Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 30th, 2025
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Acts 8:21

You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covetousness;   Heart;   Holy Spirit;   Hypocrisy;   Integrity;   Minister, Christian;   Peter;   Reproof;   Samaria;   Simon;   Wicked (People);   Scofield Reference Index - Churches;   Gospel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Faith;   Heart, Character of the Unrenewed;   Hypocrites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lots;   Peter;   Samaria;   Simon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gifts of the spirit;   Heart;   Simon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Discipline;   Magic;   Money;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Magic;   Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baptism;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Hebrews;   Simon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gnosticism;   Jude, Epistle of;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Peter;   Simon Magus;   Word;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Heart ;   Heir Heritage Inheritance;   Hellenism;   Lots;   Peter;   Quotations;   Right;   Sacraments;   Separation;   Simon Magus;   Word;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Philip ;   Simon ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Apostle;   Si'mon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bewitch;   Peter, the First Epistle of;   Right;   Simon Magus;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bar Jesus;   Simon Cephas;   Simon Magus;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for July 10;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.
King James Version (1611)
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
King James Version
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
English Standard Version
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
New American Standard Bible
"You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
New Century Version
You cannot share with us in this work since your heart is not right before God.
Amplified Bible
"You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart (motive, purpose) is not right before God.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Legacy Standard Bible
You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Berean Standard Bible
You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
Complete Jewish Bible
You have no part at all in this matter; because in the eyes of God, your heart is crooked.
Darby Translation
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God.
Easy-to-Read Version
You cannot share with us in this work. Your heart is not right before God.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this businesse: for thine heart is not right in the sight of God.
George Lamsa Translation
You have no part nor lot in this faith because your heart is not right in the sight of God.
Good News Translation
You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God's sight.
Lexham English Bible
You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.
Literal Translation
There is neither part nor lot to you in this matter, for your heart is not upright before the face of God.
American Standard Version
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God.
Bible in Basic English
You have no part in this business, because your heart is not right before God.
Hebrew Names Version
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn't right before God.
International Standard Version
You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart isn't right before God.
Etheridge Translation
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith, because thine heart hath not been right before Aloha.
Murdock Translation
Thou hast no part nor lot in this faith; because thy heart is not right before God.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou hast neither part nor felowship in this busynesse: For thy hearte is not ryght in the syght of God.
English Revised Version
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God.
World English Bible
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn't right before God.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God.
Weymouth's New Testament
No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ther is no part, ne sort to thee, in this word, for thin herte is not riytful bifor God.
Update Bible Version
You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right before God.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
New English Translation
You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God!
New King James Version
You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
New Living Translation
You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.
New Life Bible
You have no part or place in this work. Your heart is not right in God's sight.
New Revised Standard
You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for, thy heart, is not upright before God.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou hast no part nor lot in this matter. For thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Revised Standard Version
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Thou hast nether parte nor felloushippe in this busines. For thy hert is not ryght in the syght of God.
Young's Literal Translation
thou hast neither part nor lot in this thing, for thy heart is not right before God;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt haue nether parte ner felashipe in this worde, for yi hert is not righte before God.
Mace New Testament (1729)
thou hast no manner of share in this gift: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Simplified Cowboy Version
You can't buy your way onto God's outfit like it was a carnival ride. You'll never have a spot on his outfit because your heart is not right.

Contextual Overview

14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John. 15 When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit. 16 Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit. 18 Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money 19 and said to Peter and John, "Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit." 20 Peter said to him, "You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift! 21 You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right. 22 Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you. 23 I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hast: Joshua 22:25, Ezekiel 14:3, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 22:19

for: 2 Chronicles 25:2, Psalms 36:1, Psalms 78:36, Psalms 78:37, Habakkuk 2:4, Matthew 6:22-24, John 21:17, Hebrews 4:13, Revelation 2:23

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:8 - General 2 Samuel 22:45 - submit themselves Ezra 4:3 - Ye have nothing Nehemiah 2:20 - ye have no Isaiah 32:6 - and his heart Isaiah 55:7 - his thoughts Matthew 6:21 - there Matthew 13:21 - root Matthew 15:8 - but Luke 2:35 - that Luke 6:42 - hypocrite Luke 11:39 - but Acts 5:4 - why Acts 8:13 - believed Acts 8:37 - If 1 Timothy 6:4 - He 2 Timothy 3:8 - men Hebrews 10:22 - a true James 2:14 - though

Cross-References

Genesis 3:17
The Lord said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate fruit from that tree. And so, the ground will be under a curse because of what you did. As long as you live, you will have to struggle to grow enough food.
Genesis 4:12
If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.
Genesis 5:29
Lamech said, "I'll name him Noah because he will give us comfort, as we struggle hard to make a living on this land that the Lord has put under a curse."
Genesis 6:5
The Lord saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil.
Genesis 6:17
I'm going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive.
Genesis 8:1
God did not forget about Noah and the animals with him in the boat. So God made a wind blow, and the water started going down.
Genesis 8:2
God stopped up the places where the water had been gushing out from under the earth. He also closed up the sky, and the rain stopped.
Genesis 8:3
For one hundred fifty days the water slowly went down.
Genesis 8:6
Forty days later Noah opened a window to send out a raven, but it kept flying around until the water had dried up.
Genesis 8:8
Noah wanted to find out if the water had gone down, and he sent out a dove.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter,.... Or business of the gift of the Holy Ghost; signifying, that as he had not the grace of the Spirit of God implanted in him, so he should not have any of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on him; and much less a power of communicating them to others, through laying on of hands: or "in this word"; the word of the Gospel, preached by the apostles; and in any of the blessings published in it, as the forgiveness of sins, a justifying righteousness, and eternal life; and so the Syraic version renders it, "in this faith"; neither in the grace of faith, nor in the doctrine of faith: it seems to answer to a way of speaking frequently used among the Jews, that such and such persons, אין להם הלק, "have no part or lot", in the world to come i. The Ethiopic version reads, "because of this thy word"; because for his money, he had desired to have a power of bestowing the Holy Ghost on persons, through the imposition of his hands; which showed he had no share in the grace of God, and would have no part in eternal life, thus living and dying:

for thy heart is not right in the sight of God; he had not a clean heart, nor a right spirit created in him; he had not true principles of grace wrought in him; his heart was full of covetousness, ambition, and hypocrisy; he had no good designs, ends, and aims, in what he said and did; in his profession of faith, in his baptism, in his attendance on Philip's ministry, and in his request for the above power, of conferring the Holy Ghost: his view was not the spread and confirmation of the Gospel, or the enlargement of the kingdom and interest of Christ, and the glory of God, but his own applause and worldly interest; and therefore, however he might be thought of by men, to be a good and disinterested man, he was otherwise in the sight of God, who is the searcher of the heart, and the trier of the reins of the children of men.

i Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 11. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither part - You have no “portion” of the grace of God; that is, you are destitute of it altogether. This word commonly denotes the “part” of an inheritance which falls to one when it is divided.

Nor lot - This word means properly a portion which “falls” to one when an estate, or when spoil in war is divided into portions, according to the number of those who are to be partakers, and the part of each one is determined by “lot.” The two words denote “emphatically” that he was in no sense a partaker of the favor of God.

In this matter - Greek: in this “word”; that is, thing. That which is referred to here is the religion of Christ. Simon was not a Christian. It is remarkable that Peter judged him so soon, and when he had seen but “one” act of his. But it was an act which satisfied him that he was a stranger to religion. One act may sometimes bring out the “whole character”; it may evince the “governing” motives; it may show traits of character utterly “inconsistent” with true religion; and then it is as certain a criterion as any long series of acts.

Thy heart - Your “affections,” or “governing motives”; your principle of conduct. Comp, 2 Kings 10:15. You love gold and popularity, and not the gospel for what it is. There is no evidence here that Peter saw this in a miraculous manner, or by any supernatural influence. It was apparent and plain that Simon was not influenced by the pure, disinterested motives of the gospel, but by the love of power and of the world.

In the sight of God - That is, God sees or judges that your heart is not sincere and pure. No external profession is acceptable without the heart. Reader, is your heart right with God? Are your motives pure; and does “God” see there the exercise of holy, sincere, and benevolent affections toward him? God “knows” the motives; and with unerring certainty he will judge, and with unerring justice he will fix our doom according to the affections of the heart.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 8:21. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter — Thou hast no part among the faithful, and no lot in this ministry. That the word κληρος, which we translate lot, is to be understood as implying a spiritual portion, office, c., see proved in the note on Numbers 26:55.

Thy heart is not right — It is not through motives of purity, benevolence, or love to the souls of men, that thou desirest to be enabled to confer the Holy Ghost it is through pride, vain glory, and love of money: thou wouldest now give a little money that thou mightest, by thy new gift, gain much.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile