Acts 7:33

7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ¹ 

Acts 9:8

9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ²  he could see nothing. ³  Leading him by the hand, his companions ⁴  brought him into Damascus.

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¹ sn A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.

² tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

³ sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of deafness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.

⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.