Acts 22:3

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
I	ἐγώ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
am	εἰμι eimi	G1510	I exist (used only when emphatic) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
verily	μέν mén	G3303	properly
man	ἀνὴρ anēr	G435	a man (properly as an individual male) · noun — nominative singular masculine
Jew	Ἰουδαῖος Ioudaios	G2453	Judæan · adjective — nominative singular masculine, a people name
born	γεγεννημένος gegennēmenos	G1080	to procreate (properly · verb — perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
Tarsus	Ταρσῷ Tarsō	G5019	Tarsus · noun — dative singular feminine, a place
Cilicia	Κιλικίας, Kilikias	G2791	Cilicia · noun — genitive singular feminine, a place
yet	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
up	ἀνατεθραμμένος anatethrammenos	G397	to rear (physically or mentally) · verb — perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
this	ταύτῃ, tautē	G3778	the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — dative singular feminine
city	πόλει polei	G4172	a town (properly · noun — dative singular feminine
at	παρὰ para	G3844	properly · preposition
feet	πόδας podas	G4228	a "foot" (figuratively or literally) · noun — accusative plural masculine
Gamaliel	Γαμαλιὴλ Gamaliēl	G1059	Gamaliel (i.e. Gamliel) · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
taught	πεπαιδευμένος pepaideumenos	G3811	to train up a child · verb — perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine
to	κατὰ kata	G2596	(prepositionally) down (in place or time) · preposition
manner	ἀκρίβειαν akribeian	G195	exactness · noun — accusative singular feminine
law	νόμου, nomou	G3551	law (through the idea of prescriptive usage) · noun — genitive singular masculine
fathers	πατρῴου patrōou	G3971	paternal · adjective — genitive singular masculine, a title
was	ὑπάρχων huparchōn	G5225	to begin under (quietly) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
zealous	ζηλωτὴς zēlōtēs	G2207	a "zealot" · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
as	καθὼς kathōs	G2531	just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
ye	ὑμεῖς hymeîs	G5210	you (as subjective of verb)
all	πάντες pantes	G3956	all · adjective — nominative plural masculine
are	ἐστέ esté	G2075	ye are
day	σήμερον, sēmeron	G4594	on the (i.e. this) day (or night current or just passed) · adverb

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Philippians 3:5-6 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Acts 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Acts 5:34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and command…
Acts 9:11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, o…
Acts 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe;…
Acts 21:39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak un…
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
2 Corinthians 11:22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 22:3-21

Paul here gives such an account of himself as might serve not only to satisfy the chief captain that he was not that Egyptian he took him to be, but the Jews also that he was not that enemy to their church and nation, to their law and temple, they took him to be, and that what he did in preaching Christ, and particularly in preaching him to the Gentiles, he did by a divine commission. He here gives them to understand, I. What his extraction and education were. 1. That he was one of their own nation, of the stock of Israel, of the seed of Abraham, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, not of any obscure family, or a renegado of some other nation: "No, I am verily a man who is a Jew, anēr Ioudaios - a Jew…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 22:3

a Jew of Tarsus, brought up in this city, at the feet--(See on Luk 10:39). of Gamaliel--(See on Act 5:34); a fact of great importance in the apostle's history, standing in the same relation to his future career as Moses' education in the Egyptian court to the work for which he was destined. the perfect manner of the law of the fathers--the strictest form of traditional Judaism. zealous--"a zealot." toward God as ye all are this day--his own former murderous zeal against the disciples of the Lord Jesus being merely reflected in their present treatment of himself.

Adam Clarke on Acts 22:3

I am verily a man which am a Jew - A periphrasis for, I am really a Jew: and his mentioning this adds weight to the conjecture in the preceding note. He shows that he could not be ignorant of the Jewish religion, as he had had the best instructer in it which Jerusalem could produce. Yet brought up, etc. - Bp. Pearce proposes that this verse should be thus read and translated: but brought up in this city; instructed at the feet of Gamaliel, according to the most exact manner, being exceedingly zealous for the law of our fathers, as ye all are this day. Born in Tarsus - See the notes on Act 9:11; Act 21:39. Feet of Gamaliel - See a full account of this man in the note on Act 5:34 (note). It ha…

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The Church Fathers

He does not just say "in the school of Gamaliel" but "at the feet of Gamaliel." By these words, he shows his patient endurance, his loving attentiveness, his eagerness to listen and his tremendous reverence for the man.
— John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 22.3

Educated according to the truth, being a zealot of the paternal law. In Greek it is added more: Being a zealot of God, according to that in Romans: For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
— Bede, Retractions on Acts

He does not simply say "the law" but "the law of our fathers." This shows what type of person he had been, someone not ignorant of the law. Now this seems to be said for the benefit of his audience, but in fact, it is an accusation. For what if, with all his knowledge, he had been negligent? What if you have a thorough knowledge of the law but do not fulfill it? You do not love it, then, do you? [Paul] then states plainly that he was a zealot. So after he has delivered a great encomium about himself, he then extends this praise by adding, "just as all of you are today," and thus points out that what they are doing is not just for a human purpose but for their zeal for God. By bestowing this favor on them he also captures their understanding from the beginning.
— John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 22.3

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Antonia — A fortress in Jerusalem, at the north-west corner of the temple area. It is called “the castle” (Acts 21:34, 37). From the stairs of this castle Paul delivered his famous speech to the multitude in…
Gamaliel — Reward of God. (1.) A chief of the tribe of Manasseh at the census at Sinai (Num. 1:10; 2:20; 7:54, 59). (2.) The son of rabbi Simeon, and grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel. He was a Pharisse, and…
Simeon — Hearing. (1.) The second son of Jacob by Leah (Gen. 29:33). He was associated with Levi in the terrible act of vengeance against Hamor and the Shechemites (34:25, 26). He was detained by Joseph in…
Tarsus — The chief city of Cilicia. It was distinguished for its wealth and for its schools of learning, in which it rivalled, nay, excelled even Athens and Alexandria, and hence was spoken of as “no mean…
Children · Tutors and governors for — Tutors and governors for
Feet · Sitting at — Sitting at
Gamaliel · .Paul’s teacher — .Paul’s teacher
Jews, The · National character of: Attachment to customs of the law — National character of: Attachment to customs of the law
Law Of Moses, The · Public instruction given to youth in — Public instruction given to youth in
Paul · Born in the city of Tarsus — Born in the city of Tarsus
Pharisees · Become disciples of Jesus — Become disciples of Jesus
Pharisees, The · Had disciples

Acts 22:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 22:3-21

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 22:3

Adam Clarke on Acts 22:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Acts 22:3

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Acts 22:3-21

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 22:3

Adam Clarke on Acts 22:3

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Acts 22:3

John Calvin on Acts 22:1-5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Acts 22:3