Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?"

◄ Acts 9:4 ►

New International Version
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

New Living Translation
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

English Standard Version
And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Berean Standard Bible
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

Berean Literal Bible
And having fallen on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?"

King James Bible
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

New King James Version
Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

New American Standard Bible
and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

NASB 1995
and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

NASB 1977
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Legacy Standard Bible
and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Amplified Bible
and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?”

Christian Standard Bible
Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"”

American Standard Version
and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Contemporary English Version
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?"

English Revised Version
and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

Good News Translation
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?"

International Standard Version
He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

Majority Standard Bible
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

NET Bible
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

New Heart English Bible
And he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Weymouth New Testament
and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

World English Bible
He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and having fallen on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

Berean Literal Bible
And having fallen on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?"

Young's Literal Translation
and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, Why drivest thou me out?

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

New American Bible
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

New Revised Standard Version
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? You make it hard for yourself by kicking against the pricks.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he fell upon the ground and he heard a voice which said to him: “Shaul, Shaul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And when he had fallen to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

Godbey New Testament
and falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?

Haweis New Testament
and falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Mace New Testament
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Weymouth New Testament
and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

Worrell New Testament
and, having fallen upon the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

Worsley New Testament
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Road to Damascus
…3As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” 5“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Acts 22:7
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

Acts 26:14
We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

Matthew 25:40
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

Matthew 25:45
Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’

John 15:18
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.

John 15:20
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13
The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. / For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

1 Corinthians 12:26-27
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. / Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.

Galatians 1:13
For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

Galatians 1:23
They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

Philippians 3:6
as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

1 Timothy 1:13
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

Isaiah 63:9
In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Zechariah 2:8
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—

Exodus 3:4
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

Treasury of Scripture

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?

he fell.

Acts 5:10
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Numbers 16:45
Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

John 18:6
As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Saul.

Genesis 3:9
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Genesis 16:8
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

Genesis 22:11
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

why.

Acts 22:7,8
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? …

Acts 26:14,15
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks…

Isaiah 63:9
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

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Acts 9

1. Saul, going toward Damascus, is stricken down to the earth,
8. and led blind to Damascus;
10. is called to the apostleship;
18. and is baptized by Ananias.
20. He preaches Christ boldly.
23. The Jews lay wait to kill him;
29. so do the Grecians, but he escapes both.
31. The church having rest, Peter heals Aeneas;
36. and restores Tabitha to life.

Berean Study Bible

He fell to the ground
This phrase signifies a moment of divine intervention and humility. The Greek word for "fell" (πίπτω, piptō) indicates a sudden and involuntary action, suggesting that Saul's encounter with the divine was overwhelming and beyond his control. Historically, falling to the ground is a common biblical response to encountering God's presence, as seen in Ezekiel 1:28 and Daniel 8:17. This act of falling symbolizes submission and reverence, marking the beginning of Saul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a devoted apostle.

and heard a voice
The Greek word for "heard" (ἀκούω, akouō) implies not just hearing but understanding and perceiving. This divine voice is a direct communication from Jesus, emphasizing the personal nature of God's call. In the biblical context, hearing God's voice often signifies a call to action or a change in direction, as seen in the calls of Moses (Exodus 3:4) and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10). This moment is pivotal, as it marks the beginning of Saul's conversion and mission.

say to him
The phrase indicates a direct and personal address. The Greek word for "say" (λέγω, legō) is used to convey a message or command. This personal address underscores the intimate and relational nature of God's communication with Saul. It is not a distant or impersonal decree but a direct engagement with Saul's heart and mind, inviting him to reconsider his actions and beliefs.

Saul, Saul
The repetition of Saul's name is significant. In Hebrew culture, repeating a name is a form of emphasis and endearment, as seen in God's call to Abraham (Genesis 22:11) and Moses (Exodus 3:4). This repetition indicates urgency and importance, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. It also reflects Jesus' personal knowledge and concern for Saul, despite his actions against the early Church.

why do you persecute Me?
This question is profound and revealing. The Greek word for "persecute" (διώκω, diōkō) means to pursue with intent to harm. Jesus identifies Himself with His followers, showing that to persecute the Church is to persecute Christ Himself. This statement underscores the unity between Christ and His body, the Church, as articulated in 1 Corinthians 12:27. It challenges Saul to recognize the true nature of his actions and the reality of Jesus' resurrection and lordship. This question is both a rebuke and an invitation to transformation, setting the stage for Saul's conversion and future ministry as Paul the Apostle.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?--It is remarkable that here only, in the original Greek, and in Acts 9:17, as in the reproduction of the words in Acts 22:27; Acts 26:14, do we find the Hebrew form of the Benjamite name. It is as though he, who gloried in being above all things a Hebrew of the Hebrews, heard himself claimed as such by Him who spoke from heaven, called as Samuel had been called of old (1Samuel 3:4-8), and having to decide whether he would resist to the end, or yield, saying with Samuel, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." The narrative implies that the persecutor saw the form of the Son of Man as well as heard His voice, and to that visible presence the Apostle afterwards refers as a witness to him of the Resurrection (1Corinthians 9:1; 1Corinthians 15:8). If we ask as to the manner of the appearance, it is natural to think of it as being such as had met the gaze of Stephen. The martyr's words, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56), had then seemed to the fiery zeal of the Pharisee as those of a blasphemer. Now he too saw the Son of Man in the glory of the Father stretching forth His hand, not now, as He then had done, to receive the servant who was faithful even unto death, but, in answer to that servant's dying prayer, to transform the persecutor into the likeness of his victim. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - Fell upon, for fell to, A.V. Some, as Lord Lytlelton and Lewin ('Life of St. Paul,' vol. 1. p. 48), from the expressions, "fell to the ground," "fell to the earth," infer that Saul was "himself mounted, and his followers some mounted and some on foot." And Farrar also, far other reasons, supposes that Saul and his companions rode horses or mules. The journey, he says, was nearly a hundred and fifty miles, and the roads rough, bad, and steep; and Saul was traveling as the legate or the high priest. Still it is strange that no one expression should point distinctly to the party being on horseback, which "falling to the earth," or "ground," certainly do not. While, on the other hand, the phrases, "Arise," "stood speechless," "led him by the hand," seem rather to point to his being on foot. Lunge well compares the double invocation, Saul, Saul! with those similar ones, "Abraham, Abraham!" "Samuel, Samuel!" "Jerusalem, Jerusalem!" "Simon, Simon!" (Genesis 22:11; 1 Samuel 3:10; Matthew 23:27; Luke 22:31).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

He fell
πεσὼν (pesōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4098: A reduplicated and contracted form of peto; probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall.

to
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

ground
γῆν (gēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.

[and] heard
ἤκουσεν (ēkousen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

a voice
φωνὴν (phōnēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5456: Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone; by implication, an address, saying or language.

say
λέγουσαν (legousan)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

to him,
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Saul,
Σαοὺλ (Saoul)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4549: Of Hebrew origin; Saul, the Jewish name of Paul.

Saul,
Σαούλ (Saoul)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4549: Of Hebrew origin; Saul, the Jewish name of Paul.

why
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

do you persecute
διώκεις (diōkeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1377: To pursue, hence: I persecute. A prolonged form of a primary verb dio; to pursue; by implication, to persecute.

Me?”
με (me)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

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NT Apostles: Acts 9:4 He fell on the earth and heard (Acts of the Apostles Ac)