Acts 9:5

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

Key Reflection

In Acts 9:5, we see Saul (later known as Paul) fall to the ground upon hearing a powerful voice, which is a dramatic and memorable scene indicating divine intervention. The question "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" is startling because it directly addresses Saul by name and challenges him to consider his actions against Jesus himself. This encounter is set in a cultural context where such a voice would be interpreted as a theophany or direct communication from God, highlighting the profound nature of this divine confrontation that will alter Saul's life trajectory forever.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? The word Lord here, as is frequently the case in the New Testament, means no more than Sir, Joh 4:19. It is evident that Saul did not as yet know that this was the Lord Jesus. He heard the voice as of a man; he heard himself addressed; but by whom the words were spoken was to him unknown. In his amazement and confusion, he naturally asked who it was that was thus addressing him. And the Lord said. In this place the word Lord is used, in a higher sense, to denote the Saviour. It is his usual appellation. See Barnes "Ac 1:24". I am Jesus.

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