Acts 8:4-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 8:4-13

Samson's riddle is here again unriddled: Out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong sweetness. The persecution that was designed to extirpate the church was by the overruling providence of God made an occasion of the enlargement of it. Christ had said, I am come to send fire on the earth; and they thought, by scattering those who were kindled with that fire, to have put it out, but instead of this they did but help to spread it. I. Here is a general account of what was done by... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 8:1-4

Acts 8:1-40 is an important chapter in the history of the Church. The Church began by being a purely Jewish institution. Acts 6:1-15 shows the first murmurings of the great debate about the acceptance of the Gentiles. Stephen had had a mind far above national delimitations. Acts 8:1-40 shows the Church reaching out. Persecution scattered the Church abroad and where they went they took their gospel. Into Acts 8:1-40 comes Philip who, like Stephen, was one of the Seven and who is to be... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 8:1-4

8:1-4 At that time a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. They were all scattered abroad throughout the districts of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. Pious men carried Stephen away to bury him, and they mourned greatly over him. As for Saul, he ravaged the church. He went into house after house and dragged out both men and women and put them under arrest. The death of Stephen was the signal for an outbreak of persecution which compelled the Christians to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 8:5-13

8:5-13 Those who were scattered abroad went throughout the country telling the message of the good news. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. The crowds listened attentively to what Philip had to say, as they heard his story and saw the signs which he performed. Many of them had unclean spirits, and the spirits, shouting loudly, came out of them; and many who were paralysed and lame were cured; and there was much rejoicing in that city. A man called... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:4

Therefore they that were scattered abroad ,.... By reason of the persecution in Jerusalem: the seventy disciples, and other ministers of the word; or the hundred and twenty, excepting the apostles, went every where ; or went through the countries of Judea and Samaria, as far as Phenice, Cyrus, and Antioch: preaching the word ; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions add, "of God", and so some copies; the Gospel, which is the word of God, and not man; which was not of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:5

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria ,.... The city which was formerly called Samaria, but now Sebaste; it had been destroyed by Hyrcanus, and was rebuilt by Herod; and called by him, in honour of Augustus, by the name of Sebaste F4 Joseph de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 2. sect. 7. & c. 21. sect. 2. Plin. l. 5. c. 13. ; and so R. Benjamin says F5 Itinerar. p. 38. , that "from Luz he came in a day to Sebaste, היא שומרון , "this is Samaria"; where yet may be discerned the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:6

And the people with one accord ,.... The inhabitants of the city of Samaria, as one man, came to hear the word: and gave heed to those things which Philip spake ; they listened to them, took notice of them, gave their ascent to them, believed and embraced them; being induced thereunto, not only upon the evidence by which these things came, but by reason of the miracles which he wrought, for the confirmation of them: for it follows, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did ; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:7

For unclean spirits ,.... Devils, so called because they were unclean themselves, defiled others, add delighted in impure persons and places; See Gill on Matthew 10:1 . crying with loud voice ; showing their unwillingness to remove, and the irresistibleness of divine power they could not withstand: came out of many that were possessed with them; who had for a long time dwelt in them, and had greatly afflicted them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed ;... read more

John Gill

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

And there was great joy in that city. Both on a spiritual account, for the good of their souls, through the preaching of Christ and his Gospel to them; and on a temporal account; for the good of their bodies, or their friends, being dispossessed of devils, and healed of their diseases. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:9

But there was a certain man called Simon ,.... Who, as Justin Martyr F6 Apolog. 2. p. 69. says, was a Samaritan, and of a village called Gitton; and so a Jewish writer F7 Juchasin, fol. 242. 2. calls him Simeon, השמרוני , "the Samaritan", a wizard: here is a but upon this new church, the success of the Gospel in this place, and the joy that was there; a man of great wickedness and sophistry plays the hypocrite, feigns himself a believer, and gets in among them; See Gill on ... read more

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