And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
And when Saul - or 'when he' [omitting ho (G3588) Saulos (G4569), as Lachman and Tischendorf do, though on scarcely preponderating authority],
Was come to Jerusalem, х eis (G1519) and en (G1722) have nearly equal support]. The special object of this his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion was-as he himself tells the Galatians (Galatians 1:18) - to "see Peter;" not to learn anything from him (for this he is very careful to repudiate, Galatians 1:11-12; Galatians 1:16-20), but to inform him, as the leading apostle, of his conversion and calling, but more particularly the specific sphere to which his labours were to be directed-namely, to the Gentiles pre-eminently; and to confer with him in brotherly fellowship on the things of the kingdom.
He assayed to join himself to the disciples - simply as one of them, leaving his high commission to manifest itself.
But they were afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple - knowing him only as a persecutor of the Faith; the rumour of his conversion, it it ever was cordially believed, passing away during his long absence in Arabia, and the news of his subsequent labours in Damascus perhaps not having reached them.