Portheo describes devastating an identified group or community, including the assembly of God.

The attested verses consistently place the verb in accounts of destructive action directed against people identified by their allegiance or communal identity: those calling on a name in Jerusalem and the assembly of God.

1. Devastating a targeted community · dominant

   In Acts 9:21, the aorist active participle identifies the man said to have acted against those who call on the name in Jerusalem; the APB renders the clause "the one who laid waste in Jerusalem those who call on this name." In Galatians 1:13 and Galatians 1:23, imperfect active forms describe his former action toward the assembly of God and toward "us"; the APB renders these clauses "was laying waste to it" and "tried to destroy."

   Acts 9:21Galatians 1:13Galatians 1:23

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the action as "laid waste" and "was laying waste," while Galatians 1:23 uses "tried to destroy." This variation reflects the clauses' presentation rather than separate lexical senses.