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22. Σαῦλος δὲ μᾶλλον ἐνεδυναμοῦτο, but Saul increased the more in strength, i.e. became more and more energetic in his labours, and the Holy Ghost gave him more power. His fitness for the labour on which he was entering was very great. He possessed all the Jewish learning of a zealous pupil of Gamaliel, and now that he had seen Jesus in the glory of the Godhead, he could use his stores of learning for the support of the new teaching in such wise as to commend it to those Jews who were looking for the consolation of Israel. But these would naturally be the smallest portion of his hearers. The rest of the Jews were confounded. They heard their Scripture applied by a trained mind, and shewn to be applicable to the life of Jesus. They could not at this time make an attack on Saul, for they were paralysed by what they heard, and it was only when some time had elapsed that they resolved to continue in their rejection of Jesus, and then, at a later time, their persecution of Saul began.
συμβιβάζων, proving. This word is used again Act 16:10 and translated there in A.V. ‘assuredly gathering.’ The idea conveyed by it is that of putting things side by Hide, and so making a comparison and forming a conclusion. Thus Saul, well equipped with a knowledge of the ancient Scriptures, set before his hearers a description of the Messiah as He is there portrayed, and relating the life history of Jesus, shewed them that in Him the Scriptures of the prophets had been fulfilled.
The word is used often in the LXX. of teaching and instructing. Thus Exo 18:16 καὶ συμβιβάζω αὐτοὺς τὰ προστάγματα θεοῦ, where the sentence relates to judging between one and another. Cf. also Deu 4:9.