Acts 22:6
in Acts 22About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
KJV
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
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This verse in Acts 22
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAbout noon - All was done in the face of the sun. A great light shone - By whatever method God reveals himself to us, we shall have everlasting cause to recollect it with pleasure.
This site's exposition
a bright light from heaven
on Acts 22:6-8
The voice says, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me, and the speaker names himself Jesus of Nazareth. The doubled name is the form of address the Old Testament records for Abraham, Moses, and Samuel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The rest, however, was without witnesses: "From whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me." Why then, these very things ought to have been held worthy of credit, from those that went before: otherwise he would not have undergone such a revolution. How if he is only making a fine story of it, say you? Answer me, Why did he suddenly fling away all this zeal? Because he looked for honor? And yet he got just the contrary. But an easy life, perhaps? No, nor that either. Well but something else? Why it is not in the power of thought to invent any other object. So then, leaving it to themselves to draw the inference, he narrates the facts. "As I came nigh," he says, "unto Damascus, about noonday." See how great was the excess of the light. What if he is only making a fine story, say you? Those who were with him are witnesses, who led him by the hand, who saw the light.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and had no other thought than to execute the cruel design he was sent upon; he was not conscious of the least compassionate relentings towards the poor Christians, but still represented them to himself as heretics, schismatics, and dangerous enemies both to church and state.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And it came to pass, that as I made my journey,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
As I made my journey, etc. - See the whole of this account, and all the particular circumstances, considered at large in the notes on Act 9:1 (note), etc., and the observations at the conclusion of that chapter.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
See the notes on Act 9:3-7. Act 22:6 As I made my journey - As I was on my journey. About noon - Act 26:13, “at mid-day.” This circumstance is omitted by Luke in his account in Acts 9: Paul mentions it as being the more remarkable since it occurred at mid-day, to show that he was not deluded by any meteoric or natural appearances, which usually occur at night. Act 22:11 The glory of that light - The splendor, the intense brilliancy of the light. See this and its effects explained in the notes on Act 9:8.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | It happened | G1096 → | 667 times |
| δέ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| μοι | moi | to me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| πορευομένῳ | poreuomeno | journeying | G4198 → | 147 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐγγίζοντι | engizonti | drawing near | G1448 → | 42 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Δαμασκῷ | damasko | to Damascus | G1154 → | 15 times |
| περὶ | peri | about | G4012 → | 332 times |
| μεσημβρίαν | mesembrian | noon | G3314 → | |
| ἐξαίφνης | exaiphnes | suddenly | G1810 → | |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανοῦ | ouranou | heaven | G3772 → | 272 times |
| περιαστράψαι | periastrapsai | shining | G4015 → | |
| φῶς | phos | a light | G5457 → | 72 times |
| ἱκανὸν | hikanon | great | G2425 → | 39 times |
| περὶ | peri | around | G4012 → | 332 times |
| ἐμέ· | eme | me myself; | G1473 → | 839 times |
ἐγένετοIt happened
egenetoG1096 →667 times
δέhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
μοιto me
moiG3165 →1936 times
πορευομένῳjourneying
poreuomenoG4198 →147 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐγγίζοντιdrawing near
engizontiG1448 →42 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
Δαμασκῷto Damascus
damaskoG1154 →15 times
περὶabout
periG4012 →332 times
μεσημβρίανnoon
mesembrianG3314 →
ἐξαίφνηςsuddenly
exaiphnesG1810 →
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανοῦheaven
ouranouG3772 →272 times
περιαστράψαιshining
periastrapsaiG4015 →
φῶςa light
phosG5457 →72 times
ἱκανὸνgreat
hikanonG2425 →39 times
περὶaround
periG4012 →332 times
ἐμέ·me myself;
emeG1473 →839 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
Revelation 1:16He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Revelation 2:12
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.
- Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath…
- Revelation 2:16
Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
- Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
- Hebrews 4:12
Through
Matthew 17:2There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
it leads to
- Psalms 104:2
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,
- Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
- Psalms 104:2
Through
2 Samuel 8:6Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:14
He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
- 2 Samuel 8:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
On this chapter
About Acts

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 47; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
