“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did 2 not open his mouth.
8:33 In humiliation 3 justice was taken from him. 4
Who can describe his posterity? 5
For his life was taken away 6 from the earth.” 7
8:34 Then the eunuch said 8 to Philip, “Please tell me, 9 who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” 10 8:35 So Philip started speaking, 11 and beginning with this scripture 12 proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me 13 from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] 14 8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, 15 and Philip baptized 16 him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but 17 went on his way rejoicing. 18 8:40 Philip, however, found himself 19 at Azotus, 20 and as he passed through the area, 21 he proclaimed the good news 22 to all the towns 23 until he came to Caesarea. 24
1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Grk “does.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the first line of the quotation (“he was led like a sheep to slaughter”), which has an aorist passive verb normally translated as a past tense in English.
3 tc ‡ Most later
4 tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”
5 tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.”
6 tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.
7 sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.
8 tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.
9 tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”
10 sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.
11 tn Grk “opening his mouth” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
12 sn Beginning with this scripture. The discussion likely included many of the scriptures Acts has already noted for the reader in earlier speeches. At the least, readers of Acts would know what other scriptures might be meant.
13 tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”
14 tc A few later
15 tn Grk “and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch.” Since this is somewhat redundant in English, it was simplified to “and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.”
16 sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.
17 tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).
18 sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).
19 tn Or “appeared.”
20 sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.
21 tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
22 tn Or “he preached the gospel.”
23 tn Or “cities.”
24 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.