Acts 9:16

For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) For I will shew him how great things he must suffer . . .—The words are spoken as by One who knows “what is in man” (John 2:25), their secret motives, and springs of action. With characters of a lower type, the prospect of what they will have to suffer in any enterprise tends to deter them from embarking on it. With such a one as Saul of Tarsus, now repenting of the sufferings he had inflicted on others, that prospect would be welcome as enabling him, so far as that was possible, if not to atone for the past, at least to manifest fruits worthy of his repentance.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:10-22 A good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet with those words, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never did Christ leave any who were brought to that. Behold, the proud Pharisee, the unmerciful oppressor, the daring blasphemer, prayeth! And thus it is even now, and with the proud infidel, or the abandoned sinner. What happy tidings are these to all who understand the nature and power of prayer, of such prayer as the humbled sinner presents for the blessings of free salvation! Now he began to pray after another manner than he had done; before, he said his prayers, now, he prayed them. Regenerating grace sets people on praying; you may as well find a living man without breath, as a living Christian without prayer. Yet even eminent disciples, like Ananias, sometimes stagger at the commands of the Lord. But it is the Lord's glory to surpass our scanty expectations, and show that those are vessels of his mercy whom we are apt to consider as objects of his vengeance. The teaching of the Holy Spirit takes away the scales of ignorance and pride from the understanding; then the sinner becomes a new creature, and endeavours to recommend the anointed Saviour, the Son of God, to his former companions.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For I will show him ... - This seems to be added to encourage Ananias. He had feared Saul. The Lord now informs him that Saul, hitherto his enemy, would ever after be his friend. He would not merely profess repentance, but would manifest the sincerity of it by encountering trials and reproaches for his sake. The prediction here was fully accomplished, Acts 20:23; 2 Corinthians 11:23-27; 2 Timothy 1:11-12.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. I will show him—(See Ac 20:23, 24; 21:11).

how great things he must suffer for my name—that is, Much he has done against that Name; but now, when I show him what great things he must suffer for that Name, he shall count it his honor and privilege.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He shall suffer as great things as he ever did cause or inflict; the hatred of his own countrymen the Jews, and the fury of the Gentiles: see the catalogue of them, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. And were there ever so many sufferings heaped upon one man? And yet, though all these were foretold unto him, and certainly foreknown by him, he would preach the gospel for all that: much was forgiven him, and he loved much.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For I will show him,.... In vision, and by prophecy, either now, or hereafter; or by facts, as they come upon him:

how great things he must suffer for my name's sake; such as weariness, pain, and watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold, and nakedness, perils on various accounts, and from different quarters, stripes, scourges, imprisonment, shipwreck, stoning, and death, of which he himself gives a detail, 2 Corinthians 11:23 so that Ananias had no reason to be afraid to go to him, and converse with him, and do unto him as he was directed.

Geneva Study Bible

For I will {h} shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

(h) I will plainly show him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 9:16. ἐγὼ γὰρ: he is a chosen vessel unto me, and therefore ὑποδ. Wendt disagrees with Meyer, who finds the showing in the experiences of the sufferings (so Hackett and Felten), and refers the word with De Wette, Over-beck, to a revelation or to some directing counsel of Christ, cf. Acts 13:2, Acts 16:6; Acts 16:9, Acts 20:20, so too Blass—cf. 2 Corinthians 11:25-28. Either interpretation seems better than that of Weiss, who refers the γάρ back to πορεύου, as if Christ were assuring Ananias that Saul would not inflict suffering upon others, but I will show him how much he (αὐτόν, with emphasis) must suffer, etc., cf. also Bengel’s comment.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. for I will shew him how great [many] things he must suffer] Cp. Paul’s own words (Acts 20:23), “The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.” The truth of this is borne out by that long list of the Apostle’s sufferings which he enumerates in his letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) and the less detailed list in the same Epistle (Acts 6:4-5).

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 9:16. Ἐγὼ γὰρ, for I) i.e. do thou diligently, Ananias, what thou art commanded: for I will take care of the rest, that Saul may be Mine, and may remain so.—ὑποδείξω, I will show) by the actual fact, throughout his whole course. This is predicted to Ananias, not to Saul himself: it was Saul’s part to obey.—παθεῖν, to suffer) So far is he from being about to assail others hereafter. See the beginning of his suffering, Acts 9:23; Acts 9:29.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - Many for great, A.V. St. Paul's whole life was the fulfillment of this word of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-27; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10). Acts 9:16

Vincent's Word Studies

How great things (ὅσα)

Rev., more correctly, how many.