Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 27th, 2025
the Second Day after Christmas
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

Acts 22:17

And it came about that when I had come back to Jerusalem, while I was at prayer in the Temple, my senses became more than naturally clear,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Paul;   Temple;   Trance;   Vision;   Thompson Chain Reference - Trances;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lysias;   Trance;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Antonia;   Trance;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Barnabas;   Paul;   Prophet;   Trance;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Prayer;   Trance;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Damascus;   Paul the Apostle;   Prayer;   Trance;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Amazement;   Paul;   Rapture Ecstasy;   Trance;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Washing;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Claudius;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Trance;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Apostle;   Paul;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Prophecy;   Trance;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, euen while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance,
King James Version
And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
English Standard Version
"When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
New American Standard Bible
"It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
New Century Version
"Later, when I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I saw a vision.
Amplified Bible
"Then it happened when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple [enclosure], that I fell into a trance (vision);
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
Legacy Standard Bible
"Now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
Berean Standard Bible
Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance,
Contemporary English Version
After this I returned to Jerusalem and went to the temple to pray. There I had a vision
Complete Jewish Bible
"After I had returned to Yerushalayim, it happened that as I was praying in the Temple, I went into a trance,
Darby Translation
And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,
Easy-to-Read Version
"Later, I came back to Jerusalem. I was praying in the Temple area, and I saw a vision.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, and prayed in the Temple, I was in a traunce,
George Lamsa Translation
And it came to pass that when I returned here to Jerusalem and while praying in the temple,
Good News Translation
"I went back to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the Temple, I had a vision,
Lexham English Bible
"And it happened that when I returned to Jerusalem and I was praying in the temple courts, I was in a trance,
Literal Translation
And it happened to me, returning to Jerusalem and praying in the temple: I became in an ecstasy,
American Standard Version
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
Hebrew Names Version
"It happened that, when I had returned to Yerushalayim, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
International Standard Version
"Then I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in the temple, I fell into a tranceActs 9:26; 2 Corinthians 12:2;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And being returned, I came hither to Urishlem. And I prayed in the temple.
Murdock Translation
And I returned and came hither to Jerusalem. And I prayed in the temple.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And it came to passe, that whe I was come agayne to Hierusalem, and prayed in the temple, I was in a traunce,
English Revised Version
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
World English Bible
It happened that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when I was returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple,
Weymouth's New Testament
"After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And it was don to me, as Y turnede ayen in to Jerusalem, and preyede in the temple, that Y was maad in rauysching of soule,
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
New English Translation
When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
New King James Version
"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance
New Living Translation
"After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance.
New Life Bible
"I came back to Jerusalem. When I was praying in the house of God, I had a dream.
New Revised Standard
"After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, when had returned unto Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,
Revised Standard Version
"When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And it fortuned when I was come agayne to Ierusalem and prayde in the teple yt I was in a trauce
Young's Literal Translation
`And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But it fortuned, that whan I was come agayne to Ierusale, and prayed in the temple, I was in a traunce,
Mace New Testament (1729)
at length being return'd to Jerusalem, one day as I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance.
THE MESSAGE
"Well, it happened just as Ananias said. After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God, I saw him, saw God's Righteous Innocent, and heard him say to me, ‘Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.'
Simplified Cowboy Version
"I did all that and then returned to Jerusalem. One day I was praying in the Big Church and fell into some sort of trance.

Contextual Overview

3 I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia by birth, but I had my education in this town at the feet of Gamaliel, being trained in the keeping of every detail of the law of our fathers; given up to the cause of God with all my heart, as you are today. 4 And I made attacks on this Way, even to death, taking men and women and putting them in prison. 5 Of which the high priest will be a witness, and all the rulers, from whom I had letters to the brothers; and I went into Damascus, to take those who were there as prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment. 6 And it came about that while I was on my journey, coming near to Damascus, about the middle of the day, suddenly I saw a great light from heaven shining round me. 7 And when I went down on the earth, a voice came to my ears saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly? 8 And I, answering, said, Who are you; Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are attacking. 9 And those who were with me saw the light, but the voice of him who was talking to me came not to their ears. 10 And I said, What have I to do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Get up, and go into Damascus; and it will be made clear to you what you have to do. 11 And because I was unable to see because of the glory of that light, those who were with me took me by the hand, and so I came to Damascus. 12 And one Ananias, a God-fearing man, who kept the law, and of whom all the Jews in that place had a high opinion,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Acts 9:26-28, Galatians 1:18

while: Acts 10:9, Acts 10:10, 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Revelation 1:10

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:6 - in a vision Numbers 24:4 - saw Acts 11:5 - in a Acts 16:9 - a vision Acts 23:9 - if Acts 26:16 - in the Acts 26:20 - and at 2 Corinthians 12:2 - above Ephesians 3:3 - by

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of you a great nation, blessing you and making your name great; and you will be a blessing:
Genesis 13:16
And I will make your children like the dust of the earth, so that if the dust of the earth may be numbered, then will your children be numbered.
Genesis 15:5
And he took him out into the open air, and said to him, Let your eyes be lifted to heaven, and see if the stars may be numbered; even so will your seed be.
Genesis 17:6
I will make you very fertile, so that nations will come from you and kings will be your offspring.
Genesis 22:1
Now after these things, God put Abraham to the test, and said to him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I.
Genesis 22:2
And he said to him, Take your son, your dearly loved only son Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and give him as a burned offering on one of the mountains of which I will give you knowledge.
Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, God himself will give the lamb for the burned offering: so they went on together.
Genesis 22:9
And they came to the place of which God had given him knowledge; and there Abraham made the altar and put the wood in place on it, and having made tight the bands round Isaac his son, he put him on the wood on the altar.
Genesis 22:10
And stretching out his hand, Abraham took the knife to put his son to death.
Genesis 22:13
And lifting up his eyes, Abraham saw a sheep fixed by its horns in the brushwood: and Abraham took the sheep and made a burned offering of it in place of his son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerusalem,.... Which was three years after his conversion; for he did not immediately return to Jerusalem, but went into Arabia; and when he returned to Damascus, which was three years after he came to Jerusalem; see Galatians 1:17

even while I prayed in the temple; the temple was an house of prayer; hither persons resorted for that purpose; and as the apostle had been used to it, he continued this custom, and during the time of prayer he fell into an ecstasy:

I was in a trance: and knew not whether he was in the body, or out of the body: whether this was the time he refers to in 2 Corinthians 12:2 is not certain, though probable.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When I was come again to Jerusalem - That is, three years after his conversion. See Galatians 1:17-18.

While I prayed in the temple - Paul, like other converts to Christianity from among the Jews, would naturally continue to offer his devotions in the temple. We meet with repeated instances of their continuing to comply with the customs of the Jewish people.

I was in a trance - Greek: ecstasy. See the notes on Acts 10:10. It is possible that he may here refer to what he elsewhere mentions 2 Corinthians 12:1-5 as “visions and revelations of the Lord.” In that place he mentions his being “caught up to the third heaven” 2 Corinthians 12:2 and “into paradise,” where he heard words which it was “not lawful (marg. possible) for a man to utter,” 2 Corinthians 12:4. It is not certain, however, that he alludes in this place to that remarkable occurrence. The narrative would rather imply that the Lord Jesus appeared to him in the temple in a remarkable manner, in a vision, and gave him a special command to go to the Gentiles. Paul had now stated the evidence of his conversion, which appears to have been satisfactory to them - at least they made no objection to his statement; he had shown, by his being in the temple, his respect for their institutions; and he now proceeds to show that in his other conduct he had been directed by the same high authority by which he had been called into the ministry, and that the command had been given to him in their own temple and in their own city.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 22:17. When I was come again to Jerusalem — It is likely that he refers to the first journey to Jerusalem, about three years after his conversion, Acts 9:25-26, and Galatians 1:18.

I was in a trance — This circumstance is not mentioned any where else, unless it be that to which himself refers in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, when he conceived himself transported to the third heaven; and, if the case be the same, the appearance of Jesus Christ to him, and the command given, are circumstances related only in this place.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile