Acts 8:17

Acts 8:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Context of Acts 8:17

15When these two apostles arrived in Samaria, they prayed for the people who now believed in Jesus. They asked God to give the new believers the Holy Spirit. 16The Holy Spirit had not yet come to any of these people. When Philip had baptized them, he had just used the name of the Lord Jesus. So Peter and John put their hands on the head of each believer, and they each received the Holy Spirit. 18Simon saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to people when the apostles put their hands on them. So he said to Peter and John, ‘Here is some money for you. 19Please give me this same power. I want to put my hands on other people, so that they will receive the Holy Spirit.’

Acts 8:17 word by word

τότε ἐπετίθεσαν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς, καὶ ἐλάμβανον πνεῦμα ἅγιον.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenτότεtote · thenG5119
• laid theyἐπιτίθημιepitithēmi · to put/lay onG2007
• handsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• they receivedλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• theπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40

Cross-references for Acts 8:17

• Acts 8:18Simon saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to people when the apostles put their hands on them. So he said to Peter and John, ‘Here is some money for you.
• Acts 6:6The group of believers put these seven men in front of the apostles. The apostles prayed for each man and they put their hands on them. They gave them authority to do this special work.
• Acts 9:17So Ananias went to Judas's house and he went inside. He put his hands on Saul and he said to him, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus himself has sent me here to you. It was Jesus that you saw on the road when you were coming here to Damascus. He has sent me to you so that you will be able to see again. God will also fill you with his Holy Spirit.’
• Acts 13:3The believers continued to pray and to fast. Then the leaders put their hands on Barnabas and Saul and they prayed for them. They sent them away to start this new work.
• Acts 19:6Then Paul put his hands on each believer's head. When he did this, the Holy Spirit came down on them. They spoke in different languages and they spoke messages from God.
• Numbers 8:10You must bring the Levites in front of the Lord. Then the Israelites must put their hands on the Levites' heads.
• Numbers 27:18The Lord replied to Moses, ‘Choose Joshua, the son of Nun. My Spirit is in him to help him lead well. Put your hand on him to take your place as leader.
• 1 Timothy 4:14Remember the gift that God's Holy Spirit has given to you. You received that gift when the group of church leaders put their hands on you. They spoke messages from God about how you would serve him. So do not stop using that gift from God.
• 1 Timothy 5:22Do not hurry to put your hands on anyone to choose him as a leader of the church. Perhaps that man has done something wrong. Then people might think that you agree with his sins. You yourself must always be careful to do what is right and good.
• 2 Timothy 1:6For that reason, I want you to remember the gift that God gave you when I put my hands on you. Use that gift more and more to serve God well.
• Hebrews 6:2We have already learned about how to become clean. We know that leaders put their hands on other Christians to pray for God's help. We know that God will raise dead people to live again. And we know that God will judge every person one day at the end of time.
• Romans 1:11I want very much to come and see you. Then I can give some gift from God's Spirit to you. That will help you to be strong as you serve God.
• Galatians 3:2So think about this: When you received God's Spirit, was it because you had obeyed the rules of God's Law? No! You received God's Spirit because you heard the message about Christ and you believed it.

Commentaries on Acts 8:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Then laid they their hands on them - Probably only on some select persons, who were thought proper for public use in the Church. They did not lay hands on all; for certainly no hands in this way were laid on Simon.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Then laid they their hands … - This was an act of “prayer,” expressing an invocation to God that he would impart the blessing to “them.” On “how many” they laid their hands is not said. It is evident that it was not on “all,” for they did not thus lay hands on Simon. Perhaps it was done on a few of the more prominent and leading persons, who were to be employed particularly in bearing witness to the truth of the gospel. It was customary to lay the hands…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-25Verses 14-25 The Holy Ghost was as yet fallen upon none of these coverts, in the extraordinary powers conveyed by the descent of the Spirit upon the day of Pentecost. We may take encouragement from this example, in praying to God to give the renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all for whose spiritual welfare we are concerned; for that includes all blessings. No man can give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands; but we should use our best…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-17When the apostles sent two of their own representatives to Samaria, it was an important step in overcoming prejudice (compare Matthew 10:5; Luke 9:52–54; John 4:9; 8:48). It was even more remarkable that Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans who trusted in Christ to receive the Holy Spirit. This event is similar to the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and marks how the Holy Spirit's power spread from Judea to Samaria (Acts 2:1–47; 1:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1714-17. the apostles ... sent Peter and John--showing that they regarded Peter as no more than their own equal.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 8:17

• Baptism
• Holy Spirit
• John
• Miracles
• Peter
• Samaria

In the dictionaries

• Holy Ghost
• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Gifts, spiritual
• Havock
• Join
• Magic
• Peter

Commentaries on Acts 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings