Bible Commentaries

Acts 8:1. And Saul was consenting unto his death] i.e. approving of all that was done. We have the same word, Luke 11:48, “Ye allow (i.e. praise and approve of) the deeds of your fathers.” St Paul says of himself (Acts 22:20), “When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his death.”

Acts 8:1-4. Persecution after Stephen’s Death

1. And at that time there was a great persecution] Better, And there arose on that day, &c. The persecution was in immediate succession to the death of Stephen. Having once proceeded to such a length, the rage of the people turned upon the whole Christian body.

against the church which was at Jerusalem] i.e. the congregation which had grown up since the day of Pentecost.

and they were all scattered abroad] Thus the rage of their enemies brought about the dispersion which Christ had foretold (Acts 1:8). By the word all we need not understand every member of the Christian body, but only those who had been most active and so were in special danger from the persecution. We find (Acts 8:3) that there were many left, both men and women, in the city, whom Saul seized upon as “disciples of the Lord” and carried to prison. Perhaps Ananias who visited Paul at Damascus (Acts 9:19; Acts 9:25) may have been among those now scattered abroad, but see Acts 9:2 note.

throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria] According to the order of extension indicated by Jesus. The teaching of the Apostles must have been with great power to break through the long-standing prejudices of their Jewish converts against the Samaritans.

except the apostles] Jerusalem would of necessity be looked upon as the headquarters of the Christian band. Thither all the wanderers would refer for guidance and help. The twelve therefore must remain at their post, in spite of all the persecution.

2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial] On devout, see Acts 2:5 note.

The verb often means “to prepare a dead body for burial,” but in Thuc. vi. 72 it is found exactly as used here.

The Jews paid great attention to funeral rites. Cp. Midrash Rabbah on Genesis 47:29 (par. 96), “Deal kindly and truly with me,” literally, “Do with me kindness and truth.” Is there then a kindness of falsehood, that he says, kindness and truth? How is this? There is a common proverb which says, “Is the son of thy friend dead?” Put on the load (i.e. bear the burden with him). Is thy friend himself dead? Put off the load (his survivors will not requite you for your sympathy). Therefore he says to him, “If thou wilt do me a kindness after my death, that is a kindness of truth.” And in all Ashkenazic prayer-books it is said: “These are the works of which a man reaps the interest in this world, and the capital endures in the world to come; the honouring of father and mother, the doing of acts of mercy, … the bearing forth the dead, the reconciliation of a man to his neighbour, but the study of the Torah is above them all.” Cp. Mishna Peah i. 1 for a part of this.

and made great lamentation over him] The word expresses the beating on the breast which is one of the outward expressions of great sorrow. The Hebrew word for mourning (Genesis 23:2; 2 Samuel 3:31, &c.) has the same sense. It must have needed no little courage at such a time to perform the funeral rites for one who had fallen as Stephen had, by the fury of the whole people.

3. As for [But] Saul, he made havock of the church] His own words will best describe his action (Acts 22:4), “I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” The same word is used by the LXX. (Psalm 80:13) of the ravages of wild beasts.

entering into every house] i.e. making his search everywhere that none should escape.

and haling men and women] i.e. dragging them forth. We have the word still in the form “to haul,” and the halyards of a ship.

committed them to prison] Because the number of arrests made it impossible that they should all be brought to trial at once.

4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where [went about] preaching the word] In these words we have the general effect of the persecution. One particular history of such preaching is given immediately.

5–13. Philip’s Preaching in Samaria and its effects

5. Then [And] Philip] The second named in the list of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5). He is only mentioned in this chapter and Acts 21:8 where he is called Philip the Evangelist.

went down to the city of Samaria] i.e. the capital city of the district of Samaria. It was at this time called Sebaste = Augusta, in honour of Augustus Cæsar (Joseph. Antiq. xv. 8. 5).

and preached [proclaimed] Christ unto them] Better, the Christ. His preaching was that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The verb is not the same as that rendered “preaching” in the previous verse, but is used (Matthew 3:1; Matthew 4:17) of the commencement of John the Baptist’s preaching, and of Christ’s. In like manner, Philip goes forth uttering his voice in the new fields of labour.

6. And the people [multitudes] with one accord gave heed] The original words imply that crowds of the people gave their faith and consent to the new teaching.

hearing and seeing the miracles which he did] Better, when they heard and saw the signs which he wrought. They heard what had been done in other places and saw what was done each under his own observation. The miracles are described by that characteristic which they were specially intended to have in this instance. They were to be signs that the message which Philip was bringing was from God. The signs here enumerated are such as could leave no doubt in the minds of those who witnessed the cures.

7. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them] There are some variations in the Gk. Text of this clause, but the most authoritative text would give; For from many of them which had unclean spirits they came out crying with a loud voice. On unclean spirits cp. Acts 8:16 note.

9. a certain man, called Simon] From the Gk. word magos=sorcerer or magician, this man is usually spoken of as Simon Magus. According to Justin Martyr (Apol. i. 26) he was born at Gitton, a village of Samaria. The history which is given of him after the events mentioned in this chapter describes him as persistently hostile to St Peter and as following that Apostle to Rome to oppose his teaching. But much that is related is of very doubtful authority. He is said to have been deified at Rome, but it seems probable that Justin mistook a tablet, which was discovered in the sixteenth century with an inscription “Semoni Sanco deo fidio” which was erected in honour of the Sabine Hercules, for a record of Divine honours paid to this Simon Magus.

which beforetime in the same city used sorcery] There is no word for “same” in the original. The sorcery which Simon, and men like him, used was probably no more than a greater knowledge of some of the facts of chemistry by which they at first attracted attention and then traded on the credulity of those who came to consult them. From the time of their sojourn in Egypt the Jews had known of such impostors, and in their traditional literature some of the “wisdom” of Moses partakes of this character.

and bewitched [amazed] the people of Samaria] The same verb is used (Acts 8:13) of the feeling produced in Simon himself by the sight of Philip’s miracles, and is there rendered “wondered.”

giving out that himself was some great one] The general expectation that some great person was to arise among the Jews dictated the form in which impostors would proclaim themselves and aided them in procuring credence for what they said.