SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:11
Ahora pues, he aquí la mano del Seor est contra ti, y sers ciego, y no veas el sol por algn tiempo. Y luego cayeron en l obscuridad y tinieblas; y andando alrededor, buscaba quin le diese la mano.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 13:11
Verse 11. The hand of the Lord is upon thee] The power of God is now about to deal with thee in the way of justice. Thou shalt be blind] Every word here proves the immediate inspiration of Paul. He was full of the Holy Ghost when he began this address: by the light of that Spirit he discerned the state of Elymas, and exposed his real character; and, by the prophetic influence of that same Spirit, he predicted the calamity that was about to fall upon him, while as yet there was no sign of his blindness! Mark this! Not seeing the sun for a season.] In the midst of judgment God remembers mercy. This blindness was not to be perpetual: it was intended to be the means of awakening and softening the hard heart of this poor sinner. There is an ancient tradition, and it is mentioned both by Origen and Chrysostom, that Elymas, in consequence of this became a sincere convert to the religion of Christ. Origen says: "And Paul by a word striking him blind, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paul, dia twn ponwn epistrefei auton eiv qeosebeian, by anguish converted him to godliness." And, commenting on-Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun, acri kairou, for a season, asks, "And why for a season? That, being smitten on account of his transgressions, and brought to repentance, he might at last be deemed worthy to see the sun, not only with his body, but with his mind; that the Divine virtue might be proclaimed in restoring him to sight, and his soul, believing, might receive godliness." Com. in Exod., vol. i. p. 117, edit. de la Rue, Par. 1733.
There fell on him a mist and darkness] acluv, achlus, is a disordered state of the eye, in which the patient sees through a thick mist. This thick mist, or perturbed state of the eye, took place first: it increased, and skotov, thick, positive darkness, was the issue.
He went about] pepiagwn. Not knowing how to take a right step, he groped about in great uncertainty; and, not being able to find his way, he sought for some persons to lead him by the hand. This state of Elymas is inimitably expressed in one of the cartoons of Raphael, now at Hampton-court, (and lately engraved, in the true spirit of the original, by Mr. Thomas Holloway,) in which his whole figure expresses the depth of distress, concern, uncertainty, and confusion; and, to use a word common in exhibiting this matchless piece of painting, he is blind from head to foot.
In this manner the text authorizes the painter to express the state of this miserable culprit.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. And now behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee , etc.] That is, the power of God was just ready to be exerted on him in a way of punishment, by striking him with blindness: and thou shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season : so blind as not to see the sun, when it shined ever so brightly: this punishment seems to be but for a time; and some say that Elymas repented, and had his sight restored to him; and after that he returned to his sorcery, and again greatly opposed Barnabas in the island of Cyprus: and immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness ; as soon as ever the apostle had said the above words, a dark mist fell upon his eyes, which began the blindness, and issued in a total one: and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand ; he groped about the room, if he could find, and lay hold on some person to lead him: for he was quickly stone blind, so that he could not guide himself, as the men of Sodom were, when smitten with blindness by the angel; wherefore, though they groped about for the door of the house till they were weary, they could not find it, ( Genesis 19:11) of which the Jews say, as here, that it was h tam hkm , a stroke from God f644 . Blind men need one to hold them by the hand, and lead them, as Samson, ( Judges 16:26) and Saul, ( Acts 9:8). The striking this man with blindness is an instance of the power the apostles were endued with, for the punishing of offenders: so Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for telling a lie: and the incestuous person was delivered to Satan to undergo a corporeal punishment for his incest; as Hymenaeus and Alexander were for their blasphemy, ( Acts 5:5,10 1 Corinthians 5:5 1 Timothy 1:20).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 4-13 - Satan is in a special manner busy with great men and men in power, to keep them from being religious, for their example will influence many Saul is here for the first time called Paul, and never after Saul. Sau was his name as he was a Hebrew; Paul was his name as he was a citize of Rome. Under the direct influence of the Holy Ghost, he gave Elyma his true character, but not in passion. A fulness of deceit an mischief together, make a man indeed a child of the devil. And thos who are enemies to the doctrine of Jesus, are enemies to all righteousness; for in it all righteousness is fulfilled. The ways of the Lord Jesus are the only right ways to heaven and happiness. Ther are many who not only wander from these ways themselves, but set other against these ways. They commonly are so hardened, that they will no cease to do evil. The proconsul was astonished at the force of the doctrine upon his own heart and conscience, and at the power of God by which it was confirmed. The doctrine of Christ astonishes; and the mor we know of it, the more reason we shall see to wonder at it. Those wh put their hand to the plough and look back, are not fit for the kingdo of God. Those who are not prepared to face opposition, and to endur hardship, are not fitted for the work of the ministry.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ νυν 3568 ADV ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S χειρ 5495 N-NSF του 3588 T-GSM κυριου 2962 N-GSM επι 1909 PREP σε 4571 P-2AS και 2532 CONJ εση 2071 5704 V-FXI-2S τυφλος 5185 A-NSM μη 3361 PRT-N βλεπων 991 5723 V-PAP-NSM τον 3588 T-ASM ηλιον 2246 N-ASM αχρι 891 PREP καιρου 2540 N-GSM παραχρημα 3916 ADV δε 1161 CONJ επεπεσεν 1968 5627 V-2AAI-3S επ 1909 PREP αυτον 846 P-ASM αχλυς 887 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ σκοτος 4655 N-NSN και 2532 CONJ περιαγων 4013 5723 V-PAP-NSM εζητει 2212 5707 V-IAI-3S χειραγωγους 5497 N-APM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
11. Mist (acluv). Only here in New Testament. The word is used by medical writers as a name for a disease of the eyes. The mention of the successive stages, first dimness, then total darkness, are characteristic of the physician. "The first miracle which Paul performed was the infliction of a judgment; and that judgment the same which befell himself when arrested on his way to Damascus" (Gloag).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
13:11 {Upon thee} (epi se). The use of epi with the accusative is rich and varied, the precise shade of meaning depending on the content. The "hand of the Lord" might be kindly (#Ac 11:21) or hostile (#Heb 10:31), but when God's hand touches one's life (#Job 19:21) it may be in judgment as here with Elymas. He has not humbled himself under the mighty hand of God (#1Pe 5:6). {Not seeing} (me blepwn). Repeating with negative participle the negative idea in "blind" (tuflos). "It was a judicial infliction; blindness for blindness, darkness without for wilful darkness within" (Furneaux). He was an example of the blind leading the blind that was to cease and Sergius Paulus was to be led into the light. The blindness was to be "for a season" (acri kairou, #Lu 4:13), if it should please God to restore his sight. Paul apparently recalls his own blindness as he entered Damascus. {A mist} (aclus). Especially a dimness of the eyes, old poetic word and late prose, in LXX, only here in N.T. Galen uses it of the opacity of the eye caused by a wound. {He went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand} (periagwn ezetei ceiragwgous). A rather free rendering. Literally, "going about (periagwn, present active participle of periagw) he was seeking (ezetei, imperfect active of zetew) guides (ceiragwgous, from ceir, hand, and agwgos, guide, from ag", one who leads by the hand)." The very verb ceiragwgew, to lead by the hand, Luke uses of Paul in #9:8, as he entered Damascus.
