Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

Acts 8:30

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 (αναγινωσκο) means to know the letters again, recognize, read. The famous comment of Julian about the Christian writings is often quoted: Ανεγνων, εγνων, κατεγνων (I read, I understood, I condemned). The keen retort was: Ανεγνωσ, αλλ'ουκ εγνωσ, ε γαρ εγνωσ, ουκ αν κατεγνως (You read, but did not understand; for if you had understood, you would not have condemned).

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Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

Acts 8:30

Old Testament

New Testament