Acts 13 · Verse 11

Acts 13:11

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
Acts 13:11, King James Version

Acts 13:11 in other translations

BSBNow look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
WEBNow, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
ASVAnd now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
YLTand now, lo, a hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season;' and presently there fell upon him a mist and darkness, and he, going about, was seeking some to lead him by the hand;
DARBYAnd now behold, the Lord's hand is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell upon him a mist and darkness; and going about he sought persons who should lead him by the hand.
BBEAnd now, see, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind and not able to see the sun for a time. And straight away a dark mist came down on him; and he went about looking for a guide.
WebsterAnd now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

What does Acts 13:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 13:8-12

8-12. But Elymas--or "the wise." for so is his name by interpretation--the word is from the Arabic. withstood them--perceiving, probably, how eagerly the proconsul was drinking in the word, and fearing a dismissal. (Compare 2Ti 3:8).

Read the full comment on Acts 13:8-12 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 11. The hand of the Lord is upon thee. God shall punish thee. By this sudden and miraculous punishment, he would be awed and humbled; and the proconsul and others would be convinced that he was an impostor, and that the gospel was true. His wickedness deserved such a punishment; and at the same time that due punishment was inflicted, it was designed that the gospel should be extended by this means. In all this there was the highest evidence that Paul was under the inspiration of God. He was full of the Holy Ghost; he detected the secret feelings and desires of the heart of Elymas, and he inflicted on him a punishment that could have proceeded from none but God. That the apostles had the power of inflicting punishment, in many cases, is apparent from various places in the New Testament, 1Cor 5:5, 1Timm 1:20. The punishment inflicted on Elymas, also, would be highly emblematic of the darkness and perverseness of his conduct.

Not seeing the sun for a season. For how long a time this blindness was to continue, is nowhere specified. It was, however, in mercy ordained that the blindness should not be permanent and final. Nothing would be more likely to lead him to reflection and repentance than such a state of blindness. It was such a manifest proof that God was opposed to him; it was such a sudden Divine judgment; and it so completely cut him off from all possibility of practicing his arts of deception, that it was adapted to bring him to repentance. Accordingly, there is a tradition in the early church that he became a Christian. Origen says, that "Paul, by a word striking him blind, by anguish converted him to godliness."--Clark.

A mist. The word here used properly denotes a darkness or obscurity of the air; a cloud, etc. But it also denotes an extinction of sight by the drying up or disturbance of the humours of the eye.--Hippocrates, as quoted by Schleusner.

And a darkness. Blindness; night. What was the precise cause or character of this miracle is not specified.

And he went about, etc. This is a striking account of the effect of the miracle. The change was so sudden, that he knew not where to go. He sought some one to guide him in the ways in which he had before been familiar. How soon can God bring down the pride of man, and make him helpless as an infant! How easily can he touch our senses, the organs of our most exquisite pleasures, and wither all our enjoyments! How dependent are we on him for the inestimable blessings of vision! And how easily can he annihilate all the sinner's pleasures, break up all his plans, and humble him in the dust! Sight is his gift; and it is a mercy unspeakably great that he does not whelm us in thick darkness, and destroy for ever all the pleasure that through this organ is conveyed to the soul.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
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, δια των πονων επιϚρεφει αυτον εις θεοσεβειαν, by anguish converted him to godliness." And, commenting on - Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun, αχρι καιρου, 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 - Αχλυς, 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 σκοτος, thick, positive darkness, was the issue. He went about - Πεπιαγων. 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 13:4-13

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. Saul was his name as he was a Hebrew; Paul was his name as he was a citizen of Rome. Under the direct influence of the Holy Ghost, he gave Elymas his true character, but not in passion. A fulness of deceit and…

Read the full comment on Acts 13:4-13 →

Acts 13:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
νῦνnunnowG3568
ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400
χεὶρcheir[the] handG5495
κυρίουkuriouof the LordG2962
ἐπὶepi[is] uponG1909
σέ,seyou,G4771
καὶkaiandG2532
ἔσῃesēyou will beG1510
τυφλὸςtuphlosblindG5185
μὴmēnotG3361
βλέπωνblepōnseeingG991
τὸνtontheG3588
ἥλιονhēlionsunG2246
ἄχριachriduringG891
καιροῦ.kairoua season.G2540
παραχρῆμάparachrēmaImmediatelyG3916
τεtethenG5037
ἔπεσενepesendescendedG4098
ἐπ᾽ep᾽uponG1909
αὐτὸνautonhimG846
ἀχλὺςachlusmistG887
καὶkaiandG2532
σκότος,skotosdarkness,G4655
καὶkaiandG2532
περιάγωνperiagōngoing aboutG4013
ἐζήτειezēteihe was seekingG2212
χειραγωγούς.cheiragōgousone to lead by hand.G5497

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 13:11

  • Exodus 9:3

    Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

  • Psalms 32:4

    For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

  • 1 Samuel 5:11

    So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

  • Hebrews 10:31

    It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

  • Job 19:21

    Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

  • John 9:39

    And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

  • 2 Peter 2:17

    These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

  • 1 Samuel 5:9

    And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

  • Acts 9:17

    And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

  • 1 Samuel 5:6-7

    But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

  • Acts 9:8-9

    And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

  • Genesis 19:11

    And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
hand.
Ex 9:3; 1Sa 5:6,9,11; Job 19:21; Ps 32:4; 38:2; 39:10,11
thou.
9:8,9,17; Ge 19:11; 2Ki 6:8; Isa 29:10; Joh 9:39; Ro 11:7-10,25
a mist.
2Pe 2:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 13:10

    And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

  • Acts 13:11

    And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

  • Acts 13:12

    Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Read all of Acts 13

Acts 13:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ahora pues, he aquí la mano del Señor es contra ti, y serás ciego, que no veas el sol por tiempo. Y luego cayeron en él obscuridad y tinieblas; y andando alrededor, buscaba quién le condujese por la mano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et maintenant voici, la main du Seigneur est sur toi, et tu seras aveugle, sans voir le soleil pour un temps. Et à l’instant une obscurité et des ténèbres tombèrent sur lui; et se tournant de tous côtés, il cherchait quelqu’un qui le conduise par la main.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und jetzt siehe, die Hand des Herrn ist auf dir! und du wirst blind sein und die Sonne eine Zeitlang nicht sehen. Und alsbald fiel Dunkel und Finsternis auf ihn; und er tappte umher und suchte solche, die ihn an der Hand leiteten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et nunc ecce manus Domini super te, et eris cæcus, non videns solem usque ad tempus. Et confestim cecidit in eum caligo et tenebræ: et circuiens quærebat qui ei manum daret.