Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 9]
belief" with no interest in the actual facts. But that is plain
illusion, not to say delusion, and makes both Paul and Luke
deceived by the story of Ananias (9:10-18; 22:12-16,26). One
MS. of the old Latin Version does omit the vision to Ananias and
that is basis enough for those who deny the supernatural aspects
of Christianity.
9:11 {To the street} (\epi t•n rhum•n\). See on ¯Lu 14:21. A run
way (from \rhe•\, to run) between the houses. So were the narrow
lanes or alleys called streets and finally in later Greek the
word is applied to streets even when broad. {Straight}
(\eutheian\). Most of the city lanes were crooked like the
streets of Boston (old cow-paths, people say), but this one still
runs "in a direct line from the eastern to the western gate of
the city" (Vincent). Since the ancients usually rebuilt on the
same sites, it is probable that the line of the street of that
name today is the same, though the actual level has been much
raised. Hence the identification of the house of Ananias and the
house of Judas are very precarious.
9:12 {Coming in and laying} (\eiselthonta kai epithenta\). Second
aorist (ingressive) active participles picturing the punctiliar
act as a sort of indirect discourse after verbs of sensation
(Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1040-2). Some ancient documents do not
have "in a vision" here. {Receive his sight} (\anablepsei\).
First aorist active subjunctive with \hop•s\ (purpose). See again
as in 9:17.
9:13 {How much evil} (\hosa kaka\). How many evil things. Saul's
reputation (26:10) as a persecutor had preceded him. {To thy
saints} (\tois hagiois\). Dative of disadvantage. "Used here for
the first time as a name for the Christians" (Knowling), but it
came to be the common and normal (Hackett) term for followers of
Christ (9:32,41; 26:10; 1Co 1:2, etc.). This common word is
from \to hagos\, religious awe or reverence and is applied to
God's name (Lu 1:49), God's temple (Mt 24:15), God's people
as set apart for God (Lu 1:70; 2:23; Ro 1:7, etc.). Ananias in
his ignorance saw in Saul only the man with an evil reputation
while Jesus saw in Saul the man transformed by grace to be a
messenger of mercy.
9:14 {Hath authority} (\echei exousian\). Probably Ananias had
received letters from the Christians left in Jerusalem warning
him of the coming of Saul. The protest of Ananias to Jesus
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