Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Acts 8:22-23
Acts 8:22-23. Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness Be humbled and ashamed for what thou hast thought, said, and done; own thyself guilty in this matter, and be sorry for it; condemn thy way, and amend it; and be a new creature in Christ. And pray to God He must pray that God would give him repentance, and pardon upon repentance. “Here is so incontestable an evidence of an unconverted sinner being exhorted to repentance and prayer, while he was known to be in that state, that it is... read more
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Acts 8:22
Repent, therefore - Here we may remark:That Simon was at this time an unconverted sinner. (2)That the command was given to him “as such.”(3)That he was required to “do the thing”; not to wait or seek merely, but actually to repent.(4)That this was to be the “first step” in his conversion. He was not even directed to “pray” first, but his first indispensable work was to “repent”; that is, to exercise proper sorrow for this sin, and to “abandon” his plan or principle of action.And this... read more