Mga Gawa 8:34

Filipino Cebuano Bible

34 Ug ang eunoco miingon kang Felipe, "Suginli ako, kinsa may ipasabut niini sa profeta, ang iya bang kaugalingon o ang lain bang tawo?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of whom: Matthew 2:2-4, Matthew 13:36, Matthew 15:15

Reciprocal: Daniel 9:2 - understood

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the eunuch answered Philip, and said,.... After he had read the passage out, and Philip had put the question to him, whether he understood it; and after he had taken him up into his chariot to sit with him, and instruct him:

I pray thee, of whom speakest the prophet this? being desirous of knowing who was the subject of this famous prophecy: which to know was very useful and edifying, and was not a matter of mere indifference and speculation, but of great moment and concern. A like way of speaking, in order to know the sense of a passage, is used by the Jews w: thus upon reading Proverbs 31:2, it is asked,

"of whom does Solomon say this Scripture? he does not say it but of his father David.''

Does he speak

of himself or of some other man? which is very properly and pertinently put; since there might be some appearance of its application to Isaiah, who suffered under Manasseh; and it might be applied to different persons, as it has been since by the Jews; as to Josiah, Jeremiah in particular, and to the people of Israel in general, though very wrongly: Josiah could never be intended, as one of their noted commentators x expounds the paragraph; since it was not the sins of the people that were the cause of his death, but his own, and his vanity in meddling with what he had nothing to do with, and had no real call unto; nor can it be said of him that he did no violence, or that he bore the sins of others, and died for them, and made his soul an offering for sin; nor were his days prolonged; nor did the pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand: nor is the passage applicable to Jeremiah, as another of their writers y would have it; he was not free from sin; nor was he wounded for the sins of his people; nor did he undergo his sufferings with patience; nor had he a large number of disciples; nor was he extolled and exalted, as this person is said to be: much less, as others z say, is the whole body of the people of Israel in captivity intended; since one single individual as spoken of throughout the whole; and is manifestly distinguished from the people of Israel, whose sins and sorrows he was to bear, and for whose transgressions he was to be stricken and wounded. In all which they go contrary to their Targum a, Talmud b, and other ancient writings c, which interpret many things in this section or paragraph of the Messiah d: however, as it might be differently understood, or difficult to be understood, the eunuch very appropriately puts this question.

w T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 10. 1. x Abarbinel in Isa. liii. y Sandiah Gaon in Aben Ezra in ib. z Jarchi, Aben Ezra, & Kimchi in ib. a In Isa. lii. 13. and liii. 10. b T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2. c Zohar in Exod. fol. 85. 2. Midrash Ruth, fol. 33. 2. d See my Book of the Prophecies of the Messiah, p. 161. &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Answered Philip - That is, “addressed” Phil The Hebrews often use the word “answer” as synonymous with “addressing” one, whether he had spoken or not.

Of himself ... - This was a natural inquiry, for there was nothing in the text itself that would determine to whom the reference was. The ancient Jews expressly applied the passage to the Messiah. Thus, the Targum of Jonathan on Isaiah 52:13, “Behold my servant shall deal prudently,” etc., renders it, “Behold, my servant, the Messiah, shall be prospered,” etc. But we should remember that the eunuch was probably not deeply versed in the Scriptures. We should remember, further, that he had just been at Jerusalem, and that the public mind was agitated about the proceedings of the Sanhedrin in putting Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be the Messiah, to death. It is by no means improbable that This passage had been urged as a proof that he was the Messiah; and that the Jews, to evade the force of it, had maintained that it referred to Isaiah or Jeremiah - as they have done since. Yet the subject was so important and so difficult that it had occupied the attention of the traveler during his journey; and his question shows that he had been deeply pondering the inquiry whether it could refer to Isaiah himself or any of the prophets, or whether it must have reference to the Messiah. In this state of suspense and agitation, when his mind was just suited to receive instruction, God sent a messenger to guide him. He often thus prepares, by His Providence, or by a train of affecting and solemn events, the minds of people for a reception of the truth; and then He sends his messengers to guide the thoughtful and the anxious in the way of peace and salvation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Of whom speaketh the prophet this — This was a very natural inquiry: for in the text itself, and in its circumstances, there was nothing that could determine the meaning, so as to ascertain whether the prophet meant himself or some other person; and the very inquiry shows that the eunuch had thought deeply on the subject.