The Meaning of Acts 9:12 Explained

Acts 9:12

KJV: And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

YLT: and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.'

Darby: and has seen in a vision a man by name Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he should see.

ASV: and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  hath seen  in  a vision  a man  named  Ananias  coming in,  and  putting  [his] hand  on  him,  that  he might receive his sight. 

What does Acts 9:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 9:10-22 - Opened Eyes
How graciously God makes use of prepared souls as partners in the work of salvation! It would have been easy for the risen Lord to have Himself completed what He had begun; or He might have brought a Philip or an Apostle upon the scene. But instead of this He called a comparatively obscure man who was to give Saul the help and counsel he needed, Galatians 4:19. See to it that you are of such a temper that Jesus may commission you to heal the wounds with which He brings His predestined servants to the ground. A little taper may be used to kindle a great light. Though not a great man Ananias was pre-eminently a good man, Acts 22:12. He had his strong prepossessions, but laid them aside at the bidding of Christ. Take care not to entrench yourself too strongly in your prejudices. Be mobile to Christ's touch, while you are strong against all others. What a comfort Acts 9:15 must have been to Paul in after-days! Perhaps the sweetest part of these terms of his commission was unto Me. It was a noble act of faith for Ananias to call him brother. Yet if the Master accepted, the disciple could not refuse. Note that a new convert was bidden in those days to seek the pentecostal gift! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 9

1  Saul, going toward Damascus, is stricken down to the earth,
8  and led blind to Damascus;
10  is called to the apostleship;
18  and is baptized by Ananias
20  He preaches Christ boldly
23  The Jews lay wait to kill him;
29  so do the Grecians, but he escapes both
31  The church having rest, Peter heals Aeneas;
36  and restores Tabitha to life

Greek Commentary for Acts 9:12

Coming in and laying [εισελτοντα και επιτεντα]
Second aorist (ingressive) active participles picturing the punctiliar act as a sort of indirect discourse after verbs of sensation (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1040-2). Some ancient documents do not have “in a vision” here. [source]
Receive his sight [αναβλεπσει]
First aorist active subjunctive with οπως — hopōs (purpose). See again as in Acts 9:17. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 9:12

Acts 9:17 Laying his hands on him [επιτεις επ αυτον τας χειρας]
As in the vision Saul saw (Acts 9:12). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 9:12 mean?

and he saw a man in a vision Ananias named having come having put on him the hands so that he might see again
καὶ εἶδεν ἄνδρα ‹ἐν ὁράματι› Ἁνανίαν ὀνόματι εἰσελθόντα ἐπιθέντα αὐτῷ [τὰς] χεῖρας ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃ

εἶδεν  he  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
ἄνδρα  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
ὁράματι›  a  vision 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ὅραμα  
Sense: that which is seen, spectacle.
Ἁνανίαν  Ananias 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἁνανίας  
Sense: a certain Christian at Jerusalem, the husband of Sapphira Acts 5:–6.
ὀνόματι  named 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
εἰσελθόντα  having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
ἐπιθέντα  having  put 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐπιτίθημι  
Sense: in the active voice.
αὐτῷ  on  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
χεῖρας  hands 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
ὅπως  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅπως  
Sense: how, that.
ἀναβλέψῃ  he  might  see  again 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναβλέπω  
Sense: to look up.

What are the major concepts related to Acts 9:12?

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