Acts 8:23

Acts 8:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
• New International Version (NIV)For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Context of Acts 8:23

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. For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin.” 24But Simon replied, “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.” 25So after Peter and John had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages as they went.

Acts 8:23 word by word

εἰς γὰρ χολὴν πικρίας καὶ σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας ὁρῶ σε ὄντα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• I perceiveὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• that thouσύsu · youG4771
• artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the gallχολήcholē · gallG5521
• of bitternessπικρίαpikria · bitternessG4088
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the bondσύνδεσμοςsundesmos · bond(age)G4886
• of iniquityἀδικίαadikia · unrighteousnessG93

Cross-references for Acts 8:23

• Deuteronomy 29:18Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the Lord our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit.
• Deuteronomy 32:32For their vine is from the stock of Sodom, and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes contain venom, their clusters of grapes are bitter.
• Job 20:14his food is turned sour in his stomach; it becomes the venom of serpents within him.
• Jeremiah 4:18“The way you have lived and the things you have done will bring this on you. This is the punishment you deserve, and it will be painful indeed. The pain will be so bad it will pierce your heart.”
• Jeremiah 9:15So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say. ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment.
• Lamentations 3:5He has besieged and surrounded me with bitter hardship.
• Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.
• Psalms 116:16Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant; I am your lowest slave. You saved me from death.
• Proverbs 5:22The wicked will be captured by his own iniquities, and he will be held by the cords of his own sin.
• Isaiah 28:22So now, do not mock, or your chains will become heavier! For I have heard a message about decreed destruction, from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land.
• John 8:34Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin.
• Romans 6:17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to,
• 2 Peter 2:4For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment,

Commentaries on Acts 8:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The gall of bitterness - A Hebraism for excessive bitterness: gall, wormwood, and such like, were used to express the dreadful effects of sin in the soul; the bitter repentance, bitter regret, bitter sufferings, bitter death, etc., etc., which it produces. In Deuteronomy 29:18, idolatry and its consequences are expressed, by having among them a root that beareth Gall and Wormwood. And in Hebrews 12:15, some grievous sin is intended, when the apostle warns…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23For I perceive - That is, by the act which he had done. His offer had shown a state of mind that was wholly inconsistent with true religion. One single sin “may” as certainly show that there is no true piety as many acts of iniquity. It may be so decided, so malignant, so utterly inconsistent with just views as at once to determine what the character is. The sin of Simon was of this character. Peter here does not appear to have claimed the power of…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 8:23

• Covetousness
• Depravity of Man
• Gall
• Hypocrisy
• Integrity
• Minister, Christian
• Peter
• Reproof
• Samaria
• Simon
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Believe
• Bitter
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Havock
• Join
• Magic
• Peter
• Pray

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