Acts 9:18

Act 9:18. Εὐθέως, immediately) A miracle.—ἀπέπεσον, there fell from) Saul, after having beheld Christ, does not see by reason of the splendour: upon Ananias, whom He sent, coming, he recovers his sight.—ὡσεὶ λεπίδες, as it were scales) The humour in the eyes having been dried up.—ἐβαπτίσθη, he was baptized) by Ananias; but instructed by the Lord.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 9:18 . καὶ εὐθέως : as the immediate result of the laying on of hands the recovery of sight is given, but the baptism follows for the reception of the Holy Ghost, cf. Act 22:13 ff. ἀπέπεσον … ὡσεὶ λ .: the words cannot be taken as merely figurative with Weiss or Zöckler, or with Blass as merely indicating the speediness of the cure some scaly substance had formed over the eyes, probably as the result of the dazzling brightness which had struck upon them, cf. Tob 3:17 ; Tob 11:13 ; Tob 2:10 ( cf. Act 6:8 ), λευκώματα = white films (see H. and R., sub v ., λεύκωμα ). St. Chrysostom’s comment is also to be noted: καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ φαντασίαν τις εἶναι τὴν πήρωσιν , δια τοῦτο αἱ λεπίδες . Here, as elsewhere, we may see traces of St. Luke’s accuracy as a physician. Both ἀποπίπτειν and λεπίς are used only by St. Luke in N.T. ( λεπίς , although found six times in LXX, does not occur in the sense before us), and both words are found conjoined in medical writers, the former for the falling off of scales from the cuticle and particles from the diseased parts of the body or bones, etc., and λεπίς as the regular medical term for the particles or scaly substances thrown off from the body (see instances in Hobart, p. 39, and Felten, in loco ), and cf. also Zahn, Einleitung in das N. T. , ii., p. 436 (1899). ἂναστὰς , see above on Act 8:26 ; the word may here be taken literally (although not necessarily so), as of Saul rising from a sitting or reclining position (so Weiss). ἐβαπτίσθη : no doubt by Ananias there was no reception into the Church without this. λαβὼν τροφὴν , see on Act 9:9 . ἐνίσχυσεν : here used intransitively ( 1Ma 7:25 , 3Ma 2:32 ), if we adopt reading of T.R. which is retained by Weiss. We have the verb, in the N.T. peculiar to St. Luke, used in the transitive sense ( cf. Luk 22:43-44 , W. H., App. , 67, and Plummer, in loco ), and in this sense its use outside the LXX is confined to Hippocrates and St. Luke, Hobart, p. 80 ( cf. 2Sa 22:40 , Sir 1:4 ); but cf. Psalms of Solomon , Act 16:12 . The reading here to which Wendt apparently inclines is ἐνισχύθη (see critical notes), as this would be in accordance with the transitive use of the verb in Luk 22:43 , and other instances.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

there fell from his eyes as it were scales--"This shows that the blindness as well as the cure was supernatural. Substances like scales would not form naturally in so short a time" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. And the medical precision of Luke's language here is to be noted.

was baptized--as directed by Ananias (Act 22:16).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 18. There fell from his eyes as it had been scales] This was real: he had been so dazzled with the brightness of the light that we may suppose the globe of the eye, and particularly the cornea, had suffered considerable injury. The structure of the cornea was doubtless much disturbed, and the whole of that humour would be rendered opaque, and incapable of permitting the rays of light to pass through the different humours to the retina, where all the images of things transmitted through the lenses, or humours, are distinctly painted. In the miraculous cure the membrane was restored to its primitive state, and the opaque matter separated from the cornea, in the form of thin laminae or scales. This being done, the light would have as free a passage as formerly, and the result would be distinct vision.

And arose, and was baptized.] That he was baptized by Ananias there is every reason to believe; as he appears to have been the chief Christian at Damascus. As baptism implied, in an adult, the public profession of that faith into which he was baptized, this baptism of Saul proved, at once, his own sincerity, and the deep and thorough conviction he had of the truth of Christianity.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. There fell from his eyes as it had been scales. The blindness of Paul, as we have said before did not proceed from fear alone or from amazedness; but by this means was he admonished of his former blindness, that he might quite abandon that boldness and vain confidence wherewith he was puffed up. He boasted that he was taught at the feet of Gamaliel, (Acts 22:3;) and undoubtedly he thought very well of his great wittiness, which was notwithstanding mere blindness. Therefore he is deprived of the sight of his body three days, that he may begin to see with his mind; for those must become fools, whosoever they be, which seem to themselves wise, that they may attain to true wisdom. For seeing that Christ is the Sun of righteousness, in seeing without him we see not; it is he also which openeth the eyes of the mind. Both things were showed to Paul, and to us are they showed in his person; for he hath his eyes covered with scales, that, condemning all his knowledge of ignorance, he may learn that he hath need of new light, which he hath hitherto wanted; and he is taught that he must let [seek] the true light from none other save only from Christ, and that it is given by no other means save only through his goodness. Furthermore, whereas being pined with three days hunger, he maketh no haste to receive meat until he be baptized, thereby appeareth the earnest desire he had to learn, because he refreshed not his body with meat until his soul had received strength.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(18) There fell from his eyes as it had been scales.—The description suggests the thought that the blindness was caused by an incrustation, caused by acute inflammation, covering the pupil of the eye, or closing up the eye-lids, analogous to the “whiteness,” that peeled (or scaled) off from the eyes of Tobit (Tob_11:13). Like phenomena are mentioned by Hippocrates, and the care with which St. Luke records the fact in this instance, may be noted, with Act_3:7; Act_28:8, as one of the examples of the technical precision of his calling as a physician.

Arose, and was baptised.—It is clear that both Saul and Ananias looked on this as the indispensable condition for admission into the visible society of the kingdom of God. No visions and revelations of the Lord, no intensity of personal conversion, exempted him from it. For him, too, that was the “washing of regeneration” (Tit_3:5), the moment of the new birth, of being buried with Christ (Rom_6:3-4). It may be inferred almost as a matter of certainty that it was at the hands of Ananias that he received baptism. The baptism would probably be administered in one or other of the rivers which the history of Naaman had made famous, and so the waters of “Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus” (2Ki_5:12), were now sanctified no less than those of Jordan for the “mystical washing away of sin.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales] The word rendered “scales” is used as a technical term for a disease of the eye by Hippocrates, and the verb derived from it is found (Tob_11:13) used of the cure of a disease of similar character. “And the whiteness pilled away from the corners of his eyes.” This “whiteness” is rendered in the margin (Tob_2:10) “white films,” and was clearly something like the “scales” which caused Saul’s blindness, and a process for the cure thereof is called (Act_3:17) “to scale away the whiteness of Tobit’s eyes.” St Paul (Act_22:11) ascribes his blindness to the glory of the heavenly light, and it may have been some secretion, caused by the intensity of that vision, which formed over them, and at his cure fell away. Some have thought that his constant employment of an amanuensis, and the mention of the large characters in which he wrote in his Epistle to the Galatians (Act_6:11) “Ye see in what large letters I have written to you,” are indications that the Apostle suffered permanently in his eyesight from the heavenly vision.

and he received [recovered, and so in 17] sight forthwith] The oldest MSS. omit the last word.

and arose, and was baptized] In the fuller account (Act_22:16) we learn that the exhortation to be baptized was part of the message with which Ananias was charged, and so was divinely commissioned to receive Saul thus into the Christian Church.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it had been scales,.... Which were little thin skins or films, like the scales of fishes, which were formed from the defluxions that fell from his brain, through the excessive light that shone around him, and the surprise he was thrown into by it: these, as soon as Ananias put his hands upon him, dropped off; which were an emblem and representation of the scales of ignorance, of himself, of sin, of righteousness, of the law, of the Gospel, and of Jesus as the Messiah; and of unbelief in him, and of pride, malice, and envy, and of superstition and bigotry, and of error and false doctrine, which, upon his being enlightened by the Spirit of God, fell from him:

and he received sight forthwith; his corporeal sight, which was an emblem of that spiritual sight he had also received: the word "forthwith", or "immediately", is not in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, but seems necessary; and indeed, if it was not expressed, it would be understood; for as soon as the scales fell from his eyes, he must receive his sight: the Ethiopic version places it after the word "baptized", in the next clause:

and arose, and was baptized; that is, after Ananias had appointed it to him, as his duty, had pressed him to it, and called upon him to submit to it without delay, Act 22:16 And this shows that baptism was performed by immersion; for had it been done in any other way, either by pouring or sprinkling a little water, Saul might have kept his seat, and water might have been brought to him, and so the ordinance might have been performed; but he arose and went, either to a bath that might be in Judas's house, fit for such a purpose; for the Jews had their baths to bathe their whole bodies in on certain occasions; or he went to some certain place of water without doors, convenient for the administration of baptism, where it was administered by Ananias unto him. And this also may suggest to us, that only enlightened persons are the proper objects of this ordinance; such as have the scales of darkness, ignorance, and unbelief removed from them, and have a spiritual sight and sense of divine things: hence the ancients used to call baptism by the name of "illumination", and baptized persons "enlightened" ones.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Ver. 18. There fell from his eyes] God also at the same time tore the covering, rent the veil that was spread over the eyes of his understanding, Isa 24:7. See "The Blind Eye Opened" in a discourse on Eph 5:8, by my entire friend Mr Dugard.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As it had been scales - ὡσεὶ λεπίδες hōsei lepides. The word ὡσεὶ hōsei, “as it had been,” is designed to qualify the following word. It is not said that scales literally fell from his eyes, but that an effect followed as if scales had been suddenly taken off. Evidently, the expression is deigned to mean no more than this. The effect was such as would take place if some dark, imperious substance had been placed before the eyes, and had been suddenly removed. The cure was as sudden, the restoration to sight was as immediate, as if such an interposing substance had been suddenly removed. This is all that the expression fairly implies, and this is all that the nature of the case demands. As the blindness had been caused by the natural effect of the light, probably on the optic nerve (Act 9:8-9, note), it is manifest that no literal removing of scales would restore the vision. We are therefore to lay aside the idea of literal scales falling to the earth. No such thing is affirmed, and no such thing would have met the case. The word translated “scales” is used nowhere else in the New Testament. It means properly “the small crust or layer which composes a part of the covering of a fish, and also any thin layer or leaf exfoliated or separated, as scales of iron, bone, or a piece of bark, etc.” (Webster). An effect similar to this is described in Tobit 11:8, 13. It is evident that there was a miracle in the healing of Saul. The “blindness” was the natural effect of the light. The “cure” was by miraculous power. This is evident:

(1) Because there were no means used that would naturally restore the sight. It may be remarked here that “gutta serena” has been regarded by physicians as one of the most incurable of diseases. Few cases are restored, and few remedies are efficacious (See the Edinburgh Encyclopedia’s “Surgery” on Amaurosis.)

(2) Ananias was sent for this very purpose to heal him, Act 9:17.

(3) The immediate effect shows that this was miraculous. Had it been a slow recovery, it might have been doubtful; but here it was instantaneous, and it was thus put beyond a question that it was a miracle.

And was baptized - In this he followed the example of all the early converts to Christianity. They were baptized immediately. See Act 2:41; Act 8:12, Act 8:36-39.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Scales, as scales of fish: it was no ordinary blindness, nor from any ordinary cause, and could not have been cured by common means.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. There fell—Ananias had put his hand upon him, verse (12,) Saul received the Holy Ghost, (Act_9:17,) and what followed? The regenerated and Spirit-filled Saul burst away the bondage produced upon his external sense. Very probably during the three days the humours had dried upon his eyeballs, and as the abounding of his spirit quickened the whole man, the scale-like particles fell from his eyes, thus forming a striking emblem of his renewed spiritual eye-sight.

Arose, and was baptized—Apparently without leaving the room. The interpolation by Lechler of a journey to the banks of some branch of the Barada river is licentious mis-interpretation. There is in the text (whatever there may be in his commentary) no intermediate event or action between the arose and the was baptized. The baptism in this case was preceded by faith, justification, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and even the special bestowment of the Holy Ghost. It follows the regenerating affusion of the Spirit as the physical picture of a spiritual operation—the water-outpouring imaging the Spirit-outpouring.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Straightway for immediately, A.V.; as it were for as it had been, A.V.; received his sight for received sight forthwith, A.V. and T.R.; he arose for arose, A.V. As it were scales (lepidev); scales, or flakes; any thin substance which peals off; a frequent term in Greek medical writers. And was baptized. It is a curious difference between St. Paul and the other apostles that, if they were baptized at all, which is doubtful, they must have been baptized by Christ himself; whereas St. Paul received his baptism at the hands of Ananias. This is one mark of his being "born out of due time." And yet he was not behind the very chiefest apostles.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 17

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. He arose, and was baptized. The account is more fully given by Paul himself (Acts 22:13–16). Ananias said, “Receive thy sight, and in the same hour I looked upon him.” Then, after stating why the Lord had called him, he added: “Why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Note (1) that “tarrying” for weeks or months before baptism was then unknown; (2) that there would be no necessity of “arising,” if water was applied in baptism, but there would be if he had to go to a place suitable for immersion; (3) that the term wash (Greek, “bathe”) implies more than a sprinkling or pouring; (4) that neither Ananias nor Paul (22:16) understood that his sins were remitted before baptism. Compare Acts 2:38 and 22:16.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

18. ὡς for ὡσεὶ with אAB.

παραχρῆμα omitted with אABCHP. Not represented in Vulg.

18. ὡς λεπίδες, as it had been scales. The word λεπίς is used by Hippocrates as a technical term for a disease of the eye, and λεπίζω is found (Tob 3:17; Tob 11:13) used to describe the peeling-process by which such a disease was cured. καὶ ἐλεπίσθη ἀπὸ τῶν κάνθων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ τὰ λευκώματα, ‘and the whiteness pilled away from the corners of his eyes’ (A.V.). λευκώματα is rendered in the margin (Tob 2:10) ‘white films’; they were clearly something like the ‘scales’ which caused Saul’s blindness, and a process for the cure thereof is called (Act 3:17) λεπίσαι τὰ λευκώματα, ‘to scale away the whiteness of Tobit’s eyes.’ St Paul (Act 22:11) ascribes his blindness to the glory of the heavenly light, and it may have been some secretion, caused by the intensity of that vision, which formed over them, and at his cure fell away. Some have thought that his constant employment of an amanuensis, and the mention of the large characters in which he wrote in his Epistle to the Galatians (Act 6:11) ‘ye see in what large letters I have written to you,’ are indications that the Apostle suffered permanently in his eyesight from the heavenly vision.

On the recovery of St Paul’s sight, Chrysostom remarks καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ φαντασίαν τις εἶναι τὴν πήρωσιν, διὰ τοῦτο αἱ λεπίδες.

καὶ ἀνέβλεψεν, and he recovered his sight. Render thus also in the previous verse.

καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐβαπτίσθη, and he arose and was baptized. In the fuller account (Act 22:16) we learn that the exhortation to be baptized was part of the message with which Ananias was charged, and so he was divinely commissioned to receive Saul thus into the Christian Church.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. ὡσεὶ λεπίδες] The recovery of sight is plainly related as miraculous, the consequence of the divinely appointed laying on of the hands of Ananias. And this scaly substance which fell from his eyes was thrown off in the process of the instantaneous healing.

ἐβαπτίσθη] It has been well remarked (Olsh.) that great honour was here placed upon the sacrament of baptism, inasmuch as not even Saul, who had seen the Lord in special revelation and was an elect vessel, was permitted to dispense with this, the Lord’s appointed way of admission into His Church.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There fell - scales [απεπεσον - λεπιδες] . Both words occur only here in the New Testament. In Paul 's own account of his conversion in ch. 26. he does not mention his blindness : in ch. 22. he mentions both the blindness and the recovery of sight, but not the particular circumstances which Luke records. The mention of the scales, or incrustations, such as are incidental to ophthalmia, is characteristic of the physician, and ajpopiptein, to fall off, was used technically by medical writers of the falling of scales from the skin, and of particles from diseased parts of the body. "We may suppose that Luke had often heard Paul relate how he felt at that moment" (Hackett).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.