{He assayed} (epeirazen). Imperfect active of conative
action. {To join himself} (kollasthai). Present middle (direct)
infinitive of conative action again. Same word kolla(935c) in  Lu
15:15  Ac 10:28 . See on 烘t 19:5| for discussion. {Were all
afraid of him} (pantes ephobounto auton). They were fearing
him. Imperfect middle picturing the state of mind of the
disciples who had vivid recollections of his conduct when last
here. What memories Saul had on this return journey to Jerusalem
after three years. He had left a conquering hero of Pharisaism.
He returns distrusted by the disciples and regarded by the
Pharisees as a renegade and a turncoat. He made no effort to get
in touch with the Sanhedrin who had sent him to Damascus. He had
escaped the plots of the Jews in Damascus only to find himself
the object of suspicion by the disciples in Jerusalem who had no
proof of his sincerity in his alleged conversion. {Not believing}
(m(8820)pisteuontes). They had probably heard of his conversion,
but they frankly disbelieved the reports and regarded him as a
hypocrite or a spy in a new role to ruin them. {Was} (estin).
The present tense is here retained in indirect discourse
according to the common Greek idiom.