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

15Peter and John went to Samaria and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit. 16(Before this the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. 18Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money 19and said, “Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on 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 the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money
• Acts 6:6The disciples had these men stand in front of the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on these seven men.
• Acts 9:17Ananias left and entered Judas’ house. After he placed his hands on Saul, Ananias said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way to Damascus, sent me to you. He wants you to see again and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
• Acts 13:3After fasting and praying, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, and released them ⌞from their work in Antioch⌟.
• Acts 19:6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed.
• Numbers 8:10Then bring the Levites into the Lord’s presence, and the Israelites will place their hands on them.
• Numbers 27:18So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit, and place your hand on him.
• 1 Timothy 4:14Don’t neglect the gift which you received through prophecy when the spiritual leaders placed their hands on you ⌞to ordain you⌟.
• 1 Timothy 5:22Don’t be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone ⌞to ordain him⌟. Don’t participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.
• 2 Timothy 1:6You received a gift from God when I placed my hands on you ⌞to ordain you⌟. Now I’m reminding you to fan that gift into flames.
• Hebrews 6:2We shouldn’t repeat the basic teachings about such things as baptisms, setting people apart for holy tasks, dead people coming back to life, and eternal judgment.
• Romans 1:11I long to see you to share a spiritual blessing with you so that you will be strengthened.
• Galatians 3:2I want to learn only one thing from you. Did you receive the Spirit by your own efforts to follow the laws in the Scriptures or by believing what you heard?

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