Acts 8:31

Acts 8:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
• New International Version (NIV)“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

Context of Acts 8:31

29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Acts 8:31 word by word

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην, ἐὰν μή τις με; παρεκάλεσέν τε τὸν Φίλιππον ἀναβάντα καθίσαι σὺν αὐτῷ.Read the interlinear

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• he saidὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• ·γάρgar · forG1063
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• can Iδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
• exceptμήmē · notG3361
• some manτιςtis · oneG5100
• should guideὁδηγέωhodēgeō · to guideG3594
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Andτεte · and/bothG5037
• he desiredπαρακαλέωparakaleō · to plead/comfortG3870
• PhilipΦίλιπποςPhilippos · PhilipG5376
• that he would come upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• and sitκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
• withσύνsun · withG4862
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Acts 8:31

• Psalms 25:8Good and upright is Yhwh: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
• Psalms 73:16When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
• Proverbs 30:2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
• Isaiah 29:18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
• Isaiah 35:8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
• Matthew 18:3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 10:15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
• Romans 10:14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
• 1 Corinthians 3:18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
• 1 Corinthians 8:2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
• 1 Corinthians 14:36What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
• James 1:10But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
• 1 Peter 2:1Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
• 2 Kings 5:9So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
• 2 Kings 10:15And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

Commentaries on Acts 8:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31How can I, except some man should guide me? - This is no proof that "the Scriptures cannot be understood without an authorized interpreter," as some of the papistical writers assert. How could the eunuch know any thing of the Gospel dispensation, to which this scripture referred? That dispensation had not yet been proclaimed to him; he knew nothing about Jesus. But where that dispensation has been published, where the four Gospels and the apostolic…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31And he said … - This was a general acknowledgment of his need of direction. It evinced a humble state of mind. It was an acknowledgment, also, originating probably from this particular passage which he was reading. He did not understand how it could be applied to the Messiah; how the description of his humiliation and condemnation Acts 8:33 could be reconciled to the prevalent ideas of his being a prince and a conqueror. The same sentiment is expressed by…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-40Verses 26-40 Philip was directed to go to a desert. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in very unlikely places. We should study to do good to those we come into company with by travelling. We should not be so shy of all strangers as some affect to be. As to those of whom we know nothing else, we know this, that they have souls. It is wisdom for men of business to redeem time for holy duties; to fill up every minute with something…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-40Philip obeyed the Holy Spirit and followed the Spirit’s direction. He then took the opportunity to share the message of the gospel with an Ethiopian eunuch (a trusted male official who served a king or queen) on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. This event shows how effective Philip was in explaining and sharing the Christian message. It also shows his strong commitment to bringing the good news to all people, no matter their social position or…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-3129-31. the Spirit said--by an unmistakable voice within, as in Ac 10:19; 16:6, 7. go near and join this chariot--This would reveal to Philip the hitherto unknown object of his journey, and encourage him to expect something.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 8:31

• Ethiopia
• Gaza
• Philip
• Preaching

In the dictionaries

• Believe
• Bitterness
• Consent
• Devout
• Havock
• Join
• Pray
• Regard
• Separate
• Acts of the Apostles

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