who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;

I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;

And I made attacks on this Way, even to death, taking men and women and putting them in prison.

I persecuted this Way, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody both men and women,

In my persecution of this Way I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike –

I persecuted this way. This is the second point, that he was an enemy to Christ's doctrine, and that he was more fervent in resisting the same than all the rest, until he was pulled back by the hand of God; which thing he saith the chief priests and elders can testify. Therefore, there can be no suspicion in such a sudden change. Whereas he saith, that he had letters given him to deliver to the brethren, it must be referred unto the Jews, as if he had called them his countrymen; but he meant to appease them with a more honorable title. For this is Paul's drift, that he may declare his natural and lawful beginning which he took of that nation; [1] and also how desirous he was to be linked with them in friendship.

Footnotes

1 - "Ab ilia genta... originem," origin from that nation.

And I persecuted - Acts 8:3.
This way - Those who were of this mode of worshipping God; that is, Christians. See the notes on Acts 9:2.
Unto the death - Intending to put them to death. He did not probably put any to death himself, but he committed them to prison; he sought their lives; he was the agent employed in arresting them; and when they were put to death, he tells us that he gave his voice against them Acts 26:10; that is, he joined in, and approved of their condemnation.
Delivering into prisons - Acts 8:3.

I persecuted this way - Ταυτην την ὁδον; This doctrine, the way of worshipping God, and arriving at a state of blessedness. See on Acts 9:2 (note).
Binding and delivering into prisons - See on Acts 8:3 (note); Acts 9:2 (note).

And I persecuted this way unto the death,.... That is, the Christian religion, and the professors of it; whom the apostle breathed out threatenings and slaughter against, haled out of their houses, and committed to prison; consented to their death, as he did to Stephen's; and whenever it was put to the vote, whether they should die or not, he gave his voice against them; so that he was a most bitter enemy, and an implacable persecutor of them; which shows how very averse he was to this way, and how great his prejudices were against it; wherefore it must be a work of divine power, and there must be the singular hand of God in it, to reconcile him to it, and cause him to embrace and profess it:
binding and delivering into prisons, both men and women: see Acts 8:3.

I persecuted, &c.--(See on Acts 9:1-2; Acts 9:5-7).

I persecuted this way. He did this from his zeal towards God, whom he thought he thus served.
Unto the death. This seems to imply that Stephen was not the only martyr in whose death he was an accomplice.
The high priest doth bear me witness. The high priest in A. D. 37, the time Saul of Tarsus was sent to Damascus, was not now high priest, having been deposed by the Romans, but was probably a member of the Sanhedrim at this time. It is also probable that the present high priest personally knew about all facts. There were many present who knew that he had been a commissioned persecutor.

And persecuted this way - With the same zeal that you do now. Binding both men and women - How much better was his condition, now he was bound himself.