Acts 8:30

Easy-to-Read Version

So he went toward the chariot, and he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

King James Version (1611)
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him reade the Prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

King James Version
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

English Standard Version
So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

New American Standard Bible
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

New Century Version
So when Philip ran toward the chariot, he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Amplified Bible
Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Legacy Standard Bible
And Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Berean Standard Bible
So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

Contemporary English Version
Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Complete Jewish Bible
As Philip ran up, he heard the Ethiopian reading from Yesha‘yahu the prophet. "Do you understand what you're reading?" he asked.

Darby Translation
And Philip, running up, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou then know what thou art reading of?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Philip ranne thither, and heard him reade the Prophet Esaias, and said, But vnderstandest thou what thou readest?

George Lamsa Translation
And as Philip drew near and heard him reading from the book of the prophet I-sa''iah, he said to him, Do you understand what you are reading?

Good News Translation
Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Lexham English Bible
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet and said, "So then, do you understand what you are reading?"

Literal Translation
And running near Philip heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Indeed, do you know what you are reading?

American Standard Version
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Bible in Basic English
And Philip, running up to him, saw that he was reading Isaiah the prophet, and said to him, Is the sense of what you are reading clear to you?

Hebrew Names Version
Pilipos ran to him, and heard him reading Yesha`yahu the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

International Standard Version
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah out loud.He asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

Etheridge Translation
And being near, he heard that he read in Eshaia the prophet; and he said to him, Understandest thou what thou readest ?

Murdock Translation
And when he came near, he heard him reading in Isaiah the prophet; and he said to him: Understandest thou what thou readest?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Philip ran thither to him, & heard hym reade the prophete Esaias, & saide: vnderstandest thou what thou readest?

English Revised Version
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

World English Bible
Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And Philip running to him, heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Weymouth's New Testament
So Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Filip `ran to, and herde hym redynge Ysaie, the prophete. And he seide, Gessist thou, whether thou vndirstondist, what thingis thou redist?

Update Bible Version
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Do you understand what you read?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

New English Translation
So Philip ran up to it and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. He asked him, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

New King James Version
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

New Living Translation
Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

New Life Bible
Philip ran up to him. He saw that the man from Ethiopia was reading from the writings of the early preacher Isaiah and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

New Revised Standard
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, running near, Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said - Dost thou, then, understand what thou art reading?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?

Revised Standard Version
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And Philip ranne to him and hearde him rede ye prophet Esayas and sayde: Vnderstondest thou what thou redest?

Young's Literal Translation
and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, `Dost thou then know what thou dost read?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The ranne Philippe vnto him, and herde him rede the prophet Esay, and sayde: Vnderstodest thou what thou readest?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Philip ran to him, and hearing him read the prophet Esaias, said, do you understand what you read?

Simplified Cowboy Version
When Phil got close, he heard what the man was reading and asked, "You got any idea what that means?"

Contextual Overview

²⁶ An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. The angel said, "Get ready and go south on the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the road that goes through the desert." ²⁷ So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia. He was a eunuch and an important official in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship. ²⁸ Now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot reading from the book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit said to Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." ³⁰ So he went toward the chariot, and he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" ³¹ The man answered, "How can I understand? I need someone to explain it to me." Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. ³² The part of the Scriptures that he was reading was this: "He was like a sheep being led to the butcher. He was like a lamb that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off. He said nothing. ³³ He was shamed, and all his rights were taken away. His life on earth has ended. So there will be no story about his descendants." ³⁴ The official said to Philip, "Please, tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?" ³⁵ Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ran thither: Acts 8:27, Psalms 119:32, Ecclesiastes 9:10, John 4:34

Understandest: Matthew 13:19, Matthew 13:23, Matthew 13:51, Matthew 15:10, Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14, Luke 24:44-45, John 5:39, 1 Corinthians 14:19, Ephesians 5:17, Revelation 13:18

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 8:8 - and gave the sense Job 33:23 - an interpreter Proverbs 1:6 - a proverb Ezekiel 17:12 - Know Daniel 9:25 - and understand Mark 7:14 - and understand

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Philip ran thither to him,.... Being very ready to obey the divine order, and hoping he might be an instrument of doing some good, which might issue in the glory of God, and the welfare of men:

and heard him read the prophet Esaias; that is, "the Book of Isaiah the Prophet"; as before; and so the Ethiopic and Arabic versions read here, as there: he read it out, with a clear and distinct voice, so that Philip could hear him; and this he did, partly through reverence to the word of God, and partly to fix his attention to it the more, that he might the better understand and remember it, and also for delight and pleasure: it is very likely, that it was the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew tongue in which he was reading, and which language he might understand, though he might be at a loss about the sense of the prophet:

and said, understandest thou what thou readest? meaning not the language, but the sense; for overhearing him, he perceived it was a prophecy in Isaiah he was reading; which was not so easy to be understood as laws and precepts are, which command this, and forbid that; whereas prophecies were more abstruse, and regarded things to come.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And Philip ran ... - Indicating his haste and his desire to obey the suggestions of the Spirit. A thousand difficulties might have been started in the mind of Philip if he had reflected a little. The eunuch was a stranger; he had the appearance of a man of rank; he was engaged in reading; he might be indisposed to be interrupted or to converse, etc. But Philip obeyed without any hesitation the instructions of the Spirit, and “ran” to him. It is well to follow the first suggestions of the Spirit; to yield to the clear indications of duty, and to perform it at once. Especially in a deed of benevolence, and in conversing with others on the subject of religion, our first thoughts are commonly the safest and the best. If we do not follow them, the calculations of avarice, or fear, or of worldly prudence are very apt to come in. We become alarmed; we are afraid of the rich and the great; we suppose that our conversation and admonitions will be unacceptable. We may learn from this case:

(1) To do our duty at once, without hesitation or debate.

(2) We shall often be disappointed in regard to subjects of this kind. We shall find candid, humble, Christian conversation far more acceptable to strangers, to the rich, and to the great, than we commonly suppose. If, as in this case, they are “alone”; if we approach them kindly; if we do not rudely and harshly address them, we shall find most people willing to talk on the subject of religion. I have conversed with some hundreds of persons on the subject of religion, and do not now recollect but two instances in which I was rudely treated, and in which it was not easy to gain a respectful and kind attention to Christian conversation.

And heard him read - He was reading “loud” - sometimes the best way of impressing truth on the mind in our private reading the Scriptures.

And said ... - This question, there might have been reason to fear, would not be kindly received. But the eunuch’s mind was in such a state that he took no offence from such an inquiry, though made by a footman and a stranger. He doubtless recognized him as a brother Jew. It is an important question to ask ourselves when we read the Sacred Scriptures.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 30. Heard him read the Prophet Esaias — The eunuch, it seems, was reading aloud, and apparently in Greek, for that was the common language in Egypt; and, indeed, almost in every place it was understood. And it appears that it was the Greek version of the Septuagint that he was reading, as the quotation below is from that version.