• Acts 9:2
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 2 ᾐτήσατο he asked παρ’ beside αὐτοῦ of him ἐπιστολὰς letters εἰς into Δαμασκὸν Damascus πρὸς toward τὰς the συναγωγάς, synagogues, ὅπως so that ἐάν if ever τινας any εὕρῃ he might find τῆς of the ὁδοῦ way ὄντας, being, ἄνδρας male persons τε and καὶ and γυναῖκας, women, δεδεμένους having been bound ἀγάγῃ he might lead εἰς into Ἰερουσαλήμ. Jerusalem.

  • Acts 9:2
    The Bible in Living English

    • 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that he might bring to Jerusalem in fetters whomever he found to be followers of the Path, both men and women.

  • Acts 9:2
    American Standard Version

    • 2 and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

  • Acts 9:2
    The Emphasized Bible

    • 2 asked from him letters for Damascus, unto the synagogues; to the end that if he should find any who were of The Way, whether men or women he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

  • Acts 9:2
    King James Version

    • 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

  • Acts Study Notes—Chapter 9
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 9:2

      letters: In the first century C.E., people relied on letters from a credible source to introduce a stranger and to authenticate his or her identity or authority. (Ro 16:1; 2Co 3:1-3) Jews in Rome referred to this kind of communication. (Ac 28:21) The letters Saul requested from the high priest and addressed to the synagogues in Damascus authorized him to persecute the Jewish Christians in that city. (Ac 9:1, 2) The letters Saul requested apparently asked the synagogues in Damascus to cooperate with Saul in his campaign against the Christians.

      Damascus: Located in modern-day Syria, Damascus is said to be one of the oldest cities in the world to be continuously inhabited from the time it was founded. The patriarch Abraham may have passed by or through this city on his way S to Canaan. At some point, he took Eliezer, “a man of Damascus,” into his household as a servant. (Ge 15:2) Nearly a thousand years later, Damascus reappears in the Bible account. (See Glossary, “Aram; Aramaeans.”) At this time, the Syrians (Aramaeans) were at war with Israel, and the two nations became enemies. (1Ki 11:23-25) In the first century, Damascus was part of the Roman province of Syria. By that time, Damascus had a Jewish population of perhaps some 20,000 and a number of synagogues. Saul may have targeted the Christians living in Damascus because the city was located at the crossroads of important travel routes and he feared that Christian teachings would quickly spread from that city.​—See App. B13.

      The Way: A designation used in the book of Acts to refer to the Christian way of life and the early Christian congregation. It may have roots in Jesus’ statement at Joh 14:6: “I am the way.” Those who became followers of Jesus were spoken of as belonging to “The Way,” that is, they kept a way of life following Jesus’ example. (Ac 19:9) His life centered on worship of the only true God, Jehovah. For Christians, this manner of life also focused on faith in Jesus Christ. Possibly as early as the year 44 C.E., in Syrian Antioch, disciples of Jesus “were by divine providence called Christians.” (Ac 11:26) However, even after that designation was applied, Luke refers to the congregation as “The Way” or “this Way.”​—Ac 19:23; 22:4; 24:22; see study notes on Ac 18:25; 19:23.