Acts 8:9-13

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 8:5-13

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 8:9

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:10

To whom they all gave heed ,.... Were not only attentive to the strange things he did, and to the wonderful things he gave out concerning himself; but they believed what he said and did as real things, and were obedient to him: and that from the least to the greatest ; which does not so much respect age, though the Ethiopic version renders it, "from the younger of them to the eldest of them", as state and condition; persons of every rank and quality, high and low, rich and poor,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:11

To him they had regard ,.... Which is repeated from the foregoing verse, for the sake of what follows: because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries ; or because he had, it may be for many years, astonished them with his magic arts, and the pranks he played in the use of them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:12

But when they believed Philip ,.... Though they had been carried away so long with this deceiver, and had been so much attached unto him, and held in admiration of him; yet when Philip came and preached Christ unto them, such was the power that attended his ministry, and such the efficacy of divine grace that was exerted, that they not only gave heed unto him, but believed what he said: preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God ; concerning the kingdom of the Messiah, the Gospel... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 8:13

Then Simon himself believed also ,.... With an historical and temporary faith, as that Jesus was the Messiah, &c.; or at least he pretended, to believe this, and professed that he did believe, what others did, and Philip preached: and when he was baptized ; upon profession of his faith, which he so artfully made, that Philip could not discover his hypocrisy: but taking him to be a sincere believer, admitted him to baptism: after which, he continued with Philip ; kept close to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:9

A certain man called Simon - In ancient ecclesiastical writers, we have the strangest account of this man; they say that he pretended to be the Father, who gave the law to Moses; that he came in the reign of Tiberius in the person of the Son; that he descended on the apostles on the day of pentecost, in flames of fire, in quality of the Holy Spirit; that he was the Messiah, the Paraclete, and Jupiter; that the woman who accompanied him, called Helena, was Minerva, or the first intelligence;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:10

This man is the great power of God - That is, he is invested with it, and can command and use it. They certainly did not believe him to be God; but they thought him to be endued with a great supernatural power. There is a remarkable reading here in several MSS. which should not pass unnoticed. In ABCDE, several others, together with the Ethiopic, Armenian, later Syriac, Vulgate, Itala, Origen, and Irenaeus, the word καλουμενη is added before μεγαλη , and the passage reads thus, This... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:12

But when they believed Philip - So it is evident that Philip's word came with greater power then that of Simon; and that his miracles stood the test in such a way as the feats of Simon could not. read more

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