Acts 22:13

What does Acts 22:13 mean?

A plain-English look at Acts 22:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Acts 22:13 means

Ananias comes, stands beside Paul, and declares, “Brother Saul, receive thy sight.” Immediately, Paul looks up and sees him. The address “Brother” signals acceptance into the community he had attacked, a striking act of grace. The healing verifies that God is at work and validates the message Ananias will soon deliver. The immediacy reinforces the miracle’s divine origin and the authority behind Ananias’s words. This physical restoration prefigures Paul’s spiritual commissioning: the one whose eyes were closed to Jesus now sees and will help others see. Healing and welcome become the doorway into service to the Lord he once opposed.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Came to my side and said, Brother Saul, let your eyes be open. And in that very hour I was able to see him.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

having come unto me and stood by <FI>me<Fi> , said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Coming to me and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I, the same hour, looked upon him.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.

Context

Following Ananias’s introduction, verse 13 narrates the restoring act that confirms God’s hand in Paul’s life. The sequence—reputation, approach, healing—prepares for the interpretive word in verses 14–15, where Ananias explains God’s purpose for Paul, and for the summons to baptism in verse 16. This flow ensures that Paul’s testimony rests on both sign (healing) and word (commission), providing the crowd with multiple reasons to take his transformation seriously.

v.12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,

v.13This passage

v.14And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Philemon 1:16

    no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

  • Acts 9:17

    And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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