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King James Bible - Acts 9:3

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SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:3

Y procediendo, aconteci� que llegando cerca de Damasco, s�bitamente le cerc� un resplandor de luz del cielo;

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Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 9:3

Verse 3. Suddenly there shined round about him] This might have been an extraordinary flash of the electric fluid, accompanied with thunder, with which God chose to astonish and confound Saul and his company; but so modified it as to prevent it from striking them dead. Thunder would naturally follow such a large quantity of this fluid as appears to have been disengaged at this time; and out of this thunder, or immediately after it, Christ spoke in an awful and distinct voice, which appears to have been understood by Saul only.

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John Gill's Bible Commentary

Ver. 3. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus , etc.] Some say it was a mile from Damascus: though, no mention is made of his obtaining letters from the high priest, only of his desiring them; yet there is no doubt but they were granted him; the design of the historian, under a divine direction, being to give an account of the temper and disposition of Saul; and he having got them, set out on his journey in high spirits, and proceeded on with the same wicked intentions, till he came near the city; where he designed to open and show his commission, and execute his wrathful purposes; but he is not suffered to go into the city with such a Spirit: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven ; which exceeded the light and brightness of the sun, for it was at midday, ( Acts 26:13) and so the Ethiopic version here inserts this clause, �and it was noon time�; which circumstance shows that the light was very extraordinary; and it was an emblem of that inward and spiritual light which was now quickly communicated to him, light being the first thing in the new, as in the old creation; and of that Gospel light he was hereafter to spread in the world.

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Matthew Henry Commentary

Verses 1-9 - So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he coul against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let suc despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is signal token of Divine favour, if God, by the inward working of his grace, or the outward events of his providence, stops us from prosecuting or executing sinful purposes. Saul saw that Just One, ch 22:14; 26:13. How near to us is the unseen world! It is but for God to draw aside the veil, and objects are presented to the view, compare with which, whatever is most admired on earth is mean and contemptible Saul submitted without reserve, desirous to know what the Lord Jesu would have him to do. Christ's discoveries of himself to poor souls ar humbling; they lay them very low, in mean thoughts of themselves. For three days Saul took no food, and it pleased God to leave him for tha time without relief. His sins were now set in order before him; he wa in the dark concerning his own spiritual state, and wounded in spiri for sin. When a sinner is brought to a proper sense of his own stat and conduct, he will cast himself wholly on the mercy of the Saviour asking what he would have him to do. God will direct the humble sinner, and though he does not often bring transgressors to joy an peace in believing, without sorrows and distress of conscience, unde which the soul is deeply engaged as to eternal things, yet happy ar those who sow in tears, for they shall reap in joy.

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Greek Textus Receptus

εν 1722 PREP δε 1161 CONJ τω 3588 T-DSM πορευεσθαι 4198 5738 V-PNN εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM εγγιζειν 1448 5721 V-PAN τη 3588 T-DSF δαμασκω 1154 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ εξαιφνης 1810 ADV περιηστραψεν 4015 5656 V-AAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM φως 5457 N-NSN απο 575 PREP του 3588 T-GSM ουρανου 3772 N-GSM

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Vincent's NT Word Studies

3. There shined round about (perihstrayen). Only here and ch. xxii. 6. Flashed. See on Luke xi. 36; xxiv. 4.

A light. Compare ch. xxii. 6; xxvi. 13.

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Robertson's NT Word Studies

9:3 {As he journeyed} (en twi poreuesqai). Luke's common idiom for a temporal clause (in the journeying), en with the locative articular middle infinitive. {Drew nigh} (eggizein). Present active infinitive, was drawing nigh. {Shone round about him} (auton periestrayen). First aorist (ingressive) active indicative of periastraptw, late compound verb common in LXX and Byzantine writers, here and #22:6 alone in the N.T. "A light from heaven suddenly flashed around him." It was like a flash of lightning. Paul uses the same verb in #22:5, but in #26:13 he employs perilamyan (shining around). There are numerous variations in the historical narrative of Saul's conversion in #9:3-18 and Luke's report of Paul's two addresses, one on the steps of the Tower of Antonia facing the murderous mob (#22:6-16), the other before Festus and Agrippa (#26:12-20). A great deal of capital has been made of these variations to the discredit of Luke as a writer as if he should have made Paul's two speeches conform at every point with his own narrative. this objection has no weight except for those who hold that Luke composed Paul's speeches freely as some Greek writers used to do. But, if Luke had notes of Paul's speeches or help from Paul himself, he naturally preserved the form of the two addresses without trying to make them agree with each other in all details or with his own narrative in chapter 9. Luke evidently attached great importance to the story of Saul's conversion as the turning point not simply in the career of the man, but an epoch in the history of apostolic Christianity. In broad outline and in all essentials the three accounts agree and testify to the truthfulness of the account of the conversion of Saul. It is impossible to overestimate the worth to the student of Christianity of this event from every angle because we have in Paul's Epistles his own emphasis on the actual appearance of Jesus to him as the fact that changed his whole life (#1Co 15:8; Ga 1:16f.). The variations that appear in the three accounts do not mar the story, when rightly understood, as we shall see. Here, for instance, Luke simply mentions "a light from heaven," while in #22:6 Paul calls it "a great (hikanon) light"about noon" and in #26:13 "above the brightness of the sun," as it would have to be "at midday" with the sun shining.