6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 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? 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. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. (Acts 13:6-12 KJV)
Thomas Scott Commentary
Verses 6-12: The apostles went through the large and populous island of Cyprus, preaching in the cities as they had opportunity (doubtless with some success, both among the Jews and the Gentiles), till they arrived at Paphos on the opposite side of it. This city was celebrated for the temple there dedicated to Venus, and infamous for the licentiousness practiced at it. Here the apostles met with a noted sorcerer or magician names Bar-Jesus, or the son of Jesus or Joshua; this man, being a Jew, pretended to be a prophet, and confirming his pretensions by magical arts, was endeavoring to gain the attention of the proconsul of Cyprus, or the Roman governor appointed by the senate.
The proconsul, however, was an intelligent and considerate person, who desired to know the truth in these interesting concerns; and having heard of Saul and Barnabas, he invited them to come and declare the word of God unto him. But Bar-Jesus (who was also called Elymas, from an Arabic word signifying a sorcerer, as it is generally supposed) foreseeing the ruin of his own character and influence in case the proconsul should embrace the gospel, did all that he could to oppose the apostles, and to prejudice him against their doctrine.
It may be supposed that he disputed against the truth of the facts which they testified; misrepresented the nature and tendency of their doctrine; insinuated many things, in a subtle and malicious manner, against their intentions and to their disadvantage; and perhaps he performed some of his lying miracles to support his own pretensions against them. But Saul, under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes upon him, as expressing his abhorrence of his crimes, declared him to be a man full of subtlety, malignity, and mischief; “a child of the devil,” who bare his image and supported his cause; and “an enemy of all righteousness,” notwithstanding his plausible pretences: at the same time sharply expostulating with him, for thus pertinaciously misrepresenting and vilifying “the right ways of the Lord,” that he might countenance his own vile impostures.
He then denounced sentence upon him, as in the name of God, that he should be struck blind; so that, for a season, he should be unable to see the light of the sun; though, in case he repented, the calamity might at length be removed, as a similar one had been in the case of the apostle himself. This sentence was immediately executed by the power of God: and being enveloped in darkness, and filled with horror and confusion, he sought some person to lead him out of the place; an apt emblem of the benighted state of his soul.
This decided victory of the apostles over their opponent, being connected with the other evidences of the truth of the gospel, and made effectual by the power of the Holy Spirit, induced the proconsul to embrace and profess Christianity: for he was astonished both at the energy of the doctrine upon his heart and conscience, and at the power of God by which it was confirmed.—Some think that he was the first idolatrous Gentile who was converted to Christ: but it is not probable that all the Gentile converts at Antioch had previously been proselyted from idolatry; or that Saul and Barnabas had made no converts from idolatry in their progress through Cyprus.
The conversion however of so eminent a person, was a very memorable event. Probably he continued for some time in his high station, serving the Lord Jesus in the use of his authority, and countenancing the professors and preachers of the gospel by his influence and example.—Saul is here said to have been called Paul; and henceforth he bears that name. As this is the same with the proconsul’s surname, some have thought that he assumed it on account of the conversion of this ruler; but it is more probable that before this the Greeks had called him Paul, and the Hebrews Saul; and that from this time, being generally conversant with the Gentiles, he was commonly known by the former name.—Dr. Lardner has, with great learning, vindicated the accuracy of St. Luke in calling the governor a proconsul; and shown that they, who governed the provinces by the appointment of the senate, were called proconsuls, though they had never been consuls; and that Cyprus was at this time a province of that description.