Acts 8:20

Acts 8:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
• New International Version (NIV)Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!

Context of Acts 8:20

18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you.

Acts 8:20 word by word

Πέτρος δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνόμισας διὰ χρημάτων κτᾶσθαι.Read the interlinear

• But PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• to him, “May your silverἀργύριονargurion · moneyG694
• perishἀπώλειαapōleia · destructionG684
• with you, becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• you thoughtνομίζωnomizō · to thinkG3543
• acquireκτάομαιktaomai · to possesG2932
• the giftδωρεάdōrea · free giftG1431
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• with moneyχρῆμαchrēma · moneyG5536

Cross-references for Acts 8:20

• Acts 1:18(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
• Deuteronomy 7:26And you shall not bring an abomination into your house and become designated for destruction, like it; you are to utterly detest it, and you are to utterly loathe it, for it is something designated for destruction.
• Joshua 7:24Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
• 2 Kings 5:26Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves?
• Daniel 5:17Then Daniel replied and said before the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.
• Habakkuk 2:9“Woe to him who makes evil profit for his household, To put his nest on high, To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!
• Zechariah 5:4I will make it go forth,” declares the Lord of armies, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and destroy it with its timber and stones.”
• Matthew 27:3Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
• 1 Timothy 6:9But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
• James 5:3Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
• 2 Peter 2:14having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children;
• Revelation 18:15The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
• Acts 8:22Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you.
• Deuteronomy 15:9Be careful that there is no mean-spirited thought in your heart, such as, ‘The seventh year, the year of release of debts, is near,’ and your eye is malicious toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you.
• 2 Kings 5:15Then he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please accept a gift from your servant now.”
• Proverbs 15:26Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, But pleasant words are pure.

Commentaries on Acts 8:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Thy money perish with thee - This is an awful declaration; and imports thus much, that if he did not repent, he and his ill-gotten goods would perish together; his money should be dissipated, and his soul go into perdition. That the gift of God may be purchased - Peter takes care to inform not only Simon, but all to whom these presents may come, that the Spirit of God is the gift of God alone, and consequently cannot be purchased with money; for what…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Thy money perish with thee - This is expressive of the horror and indignation of Peter at the base offer of Simon. It is not to be understood as an imprecation on Simon. The main idea is the apostle‘s contempt for the “money,” as if he regarded it as of no value. “Let your money go to destruction. We abhor your impious offer. We can freely see “any” amount of money destroyed before we will be tempted to sell the gift of the Holy Spirit. But there was here…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. 9-24Simon the sorcerer performed magic and amazed the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great. Simon tried to buy spiritual power. The later corrupt practice of buying and selling positions of leadership in the church was called simony. This term refers to the corrupt practice of buying and selling church leadership positions (see 1 Timothy 6:9–10). Peter strongly criticized Simon's evil intentions and actions.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2418-24. offered them money--Hence the term simony, to denote trafficking in sacred things, but chiefly the purchase of ecclesiastical offices.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 8:20

• Covetousness
• Holy Spirit
• Hypocrisy
• Integrity
• Minister, Christian
• Miracles
• Money
• Peter
• Reproof
• Samaria
• Simon

In the dictionaries

• God
• Peter
• Peter, Simon Peter, Cephas
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Gift
• Havock

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