Sha'ul (שאול) supernatural transformation by Yeshua
(Act 9:1-19; Acts 22:1-16; Acts 26:9-18)
9:1 And Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל), yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the talmidim of Adonai, went to the Kohen Gadol,
9:2 And desired of him letters to Demeshek to the Shul, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Yerushalayim.
9:3 וַיְהִי הוּא הֹלֵךְ וְקָרֵב לְדַמֶּשֶׂק וְהִנֵּה פִתְאֹם נָגַהּ עָלָיו מִסָּבִיב אוֹר מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם׃
Vayhi hu holech vekarev leDammesek vehineh fit'om nagah alav missaviv or min-hashamayim.
And as he journeyed, he came near Demeshek: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
9:4 וַיִּפֹּל אָרְצָה וַיִשְׁמַע קוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו שָׁאוּל שָׁאוּל לָמָּה תִרְדְּפֵנִי׃
Vayippol aretzah vayishma kol middabber elav Sha'ul Sha'ul lamah tirdefeni.
And he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why do you persecute Me?”
9:5 וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אַתָּה אֲדֹנִי וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָדוֹן אָנֹכִי יֵשׁוּעַ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רוֹדֵף (קָשֶׁה לְךָ לִבְעֹט בַּדָּרְבֹנוֹת׃
Vayomer mi atah adoni vayomer ha'adon "Anochi Yeshua asher attah rodef (kasheh lecha liv'ot badarevonot.
And he said, “Who are You, Adon?” And the Master said, “I am Yeshua, whom you persecute. It is hard for you to kick against the prods.”
It
is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance].
Peshitta - Aramaic
9:6 וְהוּא חָרֵד וְנִבְעָת וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנִי מַה־תַּחְפֹּץ וְאֶעֱשֶׂה וַיַּעַן הָאָדוֹן) קוּם לֵךְ הָעִירָה וְיֵאָמֵר לְךָ אֶת־אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת׃
Vehu chared veniv'at vayomer Adoni mah-tachpotz ve'e'eseh vaya'an ha'adon) Kum lech ha'irah veye'amer lecha et-'asher aleicha la'asot.
Both trembling, and being astonished, he said, “Master, what do You wish me to do?” And the Master said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you shall be told what you have to do.”
9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a Voice, but seeing no man.
9:8 And Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל) arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought [him] into Demeshek.
9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
9:10 וְתַלְמִיד אֶחָד הָיָה בְדַמֶּשֶׂק חֲנַנְיָה שְׁמוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאָדוֹן בַּמַּחֲזֶה חֲנַנְיָה וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי אֲדֹנִי׃
Vetalmid echad hayah veDammesek Chananyah shemo vayomer elav ha'Adon bamachazeh Chananyah vayomer "hineni Adoni".
And there was a certain talmid at Demeshek, named Chananyah (חנניה); and to him said Adon in a vision, Chananyah (חנניה). And he said: I am here, Adoni
9:11 And Adonai [said] to him:
Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Yehudah for [one] called Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל), of Tarseus: for behold, he is praying,
9:12 And have seen in a vision a man named Chananyah (חנניה) coming in, and putting [his] hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
9:13 Then Chananyah (חֲנַנְּיָּה) answered, Adon, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he have done to your Set apart ones at Yerushalayim:
9:14 And here he have authority from the Rashei Kohanim to bind all that call on Your Name.
9:15 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאָדוֹן לֵךְ כִּי־כְלִי חֵפֶץ הוּא לִי לָשֵׂאת אֶת־שְׁמִי לִפְנֵי גּוֹיִם וּמְלָכִים וְלִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
Vayomer elav ha'Adon lech ki-cheli chefetz hu li laset et-shemi lifnei goyim umelachim velifnei benei Yisra'el.
But the Master said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Yisrael.
9:16 כִּי אֲנִי אַרְאֵהוּ כַּמָּה יֵשׁ־לוֹ לִסְבֹּל לְמַעַן שְׁמִי׃
Ki ani ar'ehu kamah yesh-lo lisbol lema'an shemi.
For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My Name's sake. "
Sha'ul (שאול) filled with the Ruach
9:17 And Chananyah (חֲנַנְּיָּה) went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל), Adonai, [even] Yeshua (ישוע), that appeared to thee in the way as you camest, have sent me, that you mightest receive your sight, and be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh.
9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was immersed.
9:19 And when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then was Sha'ul (שאול) certain days with the talmidim which were at Demeshek.
Sha'ul (שאול) proclaims at Demeshek
9:20 And straightway he proclaimed Mashiach in the Shul, that he is the BEN Elohim (אלהים).
9:21 But all that heard [him] were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this Name in Yerushalayim, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound to the Rashei Kohanim?
9:22 But Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל) increased the more in strength, and confounded the Yehudim which dwelt at Demeshek, proving that this is very Mashiach.
9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Yehudim took counsel to kill him:
9:24 But their laying await was known of Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל). And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
9:25 Then the talmidim took him by night, and let [him] down by the wall in a basket.
9:26 And when Sha'ul (שָּׁאוּל) was come to Yerushalayim, he assayed to join himself to the talmidim: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a talmid.
9:27 But Bar-Nabas (נביא-בּר) took him, and brought [him] to the Shluchim, and declared to them how he had seen Adonai in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had proclaimed boldly at Demeshek in the Name of Yeshua (ישוע).
9:28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Yerushalayim.
9:29 And he spoke boldly in the Name of Adonai Yeshua (ישוע), and disputed against the Hellenists (the Grecian Yehudi): but they went about to slay him.
Sha'ul (שאול) returns to Tarsus
9:30 [Which] when the Achim knew, they brought him down to Kaisareia, and sent him forth to Tarseus.
9:31 Then had the Assembly (ἐκκλησία) throughout all Y'hudah and the Galil and Shomron, and have wholesome (εἰρήνη); and being built up and walking in the fear of Adonai, and in the comfort of the Ruach HaKodesh, were increasing.
Kefa (פטרוס)'s ministry resumed Aeneas healed
9:32 And it came to pass, as Kefa (פטרוס) passed throughout all [quarters], he came down also to the set apart ones which dwelt at Ludda.
9:33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
9:34 And Kefa (פטרוס) said to him, Aeneas, Yeshua (ישוע) ha Mashiach makes thee whole: arise, and make your bed. And he arose immediately.
9:35 And all that dwelt at Ludda and Sharon saw him, and turned to Adonai.
Kefa (פטרוס) raises Dorkas from the dead
9:36 Now there was at Yoppa a certain talmid named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorkas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did.
9:37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid [her] in an upper chamber.
9:38 And forasmuch as Ludda was nigh to Yoppa, and the talmidim had heard that Kefa (פטרוס) was there, they sent to him two men, desiring [him] that he would not delay to come to them.
9:39 Then Kefa (פטרוס) arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorkas made, while she was with them.
9:40 But Kefa (פטרוס) put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning [him] to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Kefa (פטרוס), she sat up.
9:41 And he gave her [his] hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the set apart ones and widows, presented her alive.
9:42 And it was known throughout all Yoppa; and many believed in Adonai.
9:43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Yoppa with one Shim'on a tanner.
The Street Called Straight in the Brit Chadash, or Damascus Straight Street (Greek: τήν ῥύμην τήν καλουμένην εὐθείαν, Latin: Via Recta, Arabic: الشارع المستقيم Al-Shāri` al-Mustaqīm) is the Roman street (Decumanus Maximus) which runs from east to west in the old city of Damascus, Syria. It was visited by Paul the Apostle as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9:11)."And the Lord said unto him , Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight,
and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prays".
During the Greek period in Damascus, the city was re-designed by Hippodamus of Miletus,was an ancient Greek architect, urban planner, physician, mathematician, meteorologist and philosopher and is considered to be the “father” of urban planning, the namesake of Hippodamian plan of city layouts (grid plan). He was born in Miletus who gave the city a grid structure. The longest of these streets, 1,500 metres in length across the city, was called Straight Street.
Tarseus / Tarsos Ταρσός meaning a flat basket the leading city in ancient Cilicia (a province between Syria and Asia Minor), located about 10 miles inland from the coast of present-day Turkey. Tarseus was the most important commercial port in the province of Cilicia since 2300 BC. It has remained continuously populated for more than 6,000 years, making it (perhaps) the oldest city in the world still in existence. It was the birth place of Rav Shaul - Paulos (Acts 9:11, Acts 9:30; Acts 11:25; Acts 21:39; Acts 22:3)
Today, Tarseus is a modern city with not very many sights of interest to visitors, but a few are worthy of mention.
Paulos's Well is in a courtyard long believed to be the site of Paulos's house, which is approximately 300 meters north of the Republic Area in Kızılmurat District. Archaeological studies have shown Paulos's Well and surrounding areas to have Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman Period cultural layers. The site is a pilgrimage destination for some and the water from the well is believed to have healing powers.
The Tarseus Museum contains artworks of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, Roman and Byzantine coins, baked soil pots, and metallic materials.
The Cleopatra Gate, in western Tarseus on Mersin road, dates to around 40 BC. In the upper part of Sağlıklı Village, 15 km from Tarseus, are the remains of a Roman Road.
Sağlılı is a village in Tarseus district of Mersin Province, Turkey. At 37°02′N 34°55′E it is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to Tarseus and 37 kilometres (23 mi) to Mersin. Sağlıklı is famed for the 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) Roman road starting point of which is near the village. The population of village is 1455Near Izmir, clinging to a cliff face on a sharp slope near Altindere, is the most important and prestigious monastery of the area: The Virgin of the Black Rock or The Black Virgin.
when: Acts 9:24-25, Acts 17:10, Acts 17:15; Mat_10:23
Caesarea: Acts 8:40, or, Mat_16:13
Tarsus: Acts 9:11, Acts 11:25
Tarseus: Geography and History – PBS Series "In the Footsteps of Paulos" Jewish communities