Greek word · G4549

Σαούλ

saoul

Saul

The Greek spelling of Hebrew Sha'ul, 'asked for', the name of Israel's first king, who came from the tribe of Benjamin. Luke uses the undeclined Semitic form Saoul only in direct address (9:4, 17; 22:7, 13; 26:14). In narrative he uses the Greek-styled Saulos (e.g. 7:58; 9:1).

Appears 9 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Σαούλ, ὁ indecl.

(in FlJ, Σάουλος; Heb. שָׁאוּל)

Saul;

(a) the King of Israel: Acts 13:21;

(b) the Jewish name of the Apostle Paul, used in the indecl. form only in address (cf. Σαῦλος): Acts 9:4, 17 22:7, 13 26:14.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 9:4

Range of meaning

The Greek spelling of Hebrew Sha'ul, 'asked for', the name of Israel's first king, who came from the tribe of Benjamin. Luke uses the undeclined Semitic form Saoul only in direct address (9:4, 17; 22:7, 13; 26:14). In narrative he uses the Greek-styled Saulos (e.g. 7:58; 9:1).

Against the English

English has only one form, 'Saul', so the reader loses Luke's hint that in this moment the man is spoken to in his native, Hebrew form of the name. Acts 26:14 says the voice spoke 'in the Hebrew dialect', probably meaning Aramaic.

Used elsewhere in the period

Paul calls himself 'of the tribe of Benjamin' (Rom 11:1; Phil 3:5), the tribe of King Saul, so the name was a natural one in his family. Acts 13:9 ('Saul, who is also called Paul') shows a Jew of the Diaspora (Jews living outside the land of Israel) carrying both a Semitic name and a Roman one, which was common.

From the study of Acts 22:13

Range of meaning

A Greek spelling of the Hebrew name Sha'ul ("asked for"). It does not change its ending for grammar. It is the name of Israel's first king, Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, which was Paul's own tribe (Phil 3:5; Acts 13:21).

Against the English

English uses "Saul" for both Saoul and the Greek form Saulos, so the reader cannot see the difference.

Used elsewhere in the period

Luke writes Saulos in his own narration (e.g. Acts 7:58; 8:1; 9:1) but Saoul whenever someone addresses Paul in the conversion accounts: Jesus (9:4; 22:7; 26:14, where the Lord is said to speak "in the Hebrew dialect") and Ananias (9:17; 22:13). The Septuagint uses Saoul for King Saul.

Where it appears

Acts · 9

  1. Acts 9:4 Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, Saul, Saul,

    He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

    Here: The Hebrew name Sha'ul, 'asked for', kept in its Semitic form. When Luke narrates he uses the Greek-styled Saulos. In address he uses Saoul, the way the name would be said in Hebrew or Aramaic (compare 26:14).

  2. Acts 9:17 Σαοὺλ Saul

    So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

    Here: The Hebrew form of the name (Sha'ul), used here without a Greek ending. Acts uses this form only when someone speaks to Saul directly: Jesus on the road (9:4) and Ananias here. It is the name of Israel's first king, from Saul's own tribe of Benjamin, and it is the intimate, home-language form of his name.

  3. Acts 13:21 Σαοὺλ Saul

    Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.

    Here: The Hebrew name Sha'ul ('asked for') kept in its Hebrew form, not the Greek Saulos. The name means 'asked,' which echoes the verb 'they asked' at the start of the verse. The speaker is also a Saul (Acts 13:9).

  4. Acts 22:7 Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, Saul, Saul,

    I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

  5. Acts 22:13 Σαοὺλ Saul

    came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

    Here: The Hebrew form of the name (Sha'ul), left undeclined, rather than the Greek form Saulos. Luke uses it only when someone speaks to Paul in the Damascus story, which keeps the Jewish, Semitic flavour of the scene.

  6. Acts 26:14 Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, Saul, Saul,

    We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.