Acts 8:31

Acts 8:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
• New International Version (NIV)“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

Context of Acts 8:31

29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter; And like a lamb that is silent before its shearer, So He does not open His mouth. 33In humiliation His justice was taken away; Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth.”

Acts 8:31 word by word

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην, ἐὰν μή τις με; παρεκάλεσέν τε τὸν Φίλιππον ἀναβάντα καθίσαι σὺν αὐτῷ.Read the interlinear

• And he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Wellγάρgar · forG1063
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• couldδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• I, unlessἐάνean · ifG1437
• I, unlessμήmē · notG3361
• someoneτιςtis · oneG5100
• guidesὁδηγέωhodēgeō · to guideG3594
• me?” And he invitedπαρακαλέωparakaleō · to plead/comfortG3870
• PhilipΦίλιπποςPhilippos · PhilipG5376
• to comeἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• and sitκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523

Cross-references for Acts 8:31

• Psalms 25:8The Lord is good and upright; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
• Psalms 73:16When I thought of understanding this, It was troublesome in my sight
• Proverbs 30:2I am certainly more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man;
• Isaiah 29:18On that day those who are deaf will hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of those who are blind will see.
• Isaiah 35:8A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for the one who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.
• Matthew 18:3and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 10:15Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
• Romans 10:14How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?
• 1 Corinthians 3:18Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
• 1 Corinthians 8:2If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
• 1 Corinthians 14:36Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?
• James 1:10but the rich person is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
• 1 Peter 2:1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
• 2 Kings 5:9So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house.
• 2 Kings 10:15Now when he had gone from there, he encountered Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, just as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he pulled him up to him into the chariot.

Commentaries on Acts 8:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31How can I, except some man should guide me? - This is no proof that "the Scriptures cannot be understood without an authorized interpreter," as some of the papistical writers assert. How could the eunuch know any thing of the Gospel dispensation, to which this scripture referred? That dispensation had not yet been proclaimed to him; he knew nothing about Jesus. But where that dispensation has been published, where the four Gospels and the apostolic…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31And he said … - This was a general acknowledgment of his need of direction. It evinced a humble state of mind. It was an acknowledgment, also, originating probably from this particular passage which he was reading. He did not understand how it could be applied to the Messiah; how the description of his humiliation and condemnation Acts 8:33 could be reconciled to the prevalent ideas of his being a prince and a conqueror. The same sentiment is expressed by…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-40Verses 26-40 Philip was directed to go to a desert. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in very unlikely places. We should study to do good to those we come into company with by travelling. We should not be so shy of all strangers as some affect to be. As to those of whom we know nothing else, we know this, that they have souls. It is wisdom for men of business to redeem time for holy duties; to fill up every minute with something…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-40Philip obeyed the Holy Spirit and followed the Spirit’s direction. He then took the opportunity to share the message of the gospel with an Ethiopian eunuch (a trusted male official who served a king or queen) on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. This event shows how effective Philip was in explaining and sharing the Christian message. It also shows his strong commitment to bringing the good news to all people, no matter their social position or…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-3129-31. the Spirit said--by an unmistakable voice within, as in Ac 10:19; 16:6, 7. go near and join this chariot--This would reveal to Philip the hitherto unknown object of his journey, and encourage him to expect something.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 8:31

• Ethiopia
• Gaza
• Philip
• Preaching

In the dictionaries

• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Havock
• Join
• Pray
• Regard
• Separate
• Acts of the Apostles

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