WAS CONSENTING (ην συνευδοκων). Periphrastic imperfect of συνευδοκεω, a late double compound (συν, ευ, δοκεω) that well describes Saul's pleasure in the death (αναιρεσις, taking off, only here in the N.T., though old word) of Stephen. For the verb see on Luke 23:32. Paul himself will later confes... [ Continue Reading ]
DEVOUT (ευλαβεις). Only four times in the N.T. (Luke 2:25; Acts 2:5; Acts 8:2; Acts 22:12). Possibly some non-Christian Jews helped. The burial took place before the Christians were chiefly scattered.BURIED (συνεκομισαν). Aorist active indicative of συνκομιζω, old verb to bring together, to col... [ Continue Reading ]
LAID WASTE (ελυμαινετο). Imperfect middle of λυμαινομα, old verb (from λυμη, injury), to dishonour, defile, devastate, ruin. Only here in the N.T. Like the laying waste of a vineyard by a wild boar (Psalms 79:13). Picturesque description of the havoc carried on by Saul now the leader in the perse... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THEREFORE (ο μεν ουν). Demonstrative ο as often (Acts 1:6, etc.) though it will make sense as the article with the participle διασπαρεντες. The general statement is made here by μεν and a particular instance (δε) follows in verse Acts 8:5. The inferential particle (ουν) points back to verse A... [ Continue Reading ]
PHILIP (Φιλιππος). The deacon (Acts 6:5) and evangelist (Acts 21:8), not the apostle of the same name (Mark 3:18).TO THE CITY OF SAMARIA (εις την πολιν της Σαμαριας). Genitive of apposition. Samaria is the name of the city here. This is the first instance cited of the expansion noted in verse Ac... [ Continue Reading ]
GAVE HEED (προσειχον). Imperfect active as in verses Acts 8:10; Acts 8:11, there with dative of the person (αυτω), here with the dative of the thing (τοις λεγομενοις). There is an ellipse of νουν (mind). They kept on giving heed or holding the mind on the things said by Philip, spell-bound, in a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MANY (πολλο γαρ). So the correct text of the best MSS., but there is an anacoluthon as this nominative has no verb with it. It was "the unclean spirits" that "came out" (εξηρχοντο, imperfect middle). The margin of the Revised Version has it "came forth," as if they came out of a house, a rath... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON (Σιμων). One of the common names (Josephus, _Ant_. XX. 7, 2) and a number of messianic pretenders had this name. A large number of traditions in the second and third centuries gathered round this man and Baur actually proposed that the Simon of the Clementine Homilies is really the apostle P... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT POWER OF GOD WHICH IS CALLED GREAT (η Δυναμις του θεου η καλουμενη Μεγαλη). Apparently here already the oriental doctrine of emanations or aeons so rampant in the second century. This "power" was considered a spark of God himself and Jerome (in Acts 8:24) quotes Simon (Page) as saying: _Ego... [ Continue Reading ]
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_ form and transitive, εξεστακενα). Same verb as in verse Acts 8:9 participle εξιστανων and in vers... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE BAPTIZED (εβαπτιζοντο). Imperfect passive (repetition, from time to time), whileBELIEVED (επιστευσαν) is constative aorist antecedent to the baptism. Note dative case of Philip with επιστευσαν. Note the gospel of Philip "concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SIMON ALSO HIMSELF BELIEVED (Hο δε Σιμων κα αυτος επιστευσεν). Note the same verb in the aorist tense επιστευσεν. What did he believe? Evidently that Jesus was this "power of God" not himself (Simon). He saw that the miracles wrought by Philip in the name of Christ were genuine while he knew... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT SAMARIA HAD RECEIVED (οτ δεδεκτα η Σαμαρια). The district here, not the city as in verse Acts 8:5. Perfect middle indicative of δεχομα retained in indirect discourse. It was a major event for the apostles for now the gospel was going into Samaria as Jesus had predicted (Acts 1:8). Though the... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE (οπως λαβωσιν). Second aorist active subjunctive of λαμβανω, final clause with οπως. Did they wish the Samaritan Pentecost to prove beyond a doubt that the Samaritans were really converted when they believed? They had been baptized on the assumption that the Holy Spirit ha... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS FALLEN (ην επιπεπτωκος). Periphrastic past perfect active of επιπιπτω, old verb. The participle is neuter here because of the grammatical gender of πνευμα, but the translation should be "he" (natural gender), not "it." We should not use "it" for the Holy Spirit.ONLY THEY HAD BEEN BAPTIZED... [ Continue Reading ]
LAID THEY THEIR HANDS (επετιθεσαν τας χειρας). Imperfect active, repetition. The laying on of hands did not occur at the great Pentecost (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:33) nor in Acts 4:31; Acts 10:44 nor is it mentioned in Acts 8:1; Acts 8:14. It is mentioned in Acts 6:7 about the deacons and in Acts 13:3 whe... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN SIMON SAW (Ιδων δε ο Σιμων). This participle (second aorist active of οραω) shows plainly that those who received the gift of the Holy Spirit spoke with tongues. Simon now saw power transferred to others. Hence he was determined to get this new power.HE OFFERED THEM MONEY (προσηνεγκεν χρημ... [ Continue Reading ]
ME ALSO (καμο). This is the whole point with this charlatan. He wants the power to pass on "this power." His notion of "The Holy Spirit" was on this low level. He regarded spiritual functions as a marketable commodity. Money "can buy diamonds, but not wisdom, or sympathy, or faith, or holiness" ... [ Continue Reading ]
PERISH WITH THEE (συν σο ειη εις απωλειαν). Literally, Be with thee for destruction. Optative for a future wish. The use of εις with the accusative in the predicate is especially common in the LXX. The wish reveals Peter's indignation at the base offer of Simon. Peter was no grafter to accept mon... [ Continue Reading ]
LOT (κληρος). Same idea as "part" (μερις), only as a figure.MATTER (λογο). Literally, word or subject (as in Luke 1:4; Acts 15:6), the power of communicating the Holy Spirit. This use of λογος is in the ancient Greek.STRAIGHT (ευθεια). Quotation from Psalms 78:37. Originally a mathematically... [ Continue Reading ]
WICKEDNESS (κακιας). Only here in Luke's writings, though old word and in LXX (cf. 1 Peter 2:1; 1 Peter 2:16).IF PERHAPS (ε αρα). _Si forte_. This idiom, though with the future indicative and so a condition of the first class (determined as fulfilled), yet minimizes the chance of forgiveness as... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU ART (σε οντα). Participle in indirect discourse after ορω (I see).IN THE GALL OF BITTERNESS (εις χολην πικριας). Old word from χολας either from χεω, to pour, or χλοη, yellowish green, bile or gall. In the N.T. only in Matthew 27:34 and here. In LXX in sense of wormwood as well as bile... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAY YE FOR ME (Δεηθητε υμεις υπερ εμου). Emphasis on υμεις (you). First aorist passive imperative. Simon is thoroughly frightened by Peter's words, but shows no sign of personal repentance or change of heart. He wants to escape the penalty for his sin and hopes that Peter can avert it. Peter had... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THEREFORE (ο μεν ουν). Demonstrative ο with μεν (no following δε) and the inferential ουν (therefore) as often in Acts (Acts 1:6, etc.).RETURNED (υπεστρεφον). Imperfect active picturing the joyful journey of preaching (ευηγγελιζοντο, imperfect middle) to the Samaritan villages. Peter and J... [ Continue Reading ]
TOWARD THE SOUTH (κατα μεσημβριαν). Old word from μεσος and ημερα, midday or noon as in Acts 22:16, the only other example in the N.T. That may be the idea here also, though "towards the South" gets support from the use of κατα λιβα in Acts 27:12.THE SAME IS DESERT (αυτη εστιν ερημος). Probably... [ Continue Reading ]
A EUNUCH OF GREAT AUTHORITY (ευνουχος δυναστης). Eunuchs were often employed by oriental rulers in high posts. _Dynasty_ comes from this old word δυναστης used of princes in Luke 1:52 and of God in 1 Timothy 6:15. Eunuchs were not allowed to be Jews in the full sense (Deuteronomy 23:1), but only... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS READING (ανεγινωσκεν). Imperfect active descriptive, not periphrastic like the two preceding verbs (was returning and sitting). He was reading aloud as Philip "heard him reading" (ηκουσεν αυτον αναγινωσκοντος), a common practice among orientals. He had probably purchased this roll of Isaiah i... [ Continue Reading ]
JOIN THYSELF (κολληθητ). See this vivid word (be glued to, first aorist passive imperative) already in Acts 5:13; Luke 10:11; Luke 15:15. Philip probably jumped on the running board on the side of the chariot.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDERSTANDEST THOU WHAT THOU READEST? (Αρα γε γινωσκεις α αναγινωσκεισ?) The interrogative particle αρα and the intensive particle γε indicate doubt on Philip's part. The play (παρανομασια) upon the words in the Greek is very neat:DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW AGAIN (READ)? The verb for read (αναγι... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW CAN I, EXCEPT SOME ONE SHALL GUIDE ME? (Πως γαρ αν δυναιμην εαν με τις οδηγησε με?). This is a mixed condition, the conclusion coming first belongs to the fourth class (undetermined with less likelihood of being determined) with αν and the optative, but the condition (εαν, instead of the usua... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PLACE (ε περιοχη). See the verb περιεχε so used in 1 Peter 2:6. The word is used either of the section as in Codex A before the beginning of Mark or the contents of a passage. He was here reading one particular passage (Isaiah 53:7). The quotation is from the LXX which has some variations fro... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS TAKEN AWAY (ηρθη). First aorist passive indicative of αιρω, to take away. It is not clear what the meaning is here either in the Hebrew or the LXX. Knowling suggests that the idea is that justice was withheld, done away with, in his death, as it certainly was in the death of Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF WHOM (περ τινος). Concerning whom, a pertinent inquiry surely and one that troubles many critics today.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEGINNING FROM THIS SCRIPTURE (αρξαμενος απο της γραφης ταυτης). As a text. Philip needed no better opening than this Messianic passage in Isaiah.PREACHED UNTO HIM JESUS (ευηγγελισατο αυτω τον Ιησουν). Philip had no doubt about the Messianic meaning and he knew that Jesus was the Messiah. There... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT DOTH HINDER ME TO BE BAPTIZED? (Τ κωλυε με βαπτισθηναι?). Evidently Philip had said something about baptism following faith and conversion. Verse Acts 8:37 is not a genuine part of Acts, a western addition. Later baptismal liturgies had it.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF THE WATER (εκ του υδατος). Not from the edge of the water, but up out of the water as in Mark 1:10.CAUGHT AWAY (ηρπασεν). Suddenly and miraculously, for αρπαζω, like the Latin _rapio_, means to carry off. Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:17.WENT ON HIS WAY (επορευετο). Kept on... [ Continue Reading ]
HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL (ευηγγελιζετο). Imperfect middle describing the evangelistic tour of Philip "till he came to Caesarea" (εως του ελθειν αυτον, genitive articular infinitive with the preposition εως and the accusative of general reference) where he made his home and headquarters thereafter ... [ Continue Reading ]