Acts 8:7
in Acts 8With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed.
KJV
For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
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This verse in Acts 8
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Philip went down to a city
on Acts 8:5-8
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them, crossing the divide between Jews and Samaritans that John 4:9 records. The crowds gave their undivided attention to his message and to the signs they saw him perform.
This site's exposition
unclean spirits came out of many
Clarke notes that Luke lists the possessed apart from the paralyzed and the lame, and so treats possession as distinct from illness. Matthew Henry reads the bodily cures as a picture of grace for the spiritually lame and helpless. Barnes compares the loud cries with Mark 1:26.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed." "Hearing and seeing the miracles which he did." Just as in the case of Moses by contrast with the magicians the miracles were evident miracles, so here also. There was magic, and so these signs were manifest. "For unclean spirits came out of many that were possessed with them"; for this was a manifest miracle - not as the magicians did: for the other (Simon), it is likely, bound men with spells - "and many," it says, "that were palsied and lame were healed." There was no deceit here: for it needed but that they should walk and work.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The grace of God in the gospel is designed for the healing of those that are spiritually lame and paralytic, and cannot help themselves, Rom. v. 6 . (4.) The acceptance which Philip's doctrine, thus proved, met with in Samaria (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For unclean spirits,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed - Hence it is evident that these unclean spirits were not a species of diseases; as they are here distinguished from the paralytic and the lame. There is nothing more certain than that the New Testament writers mean real diabolic possessions by the terms unclean spirits, devils, etc., which they use. It is absolute trifling to deny it. If we, in our superior sagacity can show that they were mistaken, that is quite a different matter!
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For unclean spirits - See the notes on Mat 4:24. Crying with loud voice - See the notes on Mar 1:26. Palsies - See the notes on Mat 4:24.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πολλοὶ | polloi | many | G4183 → | 367 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τῶν | ton | of those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐχόντων | echonton | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| πνεύματα | pneumata | spirits | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἀκάθαρτα | akatharta | unclean | G169 → | 32 times |
| βοῶντα | boonta | crying | G994 → | 12 times |
| φωνῇ | phonea | voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| μεγάλῃ | megale | in a loud | G3173 → | 243 times |
| ἐξήρχοντο, | exerchonto | were coming out, | G1831 → | 216 times |
| πολλοὶ | polloi | many | G4183 → | 367 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| παραλελυμένοι | paralelumenoi | paralyzed | G3886 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| χωλοὶ | choloi | lame | G5560 → | 14 times |
| ἐθεραπεύθησαν· | etherapeuthesan | were healed; | G2323 → | 43 times |
πολλοὶmany
polloiG4183 →367 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
τῶνof those
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἐχόντωνhaving
echontonG2192 →707 times
πνεύματαspirits
pneumataG4151 →378 times
ἀκάθαρταunclean
akathartaG169 →32 times
βοῶνταcrying
boontaG994 →12 times
φωνῇvoice
phoneaG5456 →139 times
μεγάλῃin a loud
megaleG3173 →243 times
ἐξήρχοντο,were coming out,
exerchontoG1831 →216 times
πολλοὶmany
polloiG4183 →367 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
παραλελυμένοιparalyzed
paralelumenoiG3886 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
χωλοὶlame
choloiG5560 →14 times
ἐθεραπεύθησαν·were healed;
etherapeuthesanG2323 →43 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Matthew 10:1And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
it leads to
- Luke 9:1–6
Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
- Mark 16:17–18
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 3:13–15
Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him.
- Mark 6:7–13
Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.
- Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
- Luke 9:1–6
Through
Hebrews 2:4and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
it leads to
- Acts 14:3
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
- Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
- Mark 16:20
And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.
- Acts 14:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
On this verse
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 18; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.