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:
• 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,
• New Living Translation (NLT)A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.

Context of Acts 8:9

7For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city. 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, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• But there wasδέde · thenG1161
• a certainτιςtis · oneG5100
• manἀνήρanēr · manG435
• calledὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• SimonΣίμωνSimōn · SimonG4613
• which beforetimeπροϋπάρχωprouparchō · be formerlyG4391
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the same cityὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the same cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• used sorceryμαγεύωmageuō · to practice magicG3096
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• bewitchedἐξίστημιexistēmi · to amazeG1839
• the peopleἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• of SamariaΣαμάρειαSamareia · SamariaG4540
• giving out thatλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• great oneμέγαςmegas · greatG3173

Cross-references for Acts 8:9

• Acts 13:6They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
• Acts 16:16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
• Acts 19:18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
• Exodus 7:11Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:
• Exodus 8:18But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere,
• Exodus 9:11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.
• Leviticus 20:6“ ‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.
• Deuteronomy 18:10Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
• 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
• Revelation 13:13And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.
• Revelation 22:15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
• Acts 5:36Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.
• John 7:18Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
• 2 Timothy 3:2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
• 2 Peter 2:18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those 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