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 can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” 24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!” 25After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.

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 29:18I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit.
• Deuteronomy 32:32Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison, and their clusters are bitter.
• Job 20:14But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour, a poisonous venom in their stomach.
• Jeremiah 4:18“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”
• Jeremiah 9:15So now, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink.
• Lamentations 3:5He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress.
• Hebrews 12:15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
• Psalms 116:16O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.
• Proverbs 5:22An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.
• Isaiah 28:22For the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land. So scoff no more, or your punishment will be even greater.
• John 8:34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
• Romans 6:17Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.
• 2 Peter 2:4For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of 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