Acts 22 11

Acts 22:11 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.

Acts 22:11 nkjv

And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

Acts 22:11 niv

My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

Acts 22:11 esv

And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

Acts 22:11 nlt

"I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions.

Acts 22 verses

Acts 22 11 Meaning

When blindness from the sky came upon me, I could not see. One who had been accompanying me guided my steps by taking me by the hand. This verse describes the immediate physical effects of Paul's divine encounter on the road to Damascus, emphasizing his temporary incapacitation and reliance on others.

Acts 22 11 Context

This verse is part of Paul's defense before the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, recorded in Acts chapter 22. He is recounting his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. This speech is given in Hebrew, a detail noted earlier in the chapter, indicating an attempt to connect with his audience on a cultural and linguistic level. The narrative specifically focuses on the miraculous event that changed Paul from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle for Christ. The physical blindness described here is a direct result of the divine glory of the resurrected Jesus appearing to Paul. This experience led to Paul's immediate helplessness and need for guidance, symbolizing his newfound reliance on God's direction rather than his own prior understanding and authority.

Acts 22 11 Word Analysis

• “And” (Καὶ - Kai): A conjunction connecting this clause to the previous statement, signifying a continuation and consequence of the preceding events.
• “when” (ὅτε - hote): Introduces a temporal clause, marking the specific time when the event occurred.
• “I” (ἐγὼ - ego): Pronoun for the speaker, Paul, emphasizing his personal experience.
• “could not” (οὐκ ἐδυνάμην - ouk edunamēn): Past imperfect tense, indicating a state of inability; he was not able to.
• “see” (βλέπειν - blepein): The verb to see or perceive visually.
• “for” (ἀπό - apo): Preposition indicating separation or origin, "because of."
• “the” (τοῦ - tou): Definite article.
• “light” (φωτὸς - photos): Noun referring to the divine illumination that shone from heaven.
• “I” (ἐγώ - ego): Pronoun for the speaker, Paul.
• “was blind” (ἐτυφλώθην - etuphlōthēn): Aorist passive indicative of τυφλόω (tuphloō), meaning "to blind." The passive voice indicates the cause of blindness was external, the light. This signifies a complete obstruction of vision.
• “that” (ὃ - ho): Relative pronoun introducing a relative clause specifying the nature of the light.
• “from” (ἀπὸ - apo): Preposition indicating origin.
• “the” (τοῦ - tou): Definite article.
• “heaven” (τοῦ οὐρανοῦ - tou ouranou): Refers to the celestial sphere, the source of the divine light.
• “And” (Καὶ - Kai): Conjunction.
• “when” (γενομένης - genomenēs): Participle, lit. "having become." Indicates the occurrence or state of being blind.
• “the” (τοῦ - tou): Definite article.
• “light” (φωτός - photos): Refers back to the same heavenly light.
• “the” (τοῦ - tou): Definite article.
• “that” (ἐν - en): Preposition, often indicating in or by means of.
• “the” (τῇ - tē): Definite article.
• “heaven” (οὐρανῷ - ouranō): Refers to the sky.
• “from” (ἐκ - ek): Preposition indicating origin.
• “from” (τοῦ - tou): Definite article.
• “heaven” (τοῦ οὐρανοῦ - tou ouranou): Reiteration of the source.
• “I” (ἐμοὶ - emoi): Dative pronoun, "to me."
• “did not” (οὐκ - ouk): Negative particle.
• “see” (βλέπειν - blepein): Verb, as before.
• “and” (καί - kai): Conjunction.
• “I” (ἐγώ - egō): Pronoun, emphasizing Paul’s dependence.
• “by” (ὑπὸ - hupo): Preposition indicating agency or accompaniment.
• “the” (τῶν - tōn): Definite article.
• “hand” (χειραγωγούντων - cheiragōgountōn): Genitive plural participle from χειραγωγέω (cheiragōgeō), meaning "to lead by the hand." Refers to those who were with him.
• “them” (με - me): Accusative pronoun, "me."
• “being” (ἐν - en): Often omitted in translation or indicating the state of the accompanying people.
• “led” (ἀγόμενος - agomenos): Present passive participle of ἄγω (agō), meaning "to lead" or "to guide."

Words-group analysis:

• "blinded me" (ἐτυφλώθην... τοῦ φωτὸς): This phrasing signifies a supernatural blinding. The blinding was not a gradual failing of sight but an immediate incapacitation caused by the overwhelming brilliance of the heavenly light. It emphasizes that this blindness was divinely ordained and temporary, serving a specific purpose in Paul's transformation.
• "by being led by the hand" (ὑπὸ τῶν χειραγωγούντων με): This action highlights Paul's complete helplessness. He, who had the authority and was actively persecuting others, was now utterly dependent on his companions, symbolizing his brokenness and his turning from self-reliance to reliance on God and His appointed helpers.

Acts 22 11 Bonus Section

The blindness experienced by Paul is not presented as a physical defect from which he needed healing in the same way as the lame or the deaf mentioned elsewhere. Instead, it was a direct consequence of witnessing the glorious light of the risen Christ, a light so intense it temporarily overwhelmed his earthly senses. This detail is crucial; it marks his earthly perception as insufficient for the divine reality he encountered. His subsequent recovery and ability to see, particularly at the hands of Ananias, signifies not just the restoration of physical sight, but the granting of new spiritual sight to perceive Christ and His Kingdom, a sight he then proclaimed throughout his ministry. The Greek term tuphloō used here can refer to a complete and sudden blinding, a state of being darkened. This fits the dramatic nature of Paul's conversion.

Acts 22 11 Commentary

Paul's temporary blindness serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual awakening. Just as his physical sight was obscured by the glory of God, so too are spiritual truths often obscured by the darkness of sin and ignorance until illuminated by God's grace. The light that blinded him was the same light that revealed truth to him. This experience underscores that genuine spiritual sight comes not from human understanding but from a divine revelation of Jesus Christ. His need for assistance signifies the role of the Church and fellow believers in guiding new converts and those in spiritual darkness.