Acts 22:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Brought up—at the feet of Gamaliel,— Strabo tells us that it was customaryamong the inhabitants of Tarsus, for the young people, when they had gone through a course of education at Rome, to travel abroad for further improvement. Concerning Gamaliel, see on ch. Acts 5:34. The phrase of being brought up at his feet, plainly alludes to the posture in which the scholars were usually placed, who sat on the ground, or on low seats, while their teacher was raised on a kind of throne. Hence, in one of the rabbies, "to dust themselves with the dust of their feet," is a phrase for being a disciple. See on Luke 2:46; Luke 10:39. Instead of taught according to the perfect manner, &c. Dr. Doddridge renders it accurately instructed in the law of our fathers. Vitringa, and some other learned critics, would connect, and as it seems very properly, πεπαιδευμενος, taught or instructed, with the foregoing clause, at the feet of Gamaliel, which makes the enumeration more particular;—by profession a Jew,—born at Tarsus,—bred in this city,—instructed in the law at the feet of Gamaliel.