He disputed with the Grecians. Erasmus noteth well in this place that those are here called Grecians, not which came [1] of Grecians, but rather those Jews who were scattered throughout divers parts of the world. Those men were wont to come together [2] to Jerusalem to worship. And it is to be thought that Paul disputed rather with strangers and aliens, [3] than with those who dwelt at Jerusalem, [4] because this latter sort would never have abidden him, neither had it been wisely done to come in their sight. Therefore being excluded from those who knew him before he tried whether there were any hope to do good amongst men whom he knew not, so that he did most stoutly whatsoever concerned the duty of a valiant soldier. They would have slain him. Behold, again, fury instead of zeal; and it cannot otherwise be, but that hypocrisy and superstition will be cruel and fierce. The godly must be incensed with an holy wrath, when they see the pure truth of God corrupted with false and wicked opinions; yet, so that they moderate their zeal, that they set down nothing until they have thoroughly weighed the cause; and, secondly, that they essay to bring those into the way who wander out of the same. Lastly, that if they see their stubbornness to be past hope, they themselves take not the sword in hand, because they must know that they have no authority granted them of the Lord to (punish or) revenge. But hypocrites are always ready to shed blood before they know the matter; so that superstition is bloody, through blind and headlong fury. But Paul, who of late ran up and down to vex the godly, can abide nowhere now. [5] And yet this estate was far better for him, than if he should have reigned in peace and quietness, driving the godly everywhere out of their places.

Footnotes

1 - "Qui oriundi essent ex Graecis," who were of Greek extraction.

2 - "Ex suis provinciis," from their different provinces.

3 - "Advenis... hospitibus," with guests and strangers.

4 - "Indigenis," with natives.

5 - "Fidem figere," rest his foot.

And spake boldly - He openly defended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah.
In the name - By the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Against the Grecians - See the word "Grecians" explained in the notes on Acts 6:1. It means that he not only maintained that Jesus was the Christ in the presence of those Jews who resided at Jerusalem, and who spoke the Hebrew language, but also before those foreign Jews who spoke the Greek language, and who had come up to Jerusalem. They would be as much opposed to the doctrine that Jesus was the Christ as those who resided in Jerusalem.
They went about - They sought to slay him; or they formed a purpose to put him to death as an apostate. See Acts 9:23.

Disputed against the Grecians - That is, the Hellenistic Jews, viz. those who lived in Grecian cities, spoke the Greek language, and used the Septuagint version for their scriptures. And thus the Syriac version has interpreted this place. See the note on Acts 6:1, where this subject is largely explained.

And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the (m) Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
(m) See (Acts 6:1).

And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus,.... He spoke the Gospel of Christ boldly, as it ought to be spoken; he spoke it openly, publicly, freely, and faithfully, not fearing the faces or revilings of any: the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions add, "to the Gentiles"; but this is not in any of the Greek copies: and disputed against the Grecians; or Hellenists, that is, the Hellenistical Jews; by whom are meant, not Greeks proselyted to the Jewish religion, but Jews who had been born and brought up in Greece, or at least had learned the Greek language, and used the Greek Bible; and so the Syriac version renders it, "he disputed with the Jews that knew Greek"; perhaps the same persons, of the synagogue of the Libertines, Alexandrians, Cyrenians, and of Cilicia and Asia, who disputed with Stephen, with whom he had before joined, Acts 6:9
but they went about to slay him; he being an over match for them; and they not being able to resist him, but being confuted, and confounded, and put to silence, they were filled with indignation; and since they could not conquer him by arguments, they were for slaying him with the sword.

disputed against the Grecians--(See on Acts 6:1); addressing himself specially to them, perhaps, as being of his own class, and that against which he had in the days of his ignorance been the fiercest.
they went about to slay him--Thus was he made to feel, throughout his whole course, what he himself had made others so cruelly to feel, the cost of discipleship.

He disputed against the Grecians. The Jews in Jerusalem who had been born in foreign countries and spoke the Greek language. See notes on Acts 6:1.