Acts 22 9

Acts 22:9 kjv

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

Acts 22:9 nkjv

"And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.

Acts 22:9 niv

My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

Acts 22:9 esv

Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

Acts 22:9 nlt

The people with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice speaking to me.

Acts 22 verses

Acts 22 9 Meaning

Acts 22:9 reveals a key detail in Paul's Damascus Road experience: while his companions visually witnessed the blinding light and reacted with fear, they did not discern the specific, articulate words spoken to Paul. They perceived a sound or noise, but lacked comprehension of the divine message delivered directly to Paul, underscoring the personal and unique nature of his apostolic call. This distinction highlights that while many may observe external manifestations of God's power, only certain individuals are chosen to receive and understand His direct communication.

Acts 22 9 Context

Acts chapter 22 recounts Paul's defense before the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, following his arrest for supposedly defiling the Temple and teaching against the Law. To address their accusations and deep-seated hostility towards him and his Gentile-inclusive gospel, Paul offers a detailed testimony of his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. This verse is part of his personal narrative, explaining the miraculous divine intervention that transformed him from a zealous persecutor of Christians into an apostle of Christ. The immediate context of Paul's speech highlights his Jewish heritage, his training under Gamaliel, and his prior zeal for Jewish tradition, which makes his conversion all the more profound and central to his apostolic authority. His intention is to justify his mission and teachings by emphasizing their divine origin and authentication.

Acts 22 9 Word analysis

• And those who were with me: (οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες - hoi de syn emoi ontes)

  • σὺν (syn): Greek preposition meaning "with" or "alongside." Implies their physical proximity to Paul during the event.
  • ὄντες (ontes): Present participle of "to be." It indicates their active presence.
  • Significance: These companions serve as external witnesses to the visual manifestation, corroborating that something extraordinary happened.

• indeed saw the light: (τὸ μὲν φῶς εἶδον - to men phos eidon)

  • τὸ φῶς (to phos): Greek for "the light." Refers to the intense, supernatural brilliance that suddenly surrounded them (Acts 9:3; 26:13).
  • εἶδον (eidon): Aorist indicative of "to see." Emphasizes their direct, undeniable visual perception.
  • μὲν (men): A Greek particle that often sets up a contrast. Here, "indeed" or "certainly" indicating their shared visual experience, anticipating the contrasting experience in the latter half of the verse.
  • Significance: Confirms a shared sensory experience (visual) among Paul and his companions. This divine light is an element of theophany, signaling a direct appearance or manifestation of God.

• and were afraid, (ἔμφοβοι δὲ ἐγένοντο - emphoboi de egenonto)

  • ἔμφοβοι (emphoboi): Greek for "terrified," "full of fear." A strong term indicating deep-seated fear or awe.
  • ἐγένοντο (egenonto): Aorist indicative of "to become." Denotes their state changed to one of fear.
  • δὲ (de): A Greek conjunction often translated "but" or "and." Here, it logically connects their seeing the light with their subsequent fear.
  • Significance: Fear is a natural, often universal human response to encountering the supernatural or divine power. It underscores the overwhelming nature of the event and their recognition of its non-earthly origin.

• but they did not hear the voice: (τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν - tēn de phōnēn ouk ēkousan)

  • τὴν φωνὴν (tēn phōnēn): Greek for "the voice." The Greek word phonē can mean either an indistinct sound/noise or articulate speech/voice. In this context, used with the accusative case.
  • οὐκ (ouk): Greek negative particle "not."
  • ἤκουσαν (ēkousan): Aorist indicative of "to hear." This is the critical point. While Acts 9:7 states they heard the sound (using the genitive case of phonē - tēs phōnēs), this verse (using the accusative case tēn phōnēn) implies they did not comprehend the specific words or meaning of the voice speaking to Paul. They heard a noise, but not the intelligible message.
  • Significance: This crucial distinction points to the selective nature of divine communication. Paul alone was the intended recipient of the spoken word, indicating his unique calling. It means they perceived the acoustic phenomenon but not the semantic content.

• of the one who spoke to me. (τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι - tou lalousantos moi)

  • λαλοῦντός (lalousantos): Present active participle of laleō, "to speak" or "to talk."
  • μοι (moi): Dative case of "I," meaning "to me."
  • Significance: Explicitly states that the communication was directed solely to Paul, reinforcing the personal nature of his call and the fact that the specific revelation was for him, not his companions. This further supports his authority derived from a direct encounter with the Risen Christ.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid": This phrase establishes the undeniable, external reality of the event and the emotional impact it had on the secondary witnesses. It provides validation that something supernatural occurred, lending credibility to Paul's account of a divine encounter.
  • "but they did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me": This is the verse's crucial interpretive hinge. The conjunction "but" creates a sharp contrast. It defines the limitation of the companions' experience compared to Paul's, clarifying that their witness was partial. This distinction highlights the personal, often singular, nature of a divine call and revelation, particularly one of prophetic or apostolic commission. The companions perceived a general sound, but only Paul understood the coherent, purposeful words, emphasizing that his apostolic authority comes from direct revelation.

Acts 22 9 Bonus section

• The seeming "discrepancy" between Acts 9:7 (companions "hearing the voice/sound") and Acts 22:9 (companions "did not hear the voice") is often explained by the nuanced use of the Greek word phonē (φωνή) with different grammatical cases (genitive vs. accusative) and the verb akouō (ἀκούω, "to hear"). When akouō is used with the genitive case (as in Acts 9:7), it can imply "to hear a sound" or "to perceive acoustically." When used with the accusative case (as in Acts 22:9), it can imply "to understand what is being said" or "to grasp the meaning of speech." Thus, Paul's companions heard the sound but did not understand the words or meaning of what was spoken to him. This linguistic precision supports the narrative's internal consistency and highlights Paul's unique reception of the divine message.
• This selective revelation is not uncommon in Scripture. In Daniel 10:7, only Daniel sees the vision, while his companions feel terror but see nothing. In John 12:28-29, when a voice from heaven speaks to Jesus, some bystanders dismiss it as thunder, while others acknowledge it as an angel. This pattern reinforces that divine encounters are often tailored to the specific individual called by God, emphasizing the personal dimension of divine election and calling.
• Paul recounting this detail in his defense serves to authenticate his message. By showing that his companions verified the physical phenomenon but not the divine message, Paul reinforces the supernatural and direct nature of his revelation from Christ, thereby strengthening his authority to preach his unique message.

Acts 22 9 Commentary

Acts 22:9 provides Paul's crucial clarification regarding the conversion experience he shared with his traveling companions, an account that on the surface seems to present a slight variation from the details in Acts 9:7. This verse effectively reconciles these accounts by distinguishing between hearing a general sound or noise and hearing—and, by extension, understanding—articulate speech. While his companions clearly saw the overpowering light and reacted with a natural human fear towards a manifest display of the supernatural, their auditory experience was limited to an uncomprehended sound. They heard something, but not the meaningful message addressed personally to Paul by the Risen Christ.

This distinction is fundamental. It means that Paul's call to apostleship was not merely an event his companions observed; it was a deeply personal, divine commission that only he fully perceived and understood. The Lord Jesus spoke directly to him, conferring upon him a unique charge, which validates Paul's apostolic authority independent of human intermediaries. The selective nature of this revelation—seeing but not understanding, hearing a noise but not the words—underscores God's sovereignty in choosing and equipping individuals for specific tasks. This explanation from Paul strengthens his testimony to the Jewish crowd, asserting that his radical change and his mission to the Gentiles originated from a direct, irrefutable encounter with the divine, witnessed externally in part, but understood internally in full only by himself. It counters any suggestion that his mission was a human invention or merely a shared group experience.