Acts 8:38

Easy-to-Read Version

Then the official ordered the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

King James Version (1611)
And he commanded the charet to stand still: and they went downe both into the water, both Philip, and the Eunuch, and he baptized him.

King James Version
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

English Standard Version
And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

New American Standard Bible
And he ordered that the chariot stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

New Century Version
Then the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Amplified Bible
And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Berean Standard Bible
And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Contemporary English Version
He ordered the chariot to stop. Then they both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Complete Jewish Bible
He ordered the chariot to stop; then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip immersed him.

Darby Translation
And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he commaunded the charet to stand stil: & they went downe both into the water, both Philip and the Eunuche, and he baptized him.

George Lamsa Translation
And he commanded the chariot be stopped: and both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch.

Good News Translation
The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Lexham English Bible
And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water—Philip and the eunuch—and he baptized him.

Literal Translation
And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

American Standard Version
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Bible in Basic English
And he gave orders for the carriage to be stopped, and the two of them went down into the water, and Philip gave him baptism.

Hebrew Names Version
He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Pilipos and the eunuch, and he immersed him.

International Standard Version
So he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philiphe">[fn] baptized him.

Etheridge Translation
And he commanded that the chariot should stand; and they descended both of them to the water, and Philipos baptized that eunuch.

Murdock Translation
And he commanded the chariot to stop; and they both went down to the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he commaunded the charet to stande styll: and they went downe both into the water, both Philip and also the Eunuche: and he baptized hym.

English Revised Version
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

World English Bible
He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Weymouth's New Testament
So he stopped the chariot; and both of them--Philip and the eunuch--went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he comaundide the chare to stonde stille. And thei wenten doun bothe into the watir, Filip and the gelding, and Filip baptiside hym.

Update Bible Version
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

New English Translation
So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

New King James Version
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

New Living Translation
He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

New Life Bible
He stopped the wagon. Then both Philip and the man from Ethiopia went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

New Revised Standard
He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down, both, into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, - and he immersed him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And he baptized him.

Revised Standard Version
And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he comaunded the charet to stonde still. And they went doune bothe into the water: bothe Philip and also the chamberlayne and he baptised him.

Young's Literal Translation
and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he commaunded to holde styll the charet, and they wente downe in to the water, both Philippe and the chamberlayne. And he baptysed him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
so he order'd the charioteer to stop: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Simplified Cowboy Version
The chariot was ordered to stop. Phil and the man went down to the water, and Phil baptized him.

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

and he baptized: John 3:22, John 3:23, John 4:1

Reciprocal: Acts 16:15 - when

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he commanded the chariot to stand still,.... That is, the eunuch ordered his chariot driver to stop; for to him it better agrees to give this order than to Philip; though otherwise the words are so placed, that it would be difficult to say who gave the command.

And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him: upon which Calvin has this note;

"hence we see what was the manner of baptizing with the ancients, for they plunged the whole body into water.''

And indeed, other mode had been practised then, as sprinkling or pouring of water, there would have been no necessity of their going out of the chariot, and much less of their going down into the water; and as for change of apparel, it cannot be reasonably thought that so great a man should take so long a journey without it. In like manner the Jewish ablutions and purifications, which were performed by immersion, and therefore called baptisms, Hebrews 9:10 are spoken of in the same sort of language as here: so a profluvious person, and a woman that had lain in, were obliged שירדה לטבול, "to go down and dip" k.

"It is a tradition of the Rabbins l, that he that sees any nocturnal pollution on the day of atonement,

יורד וטובל, "goes down and dips himself".--And so all that are obliged to dipping, dip according to their custom on the day of atonement; the profluvious person, man or woman, the leprous person, man or woman, the husband of a menstruous woman, and one defiled with the dead, dip according to their custom on the day of atonement.''

k T. Bab. Nidda, fol. 42. 1. & 43. 1. l T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 88. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they went down both into the water - This passage has been made the subject of much discussion on the subject of baptism. It has been adduced in proof of the necessity of immersion. It is not proposed to enter into that subject here (see the Editors’ Notes at Matthew 3:6, Matthew 3:16). It may be remarked here that the preposition εἰς eis, translated “into,” does not of necessity mean that they went “into” the water. Its meaning would be as well expressed by “to” or “unto,” or as we should say, “they went “to” the water,” without meaning to determine whether they went “into” it or not. Out of “twenty-six” significations which Schleusner has given the word, this is one, and one which frequently occurs: John 11:38, “Jesus, therefore, groaning in himself, cometh to εἰς eis the grave” - assuredly not “into” the grave; Luke 11:49, “I send them prophets,” Greek, “I send to εἰς eis them prophets” - “to” them, not “into” them, compare Romans 2:4, 1 Corinthians 14:36; Matthew 12:41, “They repented at εἰς eis the preaching of Jonas” - not into his preaching; John 4:5, “Then cometh he “to” εἰς eis a city of Samaria,” that is, “near to it,” for the context shows that he had not yet entered “into” it, compare Acts 7:6, Acts 7:8; John 21:4, “Jesus stood “on” εἰς eis the shore,” that is, not “in,” but “near” the shore. These passages show:

1. That the word does not necessarily mean that they entered “into” the water. But,
2. If it did, it does not necessarily follow that the eunuch was immersed. There might be various ways of baptizing, even after they were “in” the water, besides immersing. Sprinkling or pouring might be performed there as well as elsewhere. The most solemn act of baptism that I ever saw performed was, when I was a boy, in the river on the banks of which I was born, where the minister and the candidate went both of them “into” the Myer, and, when near to the middle of the river, the candidate kneeled down in the water, and the minister with a bowl “poured” water on his head. Yet if the fact had been stated, in reference to this case, that “they went both down “into” the water, and came up out of the water,” and it had been hence inferred that the man was “immersed,” it would have been wholly a false inference. No such immersion occurred, and there is, from the narrative here, no more evidence that it occurred in the case of the eunuch. See βαπτίζω baptizō.

(3)It is incumbent on those who maintain that “immersion” is the only valid mode of baptism to prove that this passage cannot possibly mean anything else, and that there was no other mode practiced by the apostles.

(4)It would still be incumbent to show that if this were the common and even the only mode then, in a warm climate, that it is indispensable that this mode should be practiced everywhere else. No such positive command can be adduced. And it follows, therefore, that it cannot be proved that immersion is the only lawful mode of baptism. See the Editors’ Notes at Matthew 3:6, Matthew 3:16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. And they went down — They alighted from the chariot into the water. While Philip was instructing him, and he professed his faith in Christ, he probably plunged himself under the water, as this was the plan which appears to have been generally followed among the Jews in their baptisms; but the person who had received has confession of faith was he to whom the baptism was attributed, as it was administered by his authority.