Acts 8:9

Acts 8:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
• New International Version (NIV)Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,
• English Standard Version (ESV)But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

Context of Acts 8:9

7For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed. 8So there was much rejoicing in that city. Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “This man is the Power of God that is called Great.” 11And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic arts.

Acts 8:9 word by word

Ἀνὴρ δέ τις ὀνόματι Σίμων προϋπῆρχεν ἐν τῇ πόλει μαγεύων καὶ ἐξιστάνων τὸ ἔθνος τῆς Σαμαρείας λέγων εἶναί τινα ἑαυτὸν μέγαν·Read the interlinear

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• a manἀνήρanēr · manG435
• namedὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• SimonΣίμωνSimōn · SimonG4613
• had previouslyπροϋπάρχωprouparchō · be formerlyG4391
• practicingμαγεύωmageuō · to practice magicG3096
• in the cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• and astonishingἐξίστημιexistēmi · to amazeG1839
• the peopleἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• of SamariaΣαμάρειαSamareia · SamariaG4540
• claimingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• to be someoneτιςtis · oneG5100
• greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173

Cross-references for Acts 8:9

• Acts 13:6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,
• Acts 16:16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave woman who had a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing great profit to her masters by fortune-telling.
• Acts 19:18Also many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
• Exodus 7:11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they too, the soothsayer priests of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
• Exodus 8:18The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on every person and animal.
• Exodus 9:11The soothsayer priests could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the soothsayer priests as well as on all the Egyptians.
• Leviticus 20:6‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the prostitute with them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
• Deuteronomy 18:10There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
• 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith.
• Revelation 13:13He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people.
• Revelation 22:15Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
• Acts 5:36For, some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
• John 7:18The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:4who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
• 2 Timothy 3:2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
• 2 Peter 2:18For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,

Commentaries on Acts 8:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9A certain man called Simon - In ancient ecclesiastical writers, we have the strangest account of this man; they say that he pretended to be the Father, who gave the law to Moses; that he came in the reign of Tiberius in the person of the Son; that he descended on the apostles on the day of pentecost, in flames of fire, in quality of the Holy Spirit; that he was the Messiah, the Paraclete, and Jupiter; that the woman who accompanied him, called Helena, was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But there was a certain man called Simon - The fathers have written much respecting this man, and have given strange accounts of him; but nothing more is certainly known of him than is stated in this place. Rosenmuller and Kuinoel suppose him to have been a Simon mentioned by Josephus (Antiq., book 20, chapter 7, section 2), who was born in Cyprus. He was a magician, and was employed by Felix to persuade Drusilla to forsake her husband Azizus, and to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-13Verses 5-13 As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named, the most difficult to be cured by the course of nature, and most expressive of the disease of sin. Pride, ambition, and desire after grandeur have always caused abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church. The people said of Simon, This…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. 9-139-13. used sorcery--magical arts. some great one ... the great power of God--a sort of incarnation of divinity.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 8:9

• Faith
• Minister, Christian
• Miracles
• Philip
• Preaching
• Samaria
• Self-Exaltation
• Simon
• Sorcery

In the dictionaries

• Samaria
• Samaria, Samaritan
• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Divination
• Havock
• Join
• Magic

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