Acts 8:28

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 8:27-39

The inquiring proselyte. Give some account of Ethiopia, of the queen of that day, of the office the eunuch occupied, and of the probable means by which he had been made a Jewish proselyte. He was one of those men among the heathen who had been awakened to spiritual anxiety by the ever-working Spirit of God. He may have had some Jewish connections, through whom he had come to know of Jehovah. We can recognize in him: 1. An inquirer. 2. A spiritually awakened inquirer, one who had... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 8:28

And he was for was, A.V. ; was reading for read, A.V.; Isaiah for Esaias, A.V., the Hebrew for the Greek form. The diffusion of the Holy Scriptures among the Gentiles by means of the Jewish dispersion and the facility given to Gentiles for reading the Scriptures by their translation into Greek at Alexandria, and by the universal use of the Greek language through the conquests of Alexander the Great, are striking instances of the providence of God working all things after the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Acts 8:28

And, sitting in his chariot - His carriage; his vehicle. The form of the carriage is not known. In some instances the carriages of the ancients were placed on wheels; in others were borne on poles, in the form of a “litter” or palanquin, by men, mules, or horses. See Calmet’s “Chariot” article.Reading Esaias ... - Isaiah. Reading doubtless the translation of Isaiah called the Septuagint. This translation was made in Egypt for the special use of the Jews in Alexandria and throughout Egypt, and... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Acts 8:26-28

Acts 8:26-28. And After the important affairs above mentioned were despatched at Samaria, and a church was established there, and supplied with proper pastors and teachers; the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip Probably in a dream or vision by night; saying, Arise, and go toward the south Though angels were not employed to preach the gospel, they were often employed in carrying messages to those that preached it, for advice, direction, and encouragement. And it gives us a very high... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Acts 8:26-40

Christianity enters Philistia (8:26-40)From Samaria Philip headed south towards the region of Philistia on the Mediterranean coast (26). On the way he met another non-Jewish person who responded to his preaching. This man, a government official from Ethiopia in north Africa, was already one of the God-fearers and was reading the Old Testament when Philip met him (27-29). However, he did not understand what he was reading. When Philip explained the Scriptures to him, the man learnt the meaning... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Acts 8:28

in = upon. Greek. epi . App-104 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Acts 8:28

And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.The focus of the word of God upon this incident is an amazing commentary on what is important and what is not. For example, we cannot say what kind of chariot this was, or what kind of animals drew it, nor what part of the road marked the encounter described here; we cannot tell the color of this Ethiopian's skin, nor his age, nor the circumstance of his having been made a eunuch, and not even the name of the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 8:27-28

Acts 8:27-28. A man of Ethiopia, an eunuch, &c.— A certain Ethiopian eunuch, a grandee of Candace, &c. See the note on Genesis 37:36. It appears that Candace was a name common to several of the queens who reigned in Meroe, a part of Ethiopia to the south of Egypt. Perhaps the eunuch had been lately brought over to the Jewish religion; to which it is plain he was a proselyte, and so was not much acquainted with the national expectation of a Messiah, and much less with their prophesies.... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Acts 8:28

28. Was returning—Having come so far, he not only stayed out the days of the festival, but prolonged his stay till now. It says much for his fidelity and value to his royal mistress that he had such liberty. But the faith in Jehovah and love of His worship and word, with which he was imbued, sufficiently explain this. and sitting in his chariot, read Esaias—Not contented with the statutory services in which he had joined, he beguiles the tedium of the journey homeward by reading the Scriptures.... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 8:26-40

2. Philip’s ministry to the Ethiopian eunuch 8:26-40Luke recorded this incident to show the method and direction of the church’s expansion to God-fearing Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism at this time. The Ethiopian eunuch had visited Jerusalem to worship, was studying the Old Testament, and was open to instruction by a Jew. Therefore he was much more sympathetic to the Christians’ gospel than the average Gentile. This man appears to have been the first full-fledged Gentile that Luke... read more

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