Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Acts 8:11

And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them, [ dia (G1223) to (G3588) hikanoo (G2425) chronoo (G5550) ... exestakenai (G1839)] - 'because that for a considerable time they had been bewitched' the perfect tense having an intransitive sense),

With sorceries. This, coupled with the rapidity with which they attached themselves to Philip, strikingly shows both how ripe the people of this region were for some religious change, and how much they lacked fundamental training. If our Lord's stay among them was the cause of the one, the shortness of that stay, and their imperfect knowledge of Old Testament truth, is a sufficient explanation of the other.

Continues after advertising

See also Acts 8:11 in other biblical comments:

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PART II The Witness to Samaria. Saul's Conversion and Peter's Witness in Caesarea. Chapter s 8-12 CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The first great persecution (Acts 8:1)._ 2. The preaching of the scattered believ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SIMON MAGUS. This man had been for some time at Samaria. This is the only account of him in NT; but in the early Fathers and in Christian legend he occupies much space, and he has been the occasion du...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    Those who were scattered abroad went throughout the country telling the message of the good news. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. The crowds listened attentively t...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE FIRST OF THE MARTYRS (Acts 7:54-60 ; Acts 8:1) 8:1 As they listened to this their very hearts were torn with vexation and they gnashed their teeth at him. But he was full of the Holy Spirit and h...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HAD REGARD. Same word as "gave heed" in verses: Acts 8:6; Acts 8:10. BECAUSE THAT... HE HAD. Literally because of (Greek. _dia._ App-104.Acts 8:2; Acts 8:2) their ha

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _And to him they had regard_ Read, _And they gave heed to him_. This is an instance of that fondness for change of expression which is so marked a feature of the A. V. The word in the original is exac...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    PHILIP’S PREACHING IN SAMARIA AND ITS EFFECT...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ἹΚΑΝΩ͂Ι ΧΡΌΝΩΙ, _for a long time_. For the dative similarly used of a space of time, see Acts 13:20. Simon’s birthplace was in Samaria, and it is most probable that he had lived there a great part of...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE CONVERSION OF THE SAMARITANS ACTS 8:5-25:_ Philip went to Samaria and preached Christ and the gospel of His kingdom. (Acts 8:12) Signs and wonders confirmed the message Philip preached. As the go...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΠΡΟΣΕΪ́ΧΟΝ _impf. ind. act., см._ Acts 8:6. ΊΚΑΝΦ ΧΡΌΝΩ _dat. sing._ на долгое время. Temp. _dat._ относится к длительности времени (МТ, 243). ΜΑΓΕΊΑΙΣ _dat. pl._ от ΜΆΓΕΊΑ (G3095) магия, магические...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HE HAD BEWITCHED THEM— _Had astonished them._ Doddridge....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. THE FIRST WORK OF PHILIP. Acts 8:5-13. Acts 8:5 And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. Acts 8:6 And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the...

  • Combined Bible Commentary

    See notes on verse 6...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    4 We now enter the second cycle of the kingdom testimony. Jerusalem and Judea have not heeded its proclamation. It is now offered to Samaria, then it will go to the limits of the earth, and even to th...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    PHILIP IN SAMARIA. SIMON MAGUS The graphic details of the ministry of Philip which follow, were doubtless obtained from Philip himself. St. Luke stayed at his house at Cæsarea, and made the acquaintan...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE ACTS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 8 SAUL *PERSECUTES THE CHRISTIANS, 8:1-4 V1 Saul approved of Stephen’s murder. That same day, the Christians in *Jerusalem suffered very much....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND TO HIM THEY HAD REGARD. — The Greek word is the same as in the “gave heed” of the previous verse. The “long time” during which the evil fascination had been exercised, reckoning backwards from the...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ἱκανῷ χρόνῳ : dative for accusative, _cf._ Acts 13:20, and perhaps Luke 8:29; Romans 16:25 the usage is not classical, Blass, _Grammatik_, p. 118, but see also Winer-Moulton, xxxi. 9 _a_. St. Luke alo...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    FRUITS OF THE SCATTERED SEED Acts 8:1-13 Evidently Stephen was beloved outside the precincts of the Church, for it would seem that the devout men who lamented his early death and carried his poor bod...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The popular outburst against Christianity evidenced in the martyrdom of Stephen was general. Members of the Church at Jerusalem were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. How dark the day seemed to...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Philip Preaching in Samaria Philip, who was one of the seven, went to the city of Samaria. Because the Samaritans were of mixed descent coming from the intermarriage of Jews and Gentiles, the Jews reg...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _He had bewitched them with his sorceries, [1] or magic: he had put them out of their wits, turned their heads, charmed them, stupefied them. (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Dementasset, _Greek: exestakena...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    EVANGELIZATION OF SAMARIA 5-25. Philip, a bright, uncultured layman, sanctified in the Pentecostal revival, _“filled with the Spirit and wisdom,”_ rendering him eligible to the office of deacon, was t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: (10) To whom they all gave h...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We are now arrived at a turning-point in the history, not merely of the church, but of the unfolding of the truth of God, and the manifestation of His ways. The death of Stephen, therefore, has in var...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    11.When he saith that _they were astonied_, from the least to the greatest. For seeing all men, of what estate soever they were, were deluded, what entrance could the gospel have, especially since it...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Saul was present at Stephen's death, and consenting to it. [14] This is the end of the first phase of the assembly of God its history in immediate connection with Jerusalem and the Jews, as the centre...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    TO HIM THEY HAD REGARD,.... Which is repeated from the foregoing verse, for the sake of what follows: BECAUSE THAT OF A LONG TIME HE HAD BEWITCHED THEM WITH SORCERIES; or because he had, it may be fo...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. Ver. 11. _He had bewitched them with sorcery_] It happened in the year of grace 434, that a certain seducer...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _But there was_, &c. At the time when the gospel was thus brought to them by Philip, a man was there, _called Simon, which before- time in the same city used sorcery_ Greek, _had been_ μαγευων, _using...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The conversion of Simon:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AND TO HIM THEY HAD REGARD, BECAUSE THAT OF LONG TIME HE HAD BEWITCHED THEM WITH SORCERIES....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    As a wild beast tasting blood, the Jews were the more inflamed by the martyrdom of Stephen to greatly persecute the Church of God at Jerusalem. For this reason believers were scattered through Judea a...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    AND THEY HEEDED HIM BECAUSE HE HAD ASTONISHED THEM WITH HIS SORCERIES FOR A LONG TIME. 1. Stated again - They heeded him - they listened and obeyed his teaching and instructions, believing they were...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. 'GAVE HEED TO HIM'-Apparently believing that he was also the channel for Divine revelation. 'THAT OF LONG...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    5-13 As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY HAD REGARD; they acquiesced in what he said, and yielded obedience unto it; not only attending to his words with their ears, but with their hearts: so true is that which our Saviour says, 1 THESS...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Acts 8:11 And G1161 heeded G4337 (G5707) him G846 because G1223 astonished G1839 (G5760) them G846 sorceries...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE CONTINUING MINISTRY OF PETER (9:32-11:18). In preparing for the Gentile ministry of Paul, a preparation which has included what we have just considered concerning his conversion and ministry to Je...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who before that time in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that he himself was some great one, to whom they all gave heed,...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Acts 8:11. HE HAD BEWITCHED THEM WITH SORCERIES. Professor Westcott suggests ‘that it would be interesting to inquire how far the magical arts universally attributed to Simon and his followers admit o...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    BECAUSE THAT OF LONG TIME HE HAD AMAZED THEM WITH HIS SORCERIES (δια το ικανω χρονω ταις μαγιαις εξεστακενα αυτους). Causal use of δια with the accusative articular infinitive (perfect active _Koine...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Acts 8:4. _Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord ga...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Stephen had been stoned to death; but with his latest breath he prayed for his murderers. Then this chapter begins: Acts 8:1. _And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a gre...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Saul persecuting Christians. The first missionaries. The case of Simon, the sorcerer. Philip and the Ethiopian. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Saul, Stephen, Philip, Simon, apostles,...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Acts 8:1. _At that time there was a great persecution against the church._ With regard to this very tremendous storm which suddenly burst on the infant church, Cardinal Baronius, in his Ecclesiastical...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But there was a certain man called Simon _ SIMON THE MAGIAN UNMASKED AND PUT TO SHAME This Simon was the first heretic in the Christian Church, the first to claim its fellowship while out of sympat...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 8:9. SIMON.—Not the Cyprian Jew of that name whom, according to Josephus (_Ant._, XX. vii. 2), Felix afterwards employed to persuade Drusilla to leave for him her husband. King...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ACTS 8:1 _There arose on that day _for _at that time there was, _A.V._; in _for _at, _A.V. SAUL WAS CONSENTING TO HIS DEATH. St. Paul's repeated reference to this sad episode in his life i...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    We are introduced now to one of the chief persecutors. A zealous young Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, whose name is Saul. And he was standing by, consenting to the death of Stephen, holding the coa...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Galatians 3:1; Isaiah 44:25; Isaiah 47:9; Isaiah 8:19...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Bewitched. Amazed, as ver. 9...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    PHILIP THE EVANGELIST Acts 8:10 INTRODUCTORY WORDS Philip was a man mighty in word and in deed. He wrought miracles and preached Christ, The people may have talked and marveled at the many palsied a...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Observe here, 1. How long. time this vile sorcerer, by God's permission, and Stan's power, wrought these lying wonders among the pepole: HE HAD OF. LONG TIME BEWITCHED THEM WITH SORCERIES, Acts 8:11....

Continues after advertising