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 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 unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8And there was great joy in that city. 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, 10to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” 11And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.

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 13:6Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,
• Acts 16:16Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
• Acts 19:18And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
• Exodus 7:11But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
• Exodus 8:18Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast.
• Exodus 9:11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.
• Leviticus 20:6‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
• Deuteronomy 18:10There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
• 2 Timothy 3:8Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
• Revelation 13:13He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
• Revelation 22:15But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
• Acts 5:36For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.
• John 7:18He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
• 2 Timothy 3:2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
• 2 Peter 2:18For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped 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
• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Divination
• Havock
• Join
• Magic
• 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