Acts 9:4

George Lamsa Translation

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.

Parallel Translations

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

King James Version (1611)
And he fel to the earth, and heard a voice saying vnto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

English Standard Version
And falling to the ground, he 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?"

New Century Version
Saul fell to the ground and 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?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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?"

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

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

Complete Jewish Bible
Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Sha'ul! Sha'ul! Why do you keep persecuting me?"

Darby Translation
and falling on the earth he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?

Easy-to-Read Version
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee fell to the earth, and heard a voyce, saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

Lexham English Bible
And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

Literal Translation
And falling on the earth he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute Me?

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

Bible in Basic English
And he went down on the earth, and a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly?

Hebrew Names Version
He fell on the eretz, and heard a voice saying to him, "Sha'ul, Sha'ul, 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?"Matthew 25:40;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice which said to him, Shaol, Shaol, why persecutest thou me ? It is hard to thee to kick against the pricks.

Murdock Translation
And he fell to the ground; and he heard a voice which said to him: Saul! Saul! why persecutest thou me? It will be hard for thee to kick against the goads.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he fell to the earth, and hearde a voyce saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And falling to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he fallide to the erthe, and herde a vois seiynge to hym, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me?

Update Bible Version
and he fell on the earth, 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?

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

New Life Bible
He fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why are you working so hard against Me?"

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

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, falling unto the earth, he heard a voice saying unto him - Saul! Saul! why, me, art thou persecuting?

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

Revised Standard Version
And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he fell to ye erth and hearde a voyce sayinge to him: Saul Saul why persecutest thou 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?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and he fell to the earth, and herde a voyce, which sayde vnto him: Saul Saul why persecutest thou me?

Mace New Testament (1729)
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Simplified Cowboy Version
He hit the ground hard and heard a voice saying, "Saul! Saul! Why are you hell-bent on trying to destroy me?"

Contextual Overview

¹ NOW Saul was still filled with anger and with threats of murder against the disciples of our LORD, ² And he asked the high priests to give him letters to the synagogues at Damascus, that if he should find anyone, men or women, following this faith, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly a light from the sky shone round about him; ⁴ 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. ⁵ Saul answered and said, Who are you my LORD? and our LORD said, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute: ⁶ * And he, trembling and astonished, said, LORD, what will you have me to do? And the LORD said to him, Arise and go into the city, and there you will be told what you must do. ⁷ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing only a voice, but seeing no man. ⁸ And Saul arose from the ground, but he could not see even though his eyes were open; and they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was unable to see for three days during which he neither ate nor drank.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he fell: Acts 5:10, Numbers 16:45, John 18:6, Romans 11:22, 1 Corinthians 4:7

Saul: Genesis 3:9, Genesis 16:8, Genesis 22:11, Exodus 3:4, Luke 10:41, John 20:16, John 21:15

why: Acts 22:7, Acts 22:8, Acts 26:14, Acts 26:15, Isaiah 63:9, Zechariah 2:8, Matthew 25:40, Matthew 25:45, Matthew 25:46, 1 Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 5:30

Reciprocal: Genesis 46:2 - Jacob Exodus 15:7 - them that Exodus 23:22 - an enemy Deuteronomy 23:4 - Because they met 1 Samuel 2:23 - Why 1 Samuel 3:4 - called Samuel 1 Samuel 17:36 - seeing 2 Samuel 3:8 - do show 1 Kings 13:4 - his hand 2 Chronicles 13:12 - fight ye 2 Chronicles 14:11 - man Job 33:13 - strive Psalms 2:2 - Lord Psalms 40:14 - driven Isaiah 37:29 - rage Isaiah 57:4 - Against Jeremiah 2:3 - all that Jeremiah 51:1 - rise Ezekiel 1:28 - I fell Joel 3:4 - and what Mark 9:42 - it Luke 21:12 - before Luke 22:31 - Simon John 5:16 - persecute Acts 7:32 - Then Acts 9:10 - Ananias Acts 9:17 - the Lord Acts 10:3 - Cornelius Acts 23:9 - if 1 Corinthians 8:12 - ye sin against 2 Corinthians 1:5 - as 2 Corinthians 10:5 - and every Revelation 11:5 - fire Revelation 11:8 - our Lord Revelation 17:14 - shall make

Cross-References

Genesis 9:10
And with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle, and every wild beast of the earth with you; with all that come out of the ark, and with every beast of the earth.

Genesis 9:14
And it shall come to pass, when I bring clouds over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the clouds;

Leviticus 3:17
It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings that you eat neither fat nor blood.

Leviticus 7:26
Moreover you shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

Leviticus 19:26
You shall not eat blood; you shall not practice divination with birds, nor shall you consult an oracle.

Deuteronomy 12:16
Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out upon the earth like water.

Deuteronomy 12:23
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Deuteronomy 14:21
Or you may sell it to an alien; for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not cook a kid in its mothers milk.

Deuteronomy 15:23
Only you shall not eat the blood; but you must pour it out on the ground like water.

Acts 15:20
But let us send word to them that they abstain from defilement by sacrifices to idols, and from fornication, and from animals strangled, and from blood.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he fell to the earth,.... Not being able to bear the light, and still less the divine glory and majesty which he perceived was present; and therefore, in great confusion, amazement, and fear, he fell with his face to the ground, and lay there prostrate and so did also those that were with him, Acts 26:14

and heard a voice, saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? this voice was the real voice of Christ in his human nature, and who visibly and in person appeared, and was seen by the apostle;

Acts 26:16 the language he spoke in was the Hebrew tongue, and he calls him by his Hebrew name Saul, and which is doubled to denote vehemency and affection; Acts 26:16- : he knew him as one of his sheep, though straying, and calls him by name, and expostulates with him, wherefore he should persecute him in his members as he did; for the union between Christ and his people is so close, that what is done to them is done to him. There seems to be a considerable emphasis on the word "me"; "me", who have been they surety from everlasting; "me", who hath loved thee and given myself for thee; "me", who have shed my blood, laid down my life, and died for thee; "me", who am now at my Father's right hand, interceding for thee, that grace might be bestowed upon thee, the set time being now come.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he fell to the earth - He was astonished and overcome by the sudden flash of light. There is a remarkable similarity between what occurred here, and what is recorded of Daniel in regard to the visions which he saw, Daniel 8:17. Also Daniel 10:8, “Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision; and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness (vigor) was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength.” The effect was such as to overpower the body.

And heard a voice - The whole company heard a voice Acts 9:7, but did not distinguish it as addressed particularly to Saul. He heard it speaking to himself.

Saying unto him ... - This shows that it was not thunder, as many have supposed. It was a distinct articulation or utterance, addressing him by name.

Saul, Saul - A mode of address that is emphatic. The repetition of the name would fix his attention. Thus, Jesus addresses Martha Luke 10:41, and Simon Luke 22:31, and Jerusalem Matthew 23:37.

Why - For what reason. Jesus had done him no injury; had given him no provocation. All the opposition of sinners to the Lord Jesus and his church is without cause. See the notes on John 15:25, “They hated me without a cause.”

Persecutest - See the notes on Matthew 5:11.

Thou me? - Christ and his people are one, John 15:1-6. To persecute them, therefore, was to persecute him, Matthew 25:40, Matthew 25:45.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 9:4. And he fell to the earth — Being struck down with the lightning: many persons suppose he was on horseback, and painters thus represent him; but this is utterly without foundation. Painters are, in almost every case, wretched commentators.