Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 9:10

"Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I [am here], Lord." — Acts 9:10 (ASV)

A certain disciple. A Christian. Many have supposed that he was one of the seventy disciples. But nothing more is certainly known of him than is related here. He had very probably been a Christian for some time (Acts 9:13), and had heard of Saul, but was personally a stranger to him.

In Acts 22:12, it is said that he was a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there. There was wisdom in sending such a Christian to Saul, as it might do much to conciliate the minds of the Jews there towards him.

Said the Lord. The Lord Jesus is alone mentioned in all this transaction. And as he had commenced the work of converting Saul, it is evident that he is intended here. See the note on Acts 1:24.

In a vision. Perhaps by a dream. The main idea is, that he revealed his will to him in the case. The word vision is often used in speaking of the communications made to the prophets, and commonly means that future events were made to pass in review before the mind, as we look upon a landscape. See Isaiah 1:1; Genesis 15:1; Numbers 12:6; Ezekiel 11:24; Daniel 2:19; Daniel 7:2; Daniel 8:1, 2, 26; Daniel 10:7; Acts 10:3; Acts 11:5; Acts 16:9; see also the note on Matthew 17:9.