Discovery BoxActs 8:1-38
Context8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing 1 him.
Now on that day a great 2 persecution began 3 against the church in Jerusalem, 4 and all 5 except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions 6 of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some 7 devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation 8 over him. 9 8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy 10 the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off 11 both men and women and put them in prison. 12
8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria 13 and began proclaiming 14 the Christ 15 to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, 16 as they heard and saw the miraculous signs 17 he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, 18 crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, 19 and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was 20 great joy 21 in that city.
8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 22 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, 23 from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 24 8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God 25 and the name of Jesus Christ, 26 they began to be baptized, 27 both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 28 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 29
8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem 30 heard that Samaria had accepted the word 31 of God, they sent 32 Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two 33 went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit 34 had not yet come upon 35 any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 36 8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, 37 and they received the Holy Spirit. 38
8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit 39 was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power 40 too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, 41 because you thought you could acquire 42 God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part 43 in this matter 44 because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord 45 that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. 46 8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious 47 and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, 48 “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to 49 me.”
8:25 So after Peter and John 50 had solemnly testified 51 and spoken the word of the Lord, 52 they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming 53 the good news to many Samaritan villages 54 as they went. 55
8:26 Then an angel of the Lord 56 said to Philip, 57 “Get up and go south 58 on the road that goes down from Jerusalem 59 to Gaza.” (This is a desert 60 road.) 61 8:27 So 62 he got up 63 and went. There 64 he met 65 an Ethiopian eunuch, 66 a court official of Candace, 67 queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He 68 had come to Jerusalem to worship, 69 8:28 and was returning home, sitting 70 in his chariot, reading 71 the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up 72 to it 73 and heard the man 74 reading Isaiah the prophet. He 75 asked him, 76 “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man 77 replied, “How in the world can I, 78 unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man 79 was reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did 80 not open his mouth.
8:33 In humiliation 81 justice was taken from him. 82
Who can describe his posterity? 83
For his life was taken away 84 from the earth.” 85
8:34 Then the eunuch said 86 to Philip, “Please tell me, 87 who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” 88 8:35 So Philip started speaking, 89 and beginning with this scripture 90 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 91 from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] 92 8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, 93 and Philip baptized 94 him.
[8:1] 1 tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).
[8:1] 3 tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”
[8:1] 4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:1] 5 sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.
[8:2] 7 tn “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[8:2] 8 sn Made loud lamentation. For someone who was stoned to death, lamentation was normally not allowed (m. Sanhedrin 6:6). The remark points to an unjust death.
[8:2] 9 tn Or “mourned greatly for him.”
[8:3] 10 tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.
[8:3] 11 tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:3] 12 tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”
[8:5] 13 tn The word “main” is supplied in the translation to clarify that “Samaria” is not the name of the city (at least in NT times). See both BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, and L&N 93.568.
[8:5] 14 tn The imperfect ἐκήρυσσεν (ekhrussen) has been translated as an ingressive, since this is probably the first time such preaching took place.
[8:5] 15 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:6] 16 tn Grk “to what was being said by Philip,” a passive construction that has been changed to active voice in the translation.
[8:6] 17 tn Here the following context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned. This term appears 13 times in Acts, but only twice more after Acts 8:13 (i.e., 14:3; 15:12).
[8:7] 18 sn The expression unclean spirits refers to evil supernatural spirits which were ceremonially unclean, and which caused the persons possessed by them to be ceremonially unclean.
[8:7] 19 tn Grk “For [in the case of] many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out, crying in a loud voice.”
[8:8] 20 tn Grk “and there came about,” but this is somewhat awkward in English.
[8:8] 21 sn Great joy. The reason for eschatological joy was that such events pointed to God’s decisive deliverance (Luke 7:22-23). Note how the acts of healing extend beyond the Twelve here.
[8:9] 22 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
[8:10] 23 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:10] 24 tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenh megalh) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”
[8:12] 25 sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.
[8:12] 26 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:12] 27 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[8:13] 28 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
[8:13] 29 sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.
[8:14] 30 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:14] 32 sn They sent. The Jerusalem church with the apostles was overseeing the expansion of the church, as the distribution of the Spirit indicates in vv. 15-17.
[8:15] 33 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the phrase “these two” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[8:16] 34 tn Grk “For he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:16] 36 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:17] 37 tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:17] 38 sn They received the Holy Spirit. It is likely this special distribution of the Spirit took place because a key ethnic boundary was being crossed. Here are some of “those far off” of Acts 2:38-40.
[8:18] 39 tc Most witnesses (Ì45,74 A* C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt sy bo) here read “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, to pneuma to {agion), while a few key
[8:19] 40 tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”
[8:20] 41 tn Grk “May your silver together with you be sent into destruction.” This is a strong curse. The gifts of God are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be purchased.
[8:21] 43 tn The translation “share or part” is given by L&N 63.13.
[8:21] 44 tn Since the semantic range for λόγος (logos) is so broad, a number of different translations could be given for the prepositional phrase here. Something along the lines of “in this thing” would work well, but is too colloquial for the present translation.
[8:22] 45 tn Or “and implore the Lord.”
[8:22] 46 tn Grk “that if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in contemporary English and has thus been converted to an active construction in the translation.
[8:23] 47 tn Grk “in the gall of bitterness,” an idiom meaning to be particularly envious or resentful of someone. In this case Simon was jealous of the apostles’ power to bestow the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, and wanted that power for himself. The literal phrase does not convey this to the modern reader, and in fact some modern translations have simply rendered the phrase as involving bitterness, which misses the point of the envy on Simon’s part. See L&N 88.166. The OT images come from Deut 29:17-18 and Isa 58:6.
[8:24] 48 tn Grk “Simon answered and said.”
[8:24] 49 tn Grk “may come upon.”
[8:25] 50 tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 51 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and could be taken to refer specifically to the warning given to Simon in the preceding verses. However, a more general reference is more likely, referring to parting exhortations from Peter and John to the entire group of believers.
[8:25] 52 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
[8:25] 53 tn Grk “they were returning to Jerusalem and were proclaiming.” The first imperfect is taken ingressively and the second is viewed iteratively (“proclaiming…as they went”).
[8:25] 54 sn By proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages, the apostles now actively share in the broader ministry the Hellenists had started.
[8:25] 55 tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).
[8:26] 56 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[8:26] 57 tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.
[8:26] 58 tn Or “Get up and go about noon.” The phrase κατὰ μεσημβρίαν (kata meshmbrian) can be translated either “about noon” (L&N 67.74) or “toward the south” (L&N 82.4). Since the angel’s command appears to call for immediate action (“Get up”) and would not therefore need a time indicator, a directional reference (“toward the south”) is more likely here.
[8:26] 59 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:26] 61 tn The words “This is a desert road” are probably best understood as a comment by the author of Acts, but it is possible they form part of the angel’s speech to Philip, in which case the verse would read: “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza – the desert road.”
[8:27] 62 tn Grk “And,” but καί (kai) carries something of a resultative force in this context because what follows describes Philip’s response to the angel’s command.
[8:27] 63 tn Grk “So getting up he went.” The aorist participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:27] 64 tn Grk “And there.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[8:27] 65 tn Grk “and behold.” This expression is used to portray Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian in a vivid way. In the English translation this vividness is difficult to convey; it is necessary to supply the words “he met.”
[8:27] 66 sn The term eunuch normally referred to a man who had been castrated, but this was not always the case (see Gen 39:1 LXX, where Potiphar is called a eunuch). Such castrated individuals were preferred as court officials in the East, although Judaism opposed the practice. The Mosaic law excluded eunuchs from Israel (Deut 23:1), although God certainly accepted them (Isa 56:3-5; Wis 3:14). This individual was a high official, since he was said to be in charge of all her treasury. He may or may not have been a eunuch physically. He appears to be the first fully Gentile convert to Christianity, since the Samaritans mentioned previously (Acts 8:4-25) were regarded as half-breeds.
[8:27] 67 tn Or “the Candace” (the title of the queen of the Ethiopians). The term Κανδάκης (Kandakh") is much more likely a title rather than a proper name (like Pharaoh, which is a title); see L&N 37.77. A few, however, still take the word to be the name of the queen (L&N 93.209). BDAG 507 s.v. Κανδάκη, treats the term as a title and lists classical usage by Strabo (Geography 17.1.54) and others.
[8:27] 68 tn Grk “who was over all her treasury, who.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “he” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
[8:27] 69 sn Since this man had come to Jerusalem to worship, he may have been a proselyte to Judaism. This event is a precursor to Acts 10.
[8:28] 70 tn Grk “and was sitting.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[8:28] 71 tn Grk “and was reading.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[8:30] 72 tn The participle προσδραμών (prosdramwn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.
[8:30] 73 tn The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[8:30] 74 tn Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:30] 75 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
[8:30] 76 tn Grk “he said”; but since what follows is a question, it is better English style to translate the introduction to the question “he asked him.”
[8:31] 77 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:31] 78 tn Grk “How am I able, unless…” The translation is based on the force of the conjunction γάρ (gar) in this context. The translation “How in the world can I?” is given in BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 1.f.
[8:32] 79 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:32] 80 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.
[8:33] 81 tc ‡ Most later
[8:33] 82 tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”
[8:33] 83 tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.”
[8:33] 84 tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.
[8:33] 85 sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.
[8:34] 86 tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.
[8:34] 87 tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”
[8:34] 88 sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.
[8:35] 89 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.
[8:35] 90 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.
[8:36] 91 tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”
[8:37] 92 tc A few later
[8:38] 93 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.”
[8:38] 94 sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.
