8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. (Acts 9:8-9 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. The change of Saul’s posture; He arose from the earth. He that fell to the earth a persecutor; rises up a saint. O free mercy, and astonishing rich grace! that the earth upon which he lay did not open her mouth and swallow him up alive: He that had run away from God, and employed his feet in the service of the devil, is once more set upon his feet again.
Observe, 2. His blindness and loss of sight: When his eyes were opened, he waw no man. Christ taught him, by his bodily blindness, the blindness of his soul in spiritual things, which till now he was insensible of. As Saul was, so all naturally are, spiritually blind, before regeneration and conversion: True, he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and was a great proficient in human learning, but after his conversion he counted that knowledge no better than blindness, Php 3:7-8 .
Observe, 3. His manuduction or leading by the hand into the city; They hid him by the hand into Damascus. Who led him? Doubtless his companions that came along with him upon his bloody design from Jerusalem. Here the blind lead the blind; those very hands lead him to Damascus which should have haled the saints from Damascus to Jerusalem. But, O Saul! thou hadst a better leader than all these, even Christ himself: he led thee by the hand into the city, in order to the completing of thy conversion: Now happy Saul! though formerly rebellious, who hast thy Saviour for a leader, thou shalt neither wander nor miscarry.
Observe, 4. The duration and continuance of Saul’s blindness; He was three days without sight. This was a long night to him who persecuted the children of the day; a just time for him to be in darkness, who so implacably attempted to blow out the light of the gospel: But perhaps no less time would have been sufficient to humble him for his rage and madness against Christ and his members. Besides, there are some that think that, in these three days of his continued blindness, he had that rapture into the third heaven, which is mentioned, 2Co 12:2. But however that be, doubtless in this time his mind was filled with divine contemplations; and that glorious gospel was taught him in three days, which he taught to others all his days.
Observe, 5. His abstinence from food; He did neither eat nor drink: he spent those three days, we may believe in fasting and prayer, and extraordinary humiliation before God, for his former wicked life, and particularly for his violent persecution of the church of Christ: He fasted to make him more fervent in prayer; for fasting prepares for prayer, and gives wings to prayer.