And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that Saul's blindness wasn't just a physical ailment; it was a divine interval for profound inner work. For three days, his external senses were suspended, allowing his mind and spirit to grapple with the enormity of his past actions and absorb the revelation he had just received. This period of darkness was essential for his transformation, creating space for intense reflection and prayer before his sight, and his new mission, were restored.
And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just moments after a blinding encounter with Jesus that knocked him off his horse, Saul is brought into Damascus utterly disoriented. He's been humbled and shaken to his core, completely unable to see, and the overwhelming spiritual reality has left him so distraught and absorbed that he can't even bring himself to eat or drink for three days. This period of darkness and fasting sets the stage for his encounter with Ananias, who will bring him the news of forgiveness and his future commission.
Saul was struck blind, but this wasn't just a physical affliction. It was the start of a profound inner transformation.
The three days Saul spent without sight were not merely a passive waiting period. While his physical eyes were closed, his spiritual eyes were being opened.
A World Turned Upside Down
Saul's refusal to eat or drink wasn't a sign of weakness, but an indicator of his overwhelming spiritual focus.
For three days, Saul abstained from food and drink. This wasn't a casual oversight; it was a consequence of his shattered world and the intense spiritual processing he was undergoing.
Ask a follow-up
The Anguish and Awe of Encounter
This intense, disorienting three-day period for Saul wasn't just physical blindness; it was a divinely appointed time for profound inner transformation, where his past actions were confronted, and his future mission was spiritually forged before he could even see.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The foundational events of Christianity, including Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection, which sparked intense religious and political upheaval in Judea.
c. AD 33-34
Early Church Persecution
Saul (later Paul) actively participated in the persecution of early Christians, believing he was serving God by doing so.
c. AD 34— this verse
Saul's Journey to Damascus
Saul was traveling to Damascus with letters to arrest Christians there when he encountered a divine vision of Jesus.
c. AD 34
Ananias Heals Saul
Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, was guided by God to lay hands on Saul, restoring his sight and leading to his conversion.
c. AD 34-36
Saul's Initial Ministry in Damascus
Following his conversion, Saul began preaching in Damascus, boldly proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God.
c. AD 40s
Paul's Missionary Journeys Begin
After a period of reflection and further revelation, Paul embarked on extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches.
Hannah, in her deep distress and anguish over her barrenness, felt she could neither eat nor drink, reflecting a similar state of overwhelming sorrow and focus that rendered Saul insensible to physical needs.
Job 3:3Job's profound grief and questioning of his existence after immense suffering mirrors the deep introspection and despair Saul likely experienced during his period of blindness and fasting.
Daniel 10:2-3Daniel abstained from choice food, ate no meat, and did not anoint himself for three weeks, demonstrating a pattern of fasting and mourning in response to a divine revelation and ongoing spiritual engagement.
Matthew 4:2Jesus, after His baptism and before beginning His public ministry, fasted for forty days and forty nights, showing a parallel in dedicating a period to intense spiritual focus, fasting, and likely deep communion with God, setting the stage for significant work.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4Paul himself alludes to being 'caught up to the third heaven' and hearing 'unspeakable words,' which many scholars connect to this very period of blindness, suggesting his physical deprivation opened him to profound spiritual experiences and revelations.
clarkeActs 9:9: "And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink."
Neither did eat nor drink - The anxiety of his mind and the anguish of his heart were so great that he had no appetite for food; and he continued in total darkness and without food for three days, till Ananias proclaimed salvation to him in the name of the Lord Jesus.
henryActs 9:1-9: "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,"
9:1-9 So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he could against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is a signal token of D…
This verse highlights that Saul's blindness wasn't just a physical ailment; it was a divine interval for profound inner work. For three days, his external senses were suspended, allowing his mind and spirit to grapple with the enormity of his past actions and absorb the revelation he had just received. This period of darkness was essential for his transformation, creating space for intense reflection and prayer before his sight, and his new mission, were restored.
Just moments after a blinding encounter with Jesus that knocked him off his horse, Saul is brought into Damascus utterly disoriented. He's been humbled and shaken to his core, completely unable to see, and the overwhelming spiritual reality has left him so distraught and absorbed that he can't even bring himself to eat or drink for three days. This period of darkness and fasting sets the stage for his encounter with Ananias, who will bring him the news of forgiveness and his future commission.
Just moments after a blinding encounter with Jesus that knocked him off his horse, Saul is brought into Damascus utterly disoriented. He's been humbled and shaken to his core, completely unable to see, and the overwhelming spiritual reality has left him so distraught and absorbed that he can't even bring himself to eat or drink for three days. This period of darkness and fasting sets the stage for his encounter with Ananias, who will bring him the news of forgiveness and his future commission.
"And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank." — This verse highlights that Saul's blindness wasn't just a physical ailment; it was a divine interval for profound inner work. For three days, his external senses were suspended, allowing his mind and…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026