγωγὰς τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπὶ σέ

Κἀγὼ  And  I 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative 1st Person Singular
Root: κἀγώ  
Sense: and I.
εἶπον  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Κύριε  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
αὐτοὶ  they  themselves 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐπίστανται  know 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπίσταμαι  
Sense: to put one’s attention on, fix one’s thoughts on, to turn one’s self or one’s mind to, put one’s thought upon a thing.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
φυλακίζων  imprisoning 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: φυλακίζω  
Sense: to cast into prison, imprison.
δέρων  beating 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: δέρω  
Sense: to flay, skin.
κατὰ  in  each 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
τὰς  of  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
συναγωγὰς  synagogues 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: συναγωγή  
Sense: a bringing together, gathering (as of fruits), a contracting.
τοὺς  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πιστεύοντας  believing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.

What are the major concepts related to Acts 22:19?

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