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Acts 8:9
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7 For aunclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.  
8 And there was great joy in that city.

The Sorcerer’s Profession of Faith

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously apracticed sorcery in the city and bastonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,  
10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”
11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his1 sorceries for a long time.  
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things aconcerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.  
13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

The Sorcerer’s Sin

14 Now when the aapostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,  
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them athat they might receive the Holy Spirit.  
16 For aas yet He had fallen upon none of them. bThey had only been baptized in cthe name of the Lord Jesus.  
17 Then athey laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  
18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because ayou thought that bthe gift of God could be purchased with money!  
21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your aheart is not right in the sight of God.  
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God aif perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.  
23 For I see that you are apoisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”  
24 Then Simon answered and said, a“Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”  
25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Christ Is Preached to an Ethiopian

26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to aPhilip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.  
27 So he arose and went. And behold, aa man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and bhad come to Jerusalem to worship,  
Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
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Acts 8:9

But there was a certain man called Simon - The fathers have written much respecting this man, and have given strange accounts of him; but nothing more is certainly known of him than is stated in this place. Rosenmuller and Kuinoel suppose him to have been a Simon mentioned by Josephus ( Antiq. , book 20, chapter 7, section 2), who was born in Cyprus. He was a magician, and was employed by Felix to persuade Drusilla to forsake her husband Azizus, and to marry Felix. But it is not very probable that this was the same person. (See the note in Whiston' s Josephus .) Simon Magus was probably a "Jew" or a "Samaritan," who had addicted himself to the arts of magic, and who was much celebrated for it. He had studied philosophy in Alexandria in Egypt (Mosheim, vol. i., pp. 113, 114, Murdock' s translation), and then lived in Samaria. After he was cut off from the hope of adding to his other powers the power of working miracles, the "fathers" say that he fell into many errors, and became the founder of the sect of the Simonians. They accused him of affirming that he came down as the "Father" in respect to the Samaritans, the "Son" in respect to the Jews, and the "Holy Spirit" in respect to the Gentiles. He did not acknowledge Christ to be the Son of God, but a rival, and pretended himself to be Christ. He rejected the Law of Moses. Many other things are affirmed of him which rest on doubtful authority. He seems to have become an enemy to Christianity, though he was willing "then" to avail himself of some of its doctrines in order to advance his own interests. The account that he came to a tragical death in Rome; that he was honored as a deity by the Roman senate; and that a statue was erected to his memory in the isle of Tiber, is now generally rejected. His end is not known. (See Calmet, art. "Simon Magus," and Mosheim, vol. i., p. 114, note.)

Beforetime - The practice of magic, or sorcery, was common at that time, and in all the ancient nations.

Used sorcery - Greek: ́ mageuōn . Exercising the arts of the "Magi," or "magicians" ; hence, the name Simon "Magus." See the notes on Matthew 2:1. The ancient "Magi" had their rise in Persia, and were at first addicted to the study of philosophy, astronomy, medicine, etc. This name came afterward to signify those who made use of the knowledge of these arts for the purpose of imposing on mankind - astrologers, soothsayers, necromancers, fortune-tellers, etc. Such persons pretended to predict future events by the positions of the stars, and to cure diseases by incantations, etc. See Isaiah 2:6. See also Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2. It was expressly forbidden the Jews to consult such persons on pain of death, Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6. In these arts Simon had been eminently successful.

And bewitched - This is an unhappy translation. The Greek means merely that he "astonished" or amazed the people, or "confounded" their judgment. The idea of "bewitching" them is not in the original.

Giving out ... - "Saying" ; that is, boasting. It was in this way, partly, that he so confounded them. Jugglers generally impose on people just in proportion to the "extravagance" and folly of their pretensions. The same remark may be made of "quack doctors," and of all persons who attempt to delude and impose on people.




Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Acts 8:9:

Acts 8:13
Acts 8:24
Acts 8:26
Acts 13:6
Acts 13:10
Acts 16:16
2 Corinthians 5:13

 

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