מעשי השליחים 8:31

Delitzsche Hebrew New Testament

וַיֹּאמֶר וְאֵיכָכָה אוּכַל וְאֵין אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יוֹרֵנִי וַיְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאֵת פִילִפּוֹס לַעֲלוֹת וְלַשֶׁבֶת אֶצְלוֹ׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Modern Translation
ויאמר ואיככה אוכל אם אין איש אשר יורני ויבקש מאת פילפוס לעלות ולשבת אצלו׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How: Psalms 25:8, Psalms 25:9, Psalms 73:16, Psalms 73:17, Psalms 73:22, Proverbs 30:2, Proverbs 30:3, Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 29:19, Isaiah 35:8, Matthew 18:3, Matthew 18:4, Mark 10:15, Romans 10:14, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 8:2, 1 Corinthians 14:36, 1 Corinthians 14:37, James 1:10, James 1:21, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:2

And he: 2 Kings 5:9, 2 Kings 5:26, 2 Kings 10:15, 2 Kings 10:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 39:2 - the Lord Judges 14:14 - they could 1 Kings 20:33 - and he caused 2 Kings 5:21 - he lighted Proverbs 1:6 - a proverb Matthew 13:51 - Have Mark 13:14 - let him Acts 18:26 - expounded

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, how can I, except some man should guide me?.... Which shows that he was of an excellent spirit and temper; since instead of answering in a haughty and disdainful manner, as great men are too apt to do; and instead of charging Philip with, impertinence and insolence, in interrupting him whilst reading, and putting such a question to him, he expresses himself with great and uncommon modesty; with a sense and confession of his ignorance and incapacity and of the necessity and usefulness of the instructions of men, appointed of God to open and explain the Scriptures: and though he wanted such a guide, and could have been glad of one, yet he was willing to use all diligence himself in reading, that he, might, if possible, come at some knowledge of the truth; which was very commendable in him; and no doubt but the spirit he was in was much owing to his reading the word, and to the Spirit of God disposing his mind in this manner:

and he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him; which is an instance of his great humanity and courteousness, and of his meekness and condescension, as well as of his vehement thirst after the knowledge of the Scriptures; he concluding, or at least hoping by Philip's question, and by the air and look of the man, that he was one that might be useful to him this way.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And 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 Paul in Romans 10:14. The circumstance, the state of mind in the eunuch, and the result, strongly remind one of the declaration in Psalms 25:9, “The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.”

And he desired ... - He was willing to receive instruction, even from a stranger. The rich and the great may often receive valuable instruction from a stranger, and from a poor, unknown man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. How 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 epistles are at hand, every thing relative to the salvation of the soul may be clearly apprehended by any simple, upright person. There are difficulties, it is true, in different parts of the sacred writings, which neither the pope nor his conclave can solve; and several which even the more enlightened Protestant cannot remove; but these difficulties do not refer to matters in which the salvation of the soul is immediately concerned: they refer to such as are common to every ancient author in the universe. These difficulties, being understood, add to the beauty, elegance, and justness of the language, thoughts, and turns of expression; and these, only the few who are capable of understanding are able to relish. As to all the rest, all that relates to faith and practice, all in which the present and eternal interest of the soul is concerned, "the wayfaring man, though a fool, (quite illiterate,) shall not err therein."

That he would come up, and sit with him. — So earnestly desirous was he to receive instruction relative to those things which concerned the welfare of his soul.