Acts 8:3
◄  Acts 8:3  ►
New International Version (©2011)
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

New Living Translation (©2007)
But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

English Standard Version (©2001)
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.

International Standard Version (©2012)
But Saul kept trying to destroy the church. Going into one house after another, he began dragging off men and women and throwing them in prison.

NET Bible (©2006)
But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But Shaul was persecuting the Church of God, as he was entering houses and dragging men and women and delivering them to prison.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and dragging off men and women committed them to prison.

American King James Version
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

American Standard Version
But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Saul made havock of the church, entering in from house to house, and dragging away men and women, committed them to prison.

Darby Bible Translation
But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into the houses one after another, and dragging off both men and women delivered them up to prison.

English Revised Version
But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and hauling men and women committed them to prison.

Weymouth New Testament
But Saul cruelly harassed the Church. He went into house after house, and, dragging off both men and women, threw them into prison.

World English Bible
But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

Young's Literal Translation
and Saul was making havoc of the assembly, into every house entering, and haling men and women, was giving them up to prison;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:1-4 Though persecution must not drive us from our work, yet it may send us to work elsewhere. Wherever the established believer is driven, he carries the knowledge of the gospel, and makes known the preciousness of Christ in every place. Where a simple desire of doing good influences the heart, it will be found impossible to shut a man out from all opportunities of usefulness.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - But for as for, A.V.; 'laid waste for he made havoc of,' A.V. From the dispersion of the disciples will flow the narrative in this present chapter. It is therefore mentioned first. From the persecution of Saul will flow the narrative in Acts 9 and to the end of the book. Stephen's burial completes the preceding narrative.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church,.... Did evil to the saints, destroyed them that called upon the name of Christ, Acts 9:13 and persecuted and wasted the church of God, as he himself says, Galatians 1:13 and now did Benjamin, of which tribe Saul was, ravine as a wolf, Genesis 49:27

Entering into every house; where the saints dwelt:

and haling men and women: in a violent manner, without any regard to age or sex:

committed them to prison; delivered them up into the hands of the chief priests and magistrates, in order to be committed and sent to prison; this he himself confesses, Acts 22:4.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. Saul … entering into every house—like as inquisitor [Bengel].

haling men and women, &c.—See his own affecting confessions afterwards (Ac 22:4; 26:9, 10; 1Co 15:9; Ga 1:13; Php 3:6; 1Ti 1:13).

Acts 8:3 Parallel Commentaries

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Saul Persecutes the Church
1And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 8:2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
Acts 9:13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
Acts 9:21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?"
Acts 16:19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
Acts 22:4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
Acts 22:19 "'Lord,' I replied, 'these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.
Acts 26:10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord's people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Galatians 1:13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
Philippians 3:6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
1 Timothy 1:13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.