Acts 8:27-39 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:35

Then Philip opened his mouth ,.... With freedom and boldness, and spoke clearly and distinctly, and expounded the passage to him. This is a phrase frequently used in Jewish writings, especially in the book of Zohar F5 In Gen. fol. 5. 3. 4. & 6. 1. 3. & 7. 1. 2. 3. & 8. 1. 2. 3. & passim. , when they give an account of this or the other Rabbi interpreting any place of Scripture; as for instance, R. Eleazar פתח , "opened", and said, "my sabbaths you shall keep",... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:36

And as they went on their way ,.... In the road from Jerusalem to Gaza; Philip preaching, and the eunuch hearing, and conversing in a religious and spiritual way together; and Beza says in one exemplar it is added, "conferring one with another"; about the person and office of Christ, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it; as appears by what follows, both by the eunuch's request to be admitted to baptism, and his confession of faith: they came unto a certain water ; which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:37

And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest ,.... Intimating, that if he did not believe, he had no right to that ordinance; though he was a proselyte to the Jewish religion, a serious and devout man, and was employed in a religious way, when Philip came up to him, and was very desirous of being instructed in the knowledge of divine things; and yet notwithstanding all this, he had no right to the ordinance of baptism, unless he had faith in Christ, and made a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:38

And he commanded the chariot to stand still ,.... That is, the eunuch ordered his chariot driver to stop; for to him it better agrees to give this order than to Philip; though otherwise the words are so placed, that it would be difficult to say who gave the command. And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him : upon which Calvin has this note; "hence we see what was the manner of baptizing with the ancients, for they plunged the whole body... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:39

And when they were come up out of the water ,.... Which is another circumstance, showing that baptism was then performed by immersion; with this compare Matthew 3:16 and so it is said of the high priest, when he washed himself on the day of atonement, ירד וטבל עלה , "he went down and dipped, and came up" F13 Misna Yoma, c. 3. sect. 4. 6. & 7. sect. 3. 4. ; and so any other person that was obliged to dipping on any account, ירד וטבל ועלה , "went down and dipped, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:27

A man of Ethiopia - Ανηρ Αιθιοψ should be translated an Ethiopian, for the reasons given on Acts 7:2 . An eunuch - See this word interpreted, on Matthew 19:12 ; (note). The term eunuch was given to persons in authority at court, to whom its literal meaning did not apply. Potiphar was probably an eunuch only as to his office; for he was a married man. See Genesis 37:36 ; Genesis 39:1 . And it is likely that this Ethiopian was of the same sort. Of great authority - ΔυναϚης ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:28

Sitting in his chariot, read Esaias the prophet - He had gone to Jerusalem to worship: he had profited by his religious exercises: and even in travelling, he is improving his time. God sees his simplicity and earnestness, and provides him an instructer, who should lead him into the great truths of the Gospel, which, without such a one, he could not have understood. Many, after having done their duty, as they call it, in attending a place of worship, forget the errand that brought them... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:29

Then the Spirit said unto Philip - This holy man having obeyed the first direction he received from God, and gone southward without knowing the reason why, it was requisite that he should now be informed of the object of his mission: the Spirit said unto him, go near, and join thyself, etc. The angel who had given him the first direction had departed; and the influence of the Holy Spirit now completed the information. It is likely that what the Spirit did in this case was by a strong... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:30

Heard him read the Prophet Esaias - The eunuch, it seems, was reading aloud, and apparently in Greek, for that was the common language in Egypt; and, indeed, almost in every place it was understood. And it appears that it was the Greek version of the Septuagint that he was reading, as the quotation below is from that version. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:31

How can I, except some man should guide me? - This is no proof that "the Scriptures cannot be understood without an authorized interpreter," as some of the papistical writers assert. How could the eunuch know any thing of the Gospel dispensation, to which this scripture referred? That dispensation had not yet been proclaimed to him; he knew nothing about Jesus. But where that dispensation has been published, where the four Gospels and the apostolic epistles are at hand, every thing relative... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:35

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:36

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:37

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:38

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:39

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:27

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:28

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:29

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:30

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:31

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