Acts 8:3

3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

Acts 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 8:3

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church
Did evil to the saints, destroyed them that called upon the name of Christ, ( Acts 9:13 Acts 9:21 ) and persecuted and wasted the church of God, as he himself says, ( 1:13 ) and now did Benjamin, of which tribe Saul was, ravine as a wolf, ( Genesis 49:27 )

Entering into every house;
where the saints dwelt:

and haling men and women:
in a violent manner, without any regard to age or sex:

committed them to prison;
delivered them up into the hands of the chief priests and magistrates, in order to be committed and sent to prison; this he himself confesses, ( Acts 22:4 ) ( 26:10 ) .

Acts 8:3 In-Context

1 And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.