Acts 8:25

8:25 So after Peter and John ¹  had solemnly testified ²  and spoken the word of the Lord, ³  they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming ⁴  the good news to many Samaritan villages ⁵  as they went. ⁶ 

Acts 8:40

8:40 Philip, however, found himself ⁷  at Azotus, ⁸  and as he passed through the area, ⁹  he proclaimed the good news ¹⁰  to all the towns ¹¹  until he came to Caesarea. ¹² 

[8:25]  ¹ tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:25]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).

[8:40]  ⁷ tn Or “appeared.”

[8:40]  ⁸ sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.

[8:40]  ⁹ tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:40]  ¹⁰ tn Or “he preached the gospel.”

[8:40]  ¹¹ tn Or “cities.”

[8:40]  ¹² 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.