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 Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money! 21You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God! 22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Thyσύsu · youG4771
• moneyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• moneyἀργύριονargurion · moneyG694
• ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
• perishἀπώλειαapōleia · destructionG684
• withσύνsun · withG4862
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• thou hast thoughtνομίζωnomizō · to thinkG3543
• thatδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the giftδωρεάdōrea · free giftG1431
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• may be purchasedκτάομαιktaomai · to possesG2932
• with moneyχρῆμαchrēma · moneyG5536

Cross-references for Acts 8:20

• Acts 1:18(Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
• Deuteronomy 7:26You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath along with it. You must absolutely detest and abhor it, for it is an object of divine wrath.
• Joshua 7:24Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster.
• 2 Kings 5:26Elisha replied, “I was there in spirit when a man turned and got down from his chariot to meet you. This is not the proper time to accept silver or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, cattle, and male and female servants.
• Daniel 5:17But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its interpretation.
• Habakkuk 2:9The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster.
• Zechariah 5:4“I will send it out,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and it will enter the house of the thief and of the person who swears falsely in my name. It will land in the middle of his house and destroy both timber and stones.”
• Matthew 27:3Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders,
• 1 Timothy 6:9Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
• James 5:3Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure!
• 2 Peter 2:14Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!
• Revelation 18:15The merchants who sold these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
• Acts 8:22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart.
• Deuteronomy 15:9Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned.
• 2 Kings 5:15He and his entire entourage returned to the prophet. Naaman came and stood before him. He said, “For sure I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel! Now, please accept a gift from your servant.”
• Proverbs 15:26The Lord abhors the plans of the wicked, 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