SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:18
Y luego le cayeron de los ojos como escamas, y recibi al instante la vista; y levantndose, fue bautizado.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 9:18
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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 18. And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it had been scales , etc.] 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, ( Acts 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 Judass 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 fwtismov , illumination, and baptized persons enlightened ones.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-22 - A good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's fee with those words, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never di Christ leave any who were brought to that. Behold, the proud Pharisee the unmerciful oppressor, the daring blasphemer, prayeth! And thus it is even now, and with the proud infidel, or the abandoned sinner. What happy tidings are these to all who understand the nature and power of prayer, of such prayer as the humbled sinner presents for the blessing of free salvation! Now he began to pray after another manner than he had done; before, he said his prayers, now, he prayed them Regenerating grace sets people on praying; you may as well find living man without breath, as a living Christian without prayer. Ye even eminent disciples, like Ananias, sometimes stagger at the command of the Lord. But it is the Lord's glory to surpass our scant expectations, and show that those are vessels of his mercy whom we ar apt to consider as objects of his vengeance. The teaching of the Holy Spirit takes away the scales of ignorance and pride from the understanding; then the sinner becomes a new creature, and endeavour to recommend the anointed Saviour, the Son of God, to his forme companions.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ευθεως 2112 ADV απεπεσον 634 5627 V-2AAI-3P απο 575 PREP των 3588 T-GPM οφθαλμων 3788 N-GPM αυτου 846 P-GSM ωσει 5616 ADV λεπιδες 3013 N-NPF ανεβλεψεν 308 5656 V-AAI-3S τε 5037 PRT παραχρημα 3916 ADV και 2532 CONJ αναστας 450 5631 V-2AAP-NSM εβαπτισθη 907 5681 V-API-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
18. There fell - scales (apepeson - lepidev). 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).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:18 {Fell off} (apepesan). Second aorist active indicative (note--an ending like first aorist) of apopiptw, old verb, but here alone in the N.T. {As if it were scales} (hws lepides). Chiefly late word (LXX) from lepw, to peel, and only here in the N.T. See Tobit 11:13, "The white film peeled from his eyes" (elepisqe). Luke does not say that actual "scales" fell from the eyes of Saul, but that it felt that way to him as his sight returned, "as if" (hws). Medical writers use the word lepis for pieces of the skin that fall off (Hobart, _Medical Language of St. Luke_, p. 39). Luke may have heard Paul tell of this vivid experience. {Was baptized} (ebaptisqe). First aorist passive indicative. Apparently by Ananias (#22:16) as a symbol of the new life in Christ already begun, possibly in the pool in the house of Judas as today water is plentiful in Damascus or in Abana or Pharpar (Furneaux), better than all the waters of Israel according to Naaman (#2Ki 5:12).
