Acts 22:11
in Acts 22Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.
KJV
And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
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This verse in Acts 22
Commentary
7 notes on this verseIt was of Him, too, that he had said in a previous passage: "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to the only God; " so that we might apply even the contrary qualities to the Son Himself-mortality, accessibility-of whom the apostle testifies that "He died according to the Scriptures," and that "He was seen by himself last of all," -by means, of course, of the light which was accessible, although it was not without imperilling his sight that he experienced that light.
This site's exposition
What should I do, Lord
on Acts 22:10-11
Because the brilliance of the light had blinded him, Paul’s companions led him by the hand into Damascus. There he would learn what he had been appointed to do, the persecutor now dependent on the kind of people he had come to arrest.
This site's exposition
brilliance of the light
The blindness measured the light. John Chrysostom points to it as proof of how far that light exceeded the noon sun. Theophylact notes that Paul names Damascus so his hearers would recall why he went there, joining the witness of persons to facts they could check.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
But our Lord spoke in humility from heaven, that in humility the heads of His church might speak. And if any one should say, "Wherein did our Lord speak humbly with Paul? for lo! the eyes of Paul were grievously smitten;" let him know that …
"And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus." See how great was the excess of the light.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Those who were with me led me by the hand into Damascus." The mention of the city is fittingly added so that the Jews would know that Saul was a persecutor. Paul-Saul interweaves the testimonies of persons with the testimonies of circumstances, both those concerning …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And when I could not see for the glory of that light,....
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὡς | hos | While | G5613 → | 500 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐνέβλεπον | eneblepon | I was seeing | G1689 → | |
| ἀπὸ | apo | because of | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δόξης | doxes | brightness | G1391 → | 165 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φωτὸς | photos | light | G5457 → | 72 times |
| ἐκείνου, | ekeinou | that, | G1565 → | 260 times |
| χειραγωγούμενος | cheiragogoumenos | being led by the hand | G5496 → | |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| τῶν | ton | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συνόντων | sunonton | being with | G4895 → | |
| μοι | moi | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἦλθον | elthon | I came | G2064 → | 628 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Δαμασκόν.¶ | damaskon | Damascus. | G1154 → | 15 times |
ὡςWhile
hosG5613 →500 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐνέβλεπονI was seeing
enebleponG1689 →
ἀπὸbecause of
apoG575 →640 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
δόξηςbrightness
doxesG1391 →165 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
φωτὸςlight
photosG5457 →72 times
ἐκείνου,that,
ekeinouG1565 →260 times
χειραγωγούμενοςbeing led by the hand
cheiragogoumenosG5496 →
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
τῶνthose
tonG3588 →19766 times
συνόντωνbeing with
sunontonG4895 →
μοιme
moiG3165 →1936 times
ἦλθονI came
elthonG2064 →628 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
Δαμασκόν.¶Damascus.
damaskonG1154 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 42:16I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These…
it leads to
- Isaiah 30:21
And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”
- Luke 3:5
Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.
- Isaiah 35:8
And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.
- Isaiah 60:19–20
No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your…
- Luke 1:78–79
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
- Isaiah 30:21
Through
Acts 13:11Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him,…
it leads to
- Exodus 9:3
then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
- Psalms 32:4
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah
- Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
- Exodus 9:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Ephrem the Syrian, Homily - On Our Lord, 26; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 47; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Praxeas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.