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4. καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τὴν ἤκουσεν, and he fell to the earth and heard. The fall was in consequence of the dazzling intensity of the brightness. From Act 26:14 we find that not only Saul but his companions were struck down by the light, though there was more in the vision which he beheld than was made evident to them, and by reason of the greater glory which was manifested to him his natural sight was blinded.
φωνήν. By using the accusative case here and the genitive in Act 9:7, St Luke seems to point out that there was a difference between the hearing which Saul experienced and that of his companions. St Paul in Act 22:9 marks the distinction in his own narrative of what occurred. Speaking of his companions, he says τὴν φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν, though here in Act 9:7 we have ἀκούοντες μὲν τῆς φωνῆς said of them.
Taking all the instances together the correct conclusion seems to be that when ἀκούειν signifies direct hearing, it may have after it a genitive case and participle, but not an accusative and participle. Thus the construction of λέγουσαν in this verse must be taken as an apposition to φωνήν, a voice that said, &c. So also must be explained the construction in Act 26:14.
Saul during the vision heard articulate sounds, a voice which spake to him, but his companions were only conscious of a sound from which they comprehended nothing.
Of a similar supernatural communication to Hyrcanus the high priest we have (Joseph. Ant. XIII. 10. 3) φασὶ γὰρ ὅτι … αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ ναῷ θυμιῶν μόνος ὢν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἀκούσειε φωνῆς ὡς οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ νενικήκασιν ἀρτίως τὸν Ἀντιόχον. In this case the sound was that of intelligible words.
Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is very noteworthy that in all the three accounts of the vision the Greek text of Saul’s name is a transliteration of the Hebrew, shewing that we have here a very close adherence to the words of Jesus. The Lord spake in the language of His people, and both the evangelist and the apostle have preserved for as this remarkable feature of the heavenly address. The only other place where the Hebrew form of Saul’s name is retained is in the speech of Ananias when (Act 9:17) he comes to see the convert in his blindness. As he also had received a communication from Jesus in connexion with Saul’s conversion, we can understand how the same form of the name would have been given to him. Moreover he was himself, to judge from his name, a Hebrew, and therefore that form would be most natural on his lips. Except in these cases St Luke always employs the Greek form of the word.
Christ speaks of Himself as persecuted by Saul, because ‘in all the affliction of His people He is afflicted’ (Isa 63:9), and ‘whoso toucheth them toucheth the apple of His eye’ (Zec 2:8).