John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:1-40
Philip in Samaria. Simon MagusThe 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 acquaintance of his four virgin daughters, prophetesses (Acts 21:8). During St. Paul’s three years’ imprisonment at Caesarea, St. Luke doubtless had much intercourse with Philip, with whose liberal views he was in sympathy. The historical character of the following narratives stands upon a firm basis. In... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 8:27-28
We can see Philip’s yieldedness to the Spirit’s control in his obedience. On the road he met the man who was evidently in charge of the Ethiopian treasury (cf. Isaiah 56:3-8; Psalms 68:31). The name "Ethiopia" at this time described a kingdom located south of modern Egypt in Sudan (i.e., Nubia). It lay between the first Nile cataract at Aswan and the modern city of Khartoum, many hundreds of miles from Jerusalem."When told that a man was Ethiopian, people of the ancient Mediterranean world... read more