The Meaning of Acts 13:11 Explained

Acts 13:11

KJV: 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.

YLT: and 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;

Darby: And 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Acts 13:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul"s stern words recall Peter"s as he dealt with Ananias and Sapphira, and Simon the sorcerer ( Acts 5:3-4; Acts 5:9; Acts 8:20-23). Perhaps Paul hoped that when God darkened Elymas" physical eyesight He might restore his spiritual eyesight, as had been his own experience (ch9).

Context Summary

Acts 13:1-12 - Beginning A Missionary Campaign
This is one of the greatest chapters in the New Testament, making a new departure in the ministry of the gospel, which henceforth begins to pass out to the uttermost part of the earth, Acts 1:8. It is likely that the mother church at Jerusalem was too conservative to lend herself to the pressure of the Holy Spirit, urging to world-wide evangelization, and that he had to employ the more mobile church at Antioch, which was more susceptible to the passion for humanity, since it stood out on the edge of the great heathen world, like a lighthouse on the shore of a desolate sea.
This momentous prayer meeting had apparently been convened to discover the Lord's will as to further developments. As the names indicate, it was composed largely of Hebrew Christians. Note that the Holy Spirit speaks with authority as Christ's Vicegerent, Acts 2:33. Modern missions are His work and He selects His own agents. We should ever seek to co-operate with Him in discovering and setting apart chosen men and women for His work. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 13

1  Paul and Barnabas are chosen to go to the Gentiles
6  Of Sergius Paulus, and Elymas the sorcerer
13  Paul preaches at Antioch that Jesus is Christ
42  The Gentiles believe;
44  but the Jews talked abusively against Paul,
46  whereupon they turn to the Gentiles, of whom many believe
50  The Jews raise a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, who go to Iconium

Greek Commentary for Acts 13:11

Upon thee [επι σε]
The use of επι — 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 (Acts 11:21) or hostile (Hebrews 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 (1 Peter 5:6). [source]
Not seeing [μη βλεπων]
Repeating with negative participle the negative idea in “blind” “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” 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 A rather free rendering. Literally, “going about (περιαγων — periagōn present active participle of περιαγω — periagō) he was seeking (εζητει — ezētei imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō) guides (χειραγωγους — cheiragōgous from χειρ — cheir hand, and αγωγος — agōgos guide, from αγω — agō one who leads by the hand).” The very verb χειραγωγεω — cheiragōgeō to lead by the hand, Luke uses of Paul in Acts 9:8, as he entered Damascus. [source]
A mist [αχλυς]
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. [source]
He went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand [περιαγων εζητει χειραγωγους]
A rather free rendering. Literally, “going about (περιαγων — periagōn present active participle of περιαγω — periagō) he was seeking (εζητει — ezētei imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō) guides (χειραγωγους — cheiragōgous from χειρ — cheir hand, and αγωγος — agōgos guide, from αγω — agō one who leads by the hand).” The very verb χειραγωγεω — cheiragōgeō to lead by the hand, Luke uses of Paul in Acts 9:8, as he entered Damascus. [source]
Mist [ἀχλὺς]
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). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 13:11

Luke 1:66 They laid them up [ετεντο]
Luke‘s explanation in addition to the supernatural events. The expression occurs only in Luke‘s writing (Acts 11:21; Acts 13:11). [source]
Luke 1:66 The hand of the Lord [χειρ Κυριου]
Luke‘s explanation in addition to the supernatural events. The expression occurs only in Luke‘s writing (Acts 11:21; Acts 13:11). [source]
Acts 11:21 The hand of the Lord was with them [ην χειρ κυριου μετ αυτων]
This O.T. phrase (Exodus 9:3; Isaiah 59:1) is used by Luke (Luke 1:66; Acts 4:28, Acts 4:30; Acts 13:11). It was proof of God‘s approval of their course in preaching the Lord Jesus to Greeks. [source]
Acts 3:17 And now [και νυν]
Luke is fond of these particles of transition (Acts 7:34; Acts 10:5; Acts 20:25; Acts 22:16) and also και τα νυν — kai ta nun (Acts 4:29; Acts 5:38; 22:32; Acts 27:22), and even και νυν ιδου — kai nun idou (Acts 13:11; Acts 20:22). [source]
1 Corinthians 9:5 To lead about a wife that is a believer? [αδελπην γυναικα περιαγειν]
Old verb περιαγω — periagō intransitive in Acts 13:11. Two substantives in apposition, a sister a wife, a common Greek idiom. This is a plea for the support of the preacher‘s wife and children. Plainly Paul has no wife at this time. And Cephas (και Κηπας — kai Kēphās). Why is he singled out by name? Perhaps because of his prominence and because of the use of his name in the divisions in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12). It was well known that Peter was married (Matthew 8:14). Paul mentions James by name in Galatians 1:19 as one of the Lord‘s brothers. All the other apostles were either married or had the right to be. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 13:11 mean?

And now behold [the] hand of the Lord [is] upon you you will be blind not seeing the sun during a season Immediately then fell upon him mist darkness going about he was seeking someone to lead [him] by the hand
καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ χεὶρ Κυρίου ἐπὶ σέ ἔσῃ τυφλὸς μὴ βλέπων τὸν ἥλιον ἄχρι καιροῦ παραχρῆμα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἀχλὺς σκότος περιάγων ἐζήτει χειραγωγούς

νῦν  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νῦν  
Sense: at this time, the present, now.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
χεὶρ  [the]  hand 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
Κυρίου  of  the  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἐπὶ  [is]  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἔσῃ  you  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
τυφλὸς  blind 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: τυφλός  
Sense: blind.
βλέπων  seeing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βλέπω  
Sense: to see, discern, of the bodily eye.
ἥλιον  sun 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἥλιος  
Sense: the sun.
ἄχρι  during 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἄχρι  
Sense: until, unto, etc.
καιροῦ  a  season 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: καιρός  
Sense: due measure.
παραχρῆμα  Immediately 
Parse: Adverb
Root: παραχρῆμα  
Sense: immediately, forthwith, instantly.
ἔπεσεν  fell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: πίπτω 
Sense: to descend from a higher place to a lower.
ἐπ’  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἀχλὺς  mist 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀχλύς  
Sense: mist, dimness.
σκότος  darkness 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σκότος  
Sense: darkness.
περιάγων  going  about 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: περιάγω  
Sense: to lead around, to lead about with one’s self.
ἐζήτει  he  was  seeking 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
χειραγωγούς  someone  to  lead  [him]  by  the  hand 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: χειραγωγός  
Sense: leading one by the hand.