Act 9:2 | NET2full | STEP | and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus , so that if he found any who belonged to the Way , either men or women , he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem .

‏ Acts 9:2

2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ^{▼▼sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.} in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ^{▼▼sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).} either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ^{▼▼tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.} to Jerusalem. ^{▼▼sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.}