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Acts 8:38

in Acts 8

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

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Acts 8

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

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.

This site's exposition

what doth hinder me to be baptized

on Acts 8:36-38

As they went on their way they came unto a certain water, and the eunuch's own question, what doth hinder me to be baptized, reads as a heart already persuaded rather than a formality. The confession that answers him in the received text, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, is absent from the oldest surviving manuscripts and does not appear in the earliest versions, though it was already being quoted by Irenaeus and Cyprian in the second and third centuries, so the bench presents it honestly as the received text's reading rather than claiming manuscript unanimity it does not have. Philip commanded the chariot to stand still, and they went down both into the water, an immersion the text's own wording assumes rather than argues for, a detail readers on different sides of the mode question weigh differently.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 19 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

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. Be ashamed, all ye as many as are unbaptized.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

SERMON 99.11 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

This same Philip, who had baptized people, and the Holy Spirit had not come upon them until the apostles had come along and laid their hands on them, baptized the eunuch of queen Candace who had been worshiping in Jerusalem, and on his way back from there he was reading the prophet Isaiah in his chariot and not understanding it. Philip was prompted to approach the chariot, and he explained the reading, insinuated the faith, preached Christ. The eunuch believed in Christ and said, when they came to some water, "Look, here is water; who is to prevent me being baptized? Philip said to him, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ?" He answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." And immediately he went down with him into the water. Once the mystery and sacrament of baptism had been carried out, since there was no expectation of the apostles coming as on the previous occasion, so that no one should think the gift of the Holy Spirit was at the disposal of mortals, the Holy Spirit came immediately.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

And they both went down - Out of the chariot. It does not follow that he was baptized by immersion. The text neither affirms nor intimates any thing concerning it.
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.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

And the eunuch answered, I pray thee, &c.--The respect with which he here addresses Philip was prompted by his reverence for one whom he perceived to be his superior in divine things; his own worldly position sinking before this.
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

they went down both into the water, and he baptized him, &c.--probably laving the water upon him, though the precise mode is neither certain nor of any consequence. 39, 40. the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip--To deny [as MEYER, OLSHAUSEN, BLOOMFIELD] the miraculous nature of Philip's disappearance, is vain.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

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 Mat 3:6, Mat 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: Joh 11:38, “Jesus, therefore, groaning in himself, cometh to εἰς eis the grave” - assuredly not “into” the grave; Luk 11:49, “I send them prophets,” Greek, “I send to εἰς eis them prophets” - “to” them, not “into” them, compare Rom 2:4, 1Co 14:36; Mat 12:41, “They repented at εἰς eis the preaching of Jonas” - not into his preaching; Joh 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 Act 7:6, Act 7:8; Joh 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 words behind it

20 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

3 in all, six open

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    John 4:1

    When Jesus realized that the Pharisees were aware He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John

    it leads to

    • John 3:26

      So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

    • John 3:22

      After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized.

    • 2 Corinthians 4:5

      For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

    • 1 Corinthians 2:8

      None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

    • 1 Corinthians 15:47

      The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 8 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 99.11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 19; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.

Read on in Acts 8 →