Act 26:14 | NETfull | STEP | When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.’

Acts 26:14

14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ^{▼▼ Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See Acts 22:7 and 9:4.} ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ^{▼▼ Grk “It is hard for you.”} by kicking against the goads.’ ^{▼▼ “Goads” are pointed sticks used to direct a draft animal (an idiom for stubborn resistance). See BDAG 539-40 s.v. κέντρον 2.} ^{▼▼ Sayings which contain the imagery used here (kicking against the goads) were also found in Greek writings; see Pindar, Pythians 2.94–96; Euripides, Bacchae 795.}