Acts 9:9

KJV

And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} he was {G2258} three {G5140} days {G2250} without {G3361} sight {G991}, and {G2532} neither {G3756} did eat {G5315} nor {G3761} drink {G4095}.

Complete Jewish Bible

For three days he remained unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

Berean Standard Bible

For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.

American Standard Version

And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
This verse poignantly details the immediate aftermath of Saul of Tarsus's dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus Road, revealing his profound physical and spiritual state. For three days, Saul remained without sight, abstaining from all food and drink, a period that served as a divinely orchestrated crucible for intense introspection, deep repentance, and crucial preparation for his unparalleled calling as the Apostle to the Gentiles.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Acts 9:9 is situated at a critical juncture in the narrative of Saul's conversion. Immediately preceding this verse, Saul, a fervent persecutor of the early church, was on his way to Damascus armed with authority to arrest Christians ([Acts 9:1-2](/acts/9-1-2 "Saul's Persecution and Journey to Damascus")). His journey was abruptly interrupted by a blinding light from heaven and the direct voice of Jesus, asking, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" ([Acts 9:3-5](/acts/9-3-5 "Jesus Confronts Saul on the Damascus Road")). Struck down and physically blind, he was then led by the hand into Damascus ([Acts 9:6-8](/acts/9-6-8 "Saul Led Blind to Damascus")). Verse 9 precisely describes his condition during this pivotal three-day interim before his sight was miraculously restored by Ananias and he was filled with the Holy Spirit ([Acts 9:17-18](/acts/9-17-18 "Ananias Restores Saul's Sight and He is Baptized")). This period of intense helplessness and waiting is also recounted by Paul himself in his later defenses and testimonies ([Acts 22:6-11](/acts/22-6-11 "Paul's Account of His Conversion in Jerusalem") and [Acts 26:12-18](/acts/26-12-18 "Paul's Defense Before Agrippa")).
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The cultural backdrop of first-century Judaism is crucial for understanding Saul's actions. Fasting was a deeply ingrained spiritual discipline, practiced for mourning, repentance, intense prayer, or seeking divine guidance ([Matthew 6:16](/matthew/6-16 "Jesus' Teaching on Fasting")). Saul's complete abstinence from food and drink for three days would have been recognized by his contemporaries as an act of profound spiritual distress and earnest seeking. Furthermore, blindness, while a common physical ailment, often carried symbolic weight in ancient thought, sometimes signifying divine judgment or, more broadly, an inability to perceive truth. Saul's physical blindness thus powerfully mirrored his prior spiritual inability to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Damascus, a prominent city and a significant center for Jewish communities outside of Judea, was also an early hub for Christian believers, making it a fitting stage for this dramatic conversion.
* **Key Themes:** Acts 9:9 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Acts and the broader New Testament. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Sovereignty and Transformative Grace**, as God unilaterally intervenes in Saul's life, initiating a radical conversion that fundamentally reorients his entire existence. This verse highlights the theme of **Profound Humiliation and Dependence**, as the zealous, self-assured Saul is rendered utterly helpless, reliant on others and unable to sustain himself, a physical state that powerfully underscores his newfound spiritual dependence on God. His physical blindness serves as potent **Symbolism for Spiritual Blindness and Subsequent Enlightenment**, illustrating his prior inability to see the truth of Christ and foreshadowing the spiritual vision he would gain as an apostle ([2 Corinthians 4:4](/2_corinthians/4-4 "The God of This World Has Blinded the Minds")). Finally, this three-day period underscores the theme of **Preparation for Ministry**, functioning as a crucial, divinely appointed time of internal processing, repentance, and spiritual realignment before Saul could embark on his monumental calling as the Apostle to the Gentiles ([Galatians 1:15-17](/galatians/1-15-17 "Paul's Call and Initial Response")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **days (Greek, _hēméra'_):** This word refers to a time space, literally between dawn and dark, or a full 24-hour period. In this context, "three days" signifies a specific, divinely appointed duration, often used in biblical narratives to denote a period of significant transition, testing, or divine revelation, as seen in Jonah's time in the fish or Christ's resurrection. For Saul, it was a concentrated interval for profound spiritual processing and reorientation.
* **sight (Greek, _blépō'_):** Meaning "to look at," "perceive," or "see," this term highlights Saul's physical inability to see. Beyond the literal, it carries a strong figurative sense of spiritual perception. Saul, who previously saw Christians as enemies of God and persecuted them, was now physically unable to see, symbolizing his prior spiritual blindness to the truth of Jesus as the Messiah and the true path of God.
* **eat (Greek, _phágō'_):** This primary verb means "to eat" or "to partake of food." Coupled with "nor drink," it indicates a complete fast. This abstinence was not merely a physical consequence of his trauma but a deliberate act of profound spiritual distress, repentance, and intense seeking of God's will. It signifies a state of deep humility and dependence, characteristic of biblical fasting.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he was three days without sight":** This clause immediately establishes Saul's physical condition following his encounter with Christ. The sudden, supernatural blindness was a direct consequence of the overwhelming divine light and revelation. The "three days" is a significant temporal marker, indicating a period of complete sensory deprivation and physical helplessness. This duration prevented immediate action, forcing Saul into a state of absolute dependence and intense inner reflection, a necessary prelude to his spiritual transformation.
* **"and neither did eat nor drink":** This second clause describes Saul's complete abstinence from food and water during these three days. While physical shock might have initially contributed to this, the duration and completeness suggest a deliberate, spiritual fast. This act signifies profound mourning, deep repentance for his past persecution of believers, and an intense, desperate seeking of God's will. It marks a period of stripping away self-reliance and worldly sustenance, preparing him for a new kind of spiritual nourishment and purpose.

#### Literary Devices
Acts 9:9 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological meaning. Most prominent is **Symbolism**, where Saul's physical blindness serves as a powerful symbol of his prior spiritual blindness to the truth of Jesus Christ. His inability to see physically mirrors his inability to perceive God's true path, and the subsequent restoration of his sight will symbolize his spiritual enlightenment. The act of fasting, abstaining from food and drink, also carries significant symbolic weight, representing a period of deep repentance, mourning, and intense spiritual seeking. Furthermore, there is an element of **Irony** in the narrative: Saul, the powerful and zealous persecutor, is rendered utterly helpless and dependent, a stark reversal of his former authority. This humiliation sets the stage for his transformation into a humble servant of Christ. The three-day period itself can be seen as a form of **Preparation** or **Crucible**, a divinely orchestrated interval designed to break Saul's self-will and prepare him for his monumental calling, foreshadowing the profound internal work necessary before external ministry.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Acts 9:9 underscores the profound theological truth of God's sovereign intervention in human lives, even those most resistant to His will. Saul's experience demonstrates that true spiritual sight often requires a period of physical or metaphorical blindness, stripping away self-reliance and worldly perspectives to embrace divine truth. His three days of fasting and blindness represent a divinely appointed season of brokenness, repentance, and reorientation, highlighting the necessity of deep humility and dependence on God for genuine transformation and preparation for ministry. This period of intense introspection allowed Saul to grapple with the reality of the Risen Christ and the implications for his entire worldview, moving him from a position of opposition to one of absolute submission.

* [Isaiah 6:9-10](/isaiah/6-9-10 "The People's Blindness and Deafness")
* [2 Corinthians 4:6](/2_corinthians/4-6 "God's Light in Our Hearts")
* [Matthew 4:2](/matthew/4-2 "Jesus' Forty-Day Fast")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Acts 9:9 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It reminds us that God's transformative power can reach anyone, regardless of their past actions or perceived resistance. Just as Saul was humbled and stripped of his former vision, we too may experience periods of "blindness" or helplessness – times of uncertainty, waiting, or even suffering – which God uses to reorient our perspective, deepen our dependence on Him, and prepare us for new purposes. This verse challenges us to consider how we respond to such crucibles: do we resist, or do we embrace the opportunity for introspection, repentance, and spiritual growth? Saul's immediate and complete submission, expressed through his fasting and waiting, serves as a powerful example of yielding to God's sovereign work, trusting that even in darkness, He is preparing us for a clearer vision and a more profound calling.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "blind spots" in my own life might God be trying to reveal to me, prompting a deeper spiritual vision?**
* **How do I respond to periods of waiting, uncertainty, or helplessness, and how can I embrace them as opportunities for deeper dependence on God?**
* **In what ways might God be calling me to a period of spiritual introspection or "fasting" (not just from food, but from distractions) to prepare me for His purposes?**

### FAQ
**Why was Saul blind for exactly three days?**

Answer: The duration of "three days" is highly significant in biblical narrative, often symbolizing a period of divine intervention, transition, or profound revelation. It's seen in the sign of Jonah ([Jonah 1:17](/jonah/1-17 "Jonah in the Fish for Three Days")) and most notably in Christ's resurrection on the third day ([Luke 24:46](/luke/24-46 "The Christ Must Suffer and Rise")). For Saul, this period was not arbitrary; it served as a divinely appointed time of intense spiritual processing, repentance, and preparation. It forced him into complete dependence, allowing him to internalize the reality of his encounter with the Risen Christ and to be stripped of his former worldview before receiving his new commission.

**Was Saul's fasting a deliberate act or a consequence of his trauma?**

Answer: While the shock of his encounter with Christ certainly would have impacted his physical state, the complete abstinence from both food and drink for three full days suggests more than just trauma. It aligns with the biblical practice of fasting as a spiritual discipline for deep mourning, repentance, and intense seeking of God's will. It's highly probable that Saul, a devout Jew, understood the spiritual significance of such an act and deliberately engaged in this fast as a profound expression of his repentance and submission to the God he had just encountered ([Matthew 6:16](/matthew/6-16 "Jesus' Teaching on Fasting")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Acts 9:9, while detailing Saul's personal transformation, powerfully points to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Saul's physical blindness, caused by the overwhelming light of Christ, is a vivid illustration of humanity's spiritual blindness without the illuminating truth of the Gospel. Just as Christ came as the [light of the world](/john/8-12 "John 8:12 - Jesus, the Light of the World"), Saul's encounter shows that only through Him can true spiritual sight be gained. His three days of darkness and fasting parallel Christ's own journey of suffering and death, culminating in resurrection on the third day, signifying a new creation. Saul's experience of being stripped of his former identity and self-reliance, then being filled with the Holy Spirit and commissioned for a new purpose, mirrors the believer's journey of dying to self and being raised to new life in Christ ([Romans 6:4](/romans/6-4 "Buried with Christ and Raised to New Life")). Ultimately, Saul's conversion and subsequent ministry, initiated by this profound encounter, are a testament to Christ's power to redeem even the fiercest opponents and to transform them into instruments for His kingdom, fulfilling His mission to call all people to Himself ([John 12:32](/john/12-32 "John 12:32 - Jesus Will Draw All People to Himself")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Esther 4:16

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which [is] not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

2 Chronicles 33:18

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they [are written] in the book of the kings of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:19

His prayer also, and [how God] was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they [are] written among the sayings of the seers.

2 Chronicles 33:12

And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

2 Chronicles 33:13

And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he [was] God.

Jonah 3:6

For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

Jonah 3:8

But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.