1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) (Acts 22:1-2 KJV )
Paul Addresses the Jewish Crowd
Paul had, in the last verse of the previous chapter, gained an important point by commanding a deep silence after such loud shouting. Now here, observe how admirably composed and calm he is as he begins to speak. Never was a man attacked in a more chaotic manner or with more fury, and yet:
There is no sign of fear—his mind is calm and steady. He proves his own words true, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24), and echoes David’s words, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who set themselves against me” (Psalm 3:6).
There is no anger. Although the accusations against him were baseless and unjust, and it would have infuriated anyone to be falsely charged with profaning the temple—especially when he was actually trying to show his respect for it—he doesn’t respond with harsh words but remains as gentle as a lamb led to slaughter.
Notice the respectful titles he uses even toward those who had abused him, and how humbly he asks for their attention: “Men, brothers, and fathers” (Acts 22:1). “To you, O men, I call”—men who should be guided by reason and expected to show decency. “You, brothers,” addressing the common people, and “you, fathers,” addressing the priests. This shows he had not renounced his connection to the Jewish people but still cared about them.
Though we must not flatter, we should give proper respect to all, especially those we want to influence for good. Even though he had just been rescued from them and was under the protection of the Roman commander, he doesn’t respond with harshness like “Listen now, you rebels,” but rather opens with respectful terms: “Men, brothers, and fathers.” He doesn’t bring a charge against them or retaliate, but simply says, “Hear now what I have to say in my defense”—a fair request. Every person accused has a right to answer for themselves, and justice requires their defense be heard patiently and fairly.
He spoke in the Hebrew language, the common language of the Jews at that time—most likely the Syriac dialect, a form of Hebrew influenced by other languages. This showed his continued respect for his fellow Jews. Though he had spent much time among Gentiles, he still spoke the Jewish language fluently, which confirmed his Jewish identity.
It also ensured he was clearly understood, since everyone spoke that language. Speaking in Hebrew was a way to genuinely appeal to the people and connect with them. When they heard him speaking their own tongue, they became even quieter and listened more intently. People won’t pay attention to something spoken in a language they don’t understand. Earlier, the Roman commander was surprised to hear Paul speak Greek (Acts 21:37); now the Jews were surprised to hear him speak Hebrew, and both groups thought better of him because of it.
Had they truly investigated him, they would have been amazed to learn in how many different languages the Spirit had given him the ability to speak. As Paul later says in 1 Corinthians 14:18, “I speak in tongues more than all of you.” But sadly, many wise and godly people are overlooked simply because they are not truly known.