Acts · Catholic Public Domain Version
Acts 8 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 Now in those days, there occurred a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.
1 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ διωγμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις· πάντες δὲ διεσπάρησαν κατὰ τὰς χώρας τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Σαμαρείας, πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων.
2 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
2 συνεκόμισαν δὲ τὸν Στέφανον ἄνδρες εὐλαβεῖς καὶ ἐποίησαν κοπετὸν μέγαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ.
3 Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison.
3 Σαῦλος δὲ ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους εἰσπορευόμενος, σύρων τε ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας παρεδίδου εἰς φυλακήν.
4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
4 Οἱ μὲν οὖν διασπαρέντες διῆλθον εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν λόγον.
5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
5 Φίλιππος δὲ κατελθὼν εἰς πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείας ἐκήρυσσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Χριστόν.
6 And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing.
6 προσεῖχον δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι τοῖς λεγομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν αὐτοὺς καὶ βλέπειν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει.
7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
7 πολλῶν γὰρ τῶν ἐχόντων πνεύματα ἀκάθαρτα βοῶντα φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ἐξήρχετο, πολλοὶ δὲ παραλελυμένοι καὶ χωλοὶ ἐθεραπεύθησαν,
8 And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
8 καὶ ἐγένετο χαρὰ μεγάλη ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ.
9 Therefore, there was great gladness in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, claiming himself to be someone great.
9 Ἀνὴρ δέ τις ὀνόματι Σίμων προϋπῆρχεν ἐν τῇ πόλει μαγεύων καὶ ἐξιστῶν τὸ ἔθνος τῆς Σαμαρείας, λέγων εἶναί τινα ἑαυτὸν μέγαν·
10 And to all those who would listen, from the least even to the greatest, he was saying: “Here is the power of God, which is called great.”
10 ᾧ προσεῖχον πάντες ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου λέγοντες· οὗτός ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ μεγάλη.
11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
11 προσεῖχον δὲ αὐτῷ διὰ τὸ ἱκανῷ χρόνῳ ταῖς μαγείαις ἐξεστακέναι αὐτούς.
12 Yet truly, once they had believed Philip, who was evangelizing the kingdom of God, both men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
12 ὅτε δὲ ἐπίστευσαν τῷ Φιλίππῳ εὐαγγελιζομένῳ τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐβαπτίζοντο ἄνδρες τε καὶ γυναῖκες.
13 Then Simon himself also believed and, when he had been baptized, he adhered to Philip. And now, seeing also the greatest signs and miracles being wrought, he was amazed and stupefied.
13 ὁ δὲ Σίμων καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίστευσε, καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ἦν προσκαρτερῶν τῷ Φιλίππῳ, θεωρῶν τε δυνάμεις καὶ σημεῖα γινόμενα ἐξίστατο.
14 Now when the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
14 Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀπόστολοι ὅτι δέδεκται ἡ Σαμάρεια τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην·
15 And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
15 οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσι Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον·
16 For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
16 οὔπω γὰρ ἦν ἐπ᾽ οὐδενὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιπεπτωκός, μόνον δὲ βεβαπτισμένοι ὑπῆρχον εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
17 τότε ἐπετίθουν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς, καὶ ἐλάμβανον Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον.
18 But when Simon had seen that, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
18 ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Σίμων ὅτι διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων δίδοται τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, προσήνεγκεν αὐτοῖς χρήματα
19 saying, “Give this power to me also, so that on whomever I will lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him:
19 λέγων· δότε κἀμοὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, ἵνα ᾧ ἐὰν ἐπιθῶ τὰς χεῖρας λαμβάνῃ Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον.
20 “Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money.
20 Πέτρος δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνόμισας διὰ χρημάτων κτᾶσθαι.
21 There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.
21 οὐκ ἔστι σοι μερὶς οὐδὲ κλῆρος ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ· ἡ γὰρ καρδία σου οὐκ ἔστιν εὐθεῖα ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
22 And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.
22 μετανόησον οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας σου ταύτης, καὶ δεήθητι τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰ ἄρα ἀφεθήσεταί σοι ἡ ἐπίνοια τῆς καρδίας σου·
23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
23 εἰς γὰρ χολὴν πικρίας καὶ σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας ὁρῶ σε ὄντα.
24 Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
24 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Σίμων εἶπε· δεήθητε ὑμεῖς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὅπως μηδὲν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ὧν εἰρήκατε.
25 And indeed, after testifying and speaking the Word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and they evangelized the many regions of the Samaritans.
25 Οἱ μὲν οὖν διαμαρτυράμενοι καὶ λαλήσαντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, πολλάς τε κώμας τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν εὐηγγελίσαντο.
26 Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert.”
26 Ἄγγελος δὲ Κυρίου ἐλάλησε πρὸς Φίλιππον λέγων· ἀνάστηθι καὶ πορεύου κατὰ μεσημβρίαν ἐπὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν καταβαίνουσαν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς Γάζαν· αὕτη ἐστὶν ἔρημος.
27 And rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship.
27 καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ Αἰθίοψ εὐνοῦχος δυνάστης Κανδάκης τῆς βασιλίσσης Αἰθιόπων, ὃς ἦν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γάζης αὐτῆς, ὃς ἐληλύθει προσκυνήσων εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ,
28 And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
28 ἦν τε ὑποστρέφων καὶ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἅρματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεγίνωσκε τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
29 εἶπε δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τῷ Φιλίππῳ· πρόσελθε καὶ κολλήθητι τῷ ἅρματι τούτῳ.
30 And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”
30 προσδραμὼν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ ἀναγινώσκοντος τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν, καὶ εἶπεν· ἆρά γε γινώσκεις ἃ ἀναγινώσκεις;
31 And he said, “But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?” And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him.
31 ὁ δὲ εἶπε· πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην, ἐὰν μή τις ὁδηγήσῃ με; παρεκάλεσέ τε τὸν Φίλιππον ἀναβάντα καθίσαι σὺν αὐτῷ.
32 Now the place in Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth.
32 ἡ δὲ περιοχὴ τῆς γραφῆς ἣν ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἦν αὕτη· ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη· καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ.
33 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
33 ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν δὲ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ.
34 Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?”
34 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ εὐνοῦχος τῷ Φιλίππῳ εἶπε· δέομαί σου, περὶ τίνος ὁ προφήτης λέγει τοῦτο; περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἢ περὶ ἑτέρου τινός;
35 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
35 ἀνοίξας δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης εὐηγγελίσατο αὐτῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
36◆ And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: “There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?”
36 ὡς δὲ ἐπορεύοντο κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, ἦλθον ἐπί τι ὕδωρ, καί φησιν ὁ εὐνοῦχος· ἰδοὺ ὕδωρ· τί κωλύει με βαπτισθῆναι;
37◆ Then Philip said, “If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted.” And he responded by saying, “I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ.”
37 [εἶπε δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος· εἰ πιστεύεις ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας, ἔξεστιν. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ εἶπε· πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.]
38◆ And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
38 καὶ ἐκέλευσε στῆναι τὸ ἅρμα, καὶ κατέβησαν ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅ τε Φίλιππος καὶ ὁ εὐνοῦχος, καὶ ἐβάπτισεν αὐτόν.
39 And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing.
39 ὅτε δὲ ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος, Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἥρπασε τὸν Φίλιππον, καὶ οὐκ εἶδεν αὐτὸν οὐκέτι ὁ εὐνοῦχος· ἐπορεύετο γὰρ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ χαίρων.
40 Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.
40 Φίλιππος δὲ εὑρέθη εἰς Ἄζωτον, καὶ διερχόμενος εὐηγγελίζετο τὰς πόλεις πάσας ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς Καισάρειαν.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Philip
One of the seven chosen at Jerusalem; he preached in Samaria, baptized the Ethiopian official, and later hosted Paul at Caesarea with his four prophesying daughters.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5; Acts 8:5; Acts 8:38
Simon
A sorcerer in Samaria who believed and was baptized, then tried to buy the power to give the Holy Spirit and was rebuked by Peter.
Cited in the guide: Acts 8:9; Acts 8:13; Acts 8:18
Cross references (39)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Daniel 3:16–18; Acts 22:20; Acts 5:40; Acts 1:8; Acts 7:58
- 2 Genesis 50:10–11; Jeremiah 22:18; Genesis 23:2; 2 Chronicles 35:25; 2 Chronicles 32:33
- 3 1 Timothy 1:13; Philippians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Acts 9:21
- 4 Matthew 10:23; Acts 11:19; Acts 8:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Acts 15:35
- 5 Acts 6:5; Acts 21:8; Acts 8:40; Acts 8:35–36; Acts 5:42
- 6 John 4:41–42; Matthew 20:15–16; Acts 13:44; 2 Chronicles 30:12
- 7 Matthew 10:1; Acts 14:8–10; Mark 16:17–18; Acts 5:16; Hebrews 2:4
- 8 Acts 13:52; Psalm 96:10–12; Acts 13:48; Luke 2:10–11; Romans 15:9–12
- 9 Acts 13:6; John 7:18; Acts 5:36; Exodus 8:18–19; Acts 19:18–20
- 10 2 Peter 2:2; Revelation 13:3; Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 8:10; Jonah 3:5
- 11 Acts 8:9; Galatians 3:1; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 47:9–13; Isaiah 44:25
- 12 Acts 2:38; Acts 1:3; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; 1 Peter 3:21
- 13 Acts 19:11; Acts 8:6–7; John 5:20; John 8:30–31; Mark 16:17
- 14 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Acts 8:1; Galatians 2:9; Acts 2:41
- 15 Acts 2:38; John 16:23–24; Matthew 18:19; John 14:13–14; Philippians 1:19
- 16 Acts 2:38; Acts 19:2; Matthew 28:19; Acts 19:5–6; Acts 11:15–17
- 17 Acts 19:6; Acts 6:6; 2 Timothy 1:6; Acts 8:18; Acts 2:4
- 18 1 Timothy 6:5; Matthew 10:8; 2 Kings 8:9; Ezekiel 13:19; 2 Kings 5:15–16
- 19 Luke 14:7–11; Matthew 18:1–3; 3 John 9; John 5:44; Acts 8:17
- 20 Daniel 5:17; Acts 2:38; Matthew 10:8; Revelation 18:15; 2 Peter 2:14–17
- 21 Hebrews 4:13; Matthew 6:22–24; Psalm 36:1; John 21:17; Revelation 22:19
- 22 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Daniel 4:27; Hebrews 4:12; Acts 9:11; Luke 11:9–13
- 23 Isaiah 58:6; Proverbs 5:22; John 8:34; Hebrews 12:15; Titus 3:3
- 24 Exodus 8:8; Numbers 21:7; Job 42:8; Genesis 20:7; James 5:16
- 25 Acts 20:21; Acts 28:23; 1 Peter 5:12; Acts 28:28; Acts 8:40
- 26 2 Kings 1:3; Acts 5:19; Hebrews 1:14; Acts 27:23; Acts 12:23
- 27 Zephaniah 3:10; Psalm 68:31; Isaiah 56:3–8; Jeremiah 38:7; Psalm 87:4
- 28 Colossians 3:16; Isaiah 1:1; Acts 28:25; Proverbs 2:1–6; 2 Timothy 3:15–17
- 29 Acts 10:19; Acts 11:12; Acts 13:2–4; Acts 20:22–23; Acts 16:6–7
- 30 Luke 24:44–45; John 5:39; Ephesians 5:17; Matthew 15:10; Matthew 13:23
- 31 Romans 10:14; Isaiah 29:18–19; Psalm 73:16–17; Proverbs 30:2–3; Psalm 25:8–9
- 32 Isaiah 53:7–8; 1 Peter 2:21–24; Jeremiah 51:40; Jeremiah 11:19; Romans 8:36
- 33 Isaiah 53:12; Isaiah 53:8; Philippians 2:8–9; Zechariah 13:7; Isaiah 53:10
- 34 Matthew 15:15; Matthew 13:36; Matthew 2:2–4
- 35 Luke 24:27; Acts 18:28; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Acts 28:23; Matthew 5:2
- 36 Acts 10:47; John 3:5; John 3:23; Titus 3:5–6; 1 John 5:6
- 38 John 4:1; John 3:22–23
- 39 1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 43:5; Ezekiel 11:1
- 40 Acts 21:8; Acts 23:33; Acts 25:4; Acts 10:1; Acts 23:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- Acts 8:37: the eunuch’s confession of faith
In some Bibles, before Philip baptizes the Ethiopian, he says, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest,” and the eunuch answers, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This verse is missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts and from most Byzantine ones, but it was known to St Irenaeus in the second century. It appears to be an early baptismal confession added to the story.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
It seems to me, this (Philip) was one of the seven; for from Jerusalem he would not have gone southwards, but to the north; but from Samaria it was "towards the south. The same is desert:" so that there is no fear of an attack from the Jews. And he did not ask, Wherefore? but "arose and went.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had driven them mad by his sorceries." This Simon, then--who feigned faith, supposing that the apostles themselves performed their cures by the art of magic, and not by the power of God; and with respect to their filling with the Holy Ghost, through the imposition of hands, those …
… when we hear, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;" we do not of course understand it of one who believes in such a way "as the devils believe and tremble;" nor of those who receive baptism in such sort as Simon Magus, who though he could be baptized, could not be saved.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
For indeed this is his great power. This power caused Christ to die, that He might put an end to it.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The inventor of all heresy was Simon Magus: that Simon, who in the Acts of the Apostles thought to purchase with money the unsaleable grace of the Spirit, and heard the words, Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, and the rest: concerning whom also it is written, They went out from us, but they were not …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)