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At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
Acts 26:13 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
  • BSB About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
  • NKJV at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
  • NASB at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me.
  • NLT About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Paul describes seeing at midday a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around him and his companions. He recounts the dazzling appearance of the risen Christ.

Overview

At noon, when the sun was strongest, an even greater light revealed the glory of the risen and exalted Jesus. This third account of Paul's conversion in Acts stresses the overwhelming, supernatural nature of the encounter. The blazing light testifies that the crucified Jesus lives in glory, confronting Paul, and every hearer, with the reality of the risen Lord.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Rev 21:23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
  • Rev 1:16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
  • Acts 22:6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
  • Matt 17:2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
  • Acts 9:3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
  • Isa 30:26Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
  • Isa 24:23Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 26:13YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 26:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.