Acts 8:30
New International Version
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

New Living Translation
Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

English Standard Version
So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Berean Standard Bible
So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

Berean Literal Bible
And Philip having run up, heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you then understand what you are reading?"

King James Bible
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

New King James Version
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

New American Standard Bible
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

NASB 1995
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

NASB 1977
And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Amplified Bible
Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Christian Standard Bible
When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?"”

American Standard Version
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Contemporary English Version
Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

English Revised Version
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Philip ran to the carriage and could hear the official reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

Good News Translation
Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

International Standard Version
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

Majority Standard Bible
So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

NET Bible
So Philip ran up to it and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. He asked him, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

New Heart English Bible
And running near, Philip heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Weymouth New Testament
So Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked.

World English Bible
Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, “Do you then know what you read?”

Berean Literal Bible
And Philip having run up, heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you then understand what you are reading?"

Young's Literal Translation
and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, 'Dost thou then know what thou dost read?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Philip running near, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and he said, Truly knowest thou what thou readest?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”

New American Bible
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

New Revised Standard Version
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And as Philip drew near and heard him reading from the book of the prophet I-sa’iah, he said to him, Do you understand what you are reading?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And as he approached, he heard what he read in Isaiah The Prophet and he said to him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And Philip ran forward, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah; and he said: Do you understand what you are reading?

Godbey New Testament
And Philip running forth, heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said; Whether do you understand what you are reading?

Haweis New Testament
Then Philip running up to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah; and he said, Well! but dost thou understand what thou art reading?

Mace New Testament
Philip ran to him, and hearing him read the prophet Esaias, said, do you understand what you read?

Weymouth New Testament
So Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked.

Worrell New Testament
And Philip, having run near, heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you, then, understand what you are reading?"

Worsley New Testament
heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou understand what thou readest?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Philip and the Ethiopian
29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.” 30So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.…

Cross References
Isaiah 53:7-8
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. / By oppression and judgment He was taken away, and who can recount His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was stricken for the transgression of My people.

Luke 24:27
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

John 1:38
Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”

Matthew 13:14-15
In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Romans 10:14
How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?

1 Peter 1:10-11
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully, / trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

2 Timothy 3:15
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

John 5:39
You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,

Luke 24:44-45
Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” / Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

Matthew 22:29
Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Jeremiah 31:33-34
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. / No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7
These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. / And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.


Treasury of Scripture

And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understand you what you read?

ran thither.

Acts 8:27
And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

Psalm 119:32
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Understandest.

Matthew 13:19,23,51
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side…

Matthew 15:10
And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

Matthew 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

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Acts 8
1. By occasion of the persecution in Jerusalem, the church being planted in Samaria,
4. by Philip the deacon, who preached, did miracles, and baptized many;
9. among the rest Simon the sorcerer, a great seducer of the people;
14. Peter and John come to confirm and enlarge the church;
15. where, by prayer and imposition of hands giving the Holy Spirit;
18. when Simon would have bought the like power of them,
20. Peter sharply reproving his hypocrisy and covetousness,
22. and exhorting him to repentance,
25. together with John preaching the word of the Lord, return to Jerusalem;
26. but the angel sends Philip to teach and baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch.














So Philip ran up
The phrase "ran up" indicates Philip's immediate and eager obedience to the Holy Spirit's prompting. The Greek word used here is "prosdrame," which conveys a sense of urgency and readiness. This reflects the early Christian commitment to spreading the Gospel with zeal and enthusiasm. Philip's action is a model for believers, demonstrating the importance of responding promptly to God's call. Historically, this eagerness is reflective of the missionary spirit that characterized the early church, as they sought to fulfill the Great Commission.

heard the man reading
The act of "reading" in this context refers to the Ethiopian eunuch reading aloud, which was a common practice in ancient times. The Greek word "anaginōskō" implies a public or vocal reading, which was typical in a culture where literacy was not widespread. This practice allowed for communal engagement with the text, and Philip's ability to hear the reading signifies divine orchestration, as it provided an opportunity for engagement and evangelism.

Isaiah the prophet
Isaiah is one of the major prophets in the Old Testament, and his writings are rich with messianic prophecies. The Ethiopian eunuch's reading from Isaiah highlights the universal reach of the Gospel, as Isaiah's prophecies often speak of salvation extending to the Gentiles. The specific passage being read (Isaiah 53) is a profound prophecy about the suffering servant, which Christians understand as a foretelling of Jesus Christ's sacrificial death. This connection underscores the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and the fulfillment of prophecy in Christ.

'Do you understand what you are reading?'
Philip's question, "Do you understand what you are reading?" is both pastoral and pedagogical. The Greek word for "understand" is "ginōskō," which implies a deep, experiential knowledge rather than mere intellectual comprehension. This question opens the door for dialogue and teaching, emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit and the community of believers in interpreting Scripture. It also reflects the early church's emphasis on discipleship and the importance of guiding new believers in their faith journey. This interaction is a reminder of the necessity of spiritual guidance and the communal aspect of faith, where believers support one another in understanding and living out the Word of God.

(30) Understandest thou what thou readest?--The Greek play upon the word for understand (Ginoskein) and read (Anaginoskein) cannot well be produced in English, but is worth noting as parallel to a like play in the well-known saying of the Emperor Julian (Anegnon; egnon; kategnon)--"I read; I understood; I condemned."

Verse 30. - Ran for ran thither, A.V.; reading-Isaiah the prophet for read the prophet Esaias, A.V. and T.R. Heard him. He was reading aloud. In Hebrew, the word for "to read" (קָרָא) means "to call," "to proclaim aloud." Hence the keri, that which is read, as distinguished from the cethib, that which is written. Reading Isaiah the prophet. The same providence which sent Philip to meet him in the desert doubtless directed his reading to the fifty-third chapter of the great evangelical prophet.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[So]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

Philip
Φίλιππος (Philippos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5376: From philos and hippos; fond of horses; Philippus, the name of four Israelites.

ran up
Προσδραμὼν (Prosdramōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4370: To run to. From pros and trecho; to run towards, i.e. Hasten to meet or join.

[and] heard
ἤκουσεν (ēkousen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

[the man]
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

reading
ἀναγινώσκοντος (anaginōskontos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 314: To read, know again, know certainly, recognize, discern. From ana and ginosko; to know again, i.e. to read.

Isaiah
Ἠσαΐαν (Ēsaian)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2268: Isaiah, the prophet. Of Hebrew origin; Hesaias, an Israelite.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

prophet.
προφήτην (prophētēn)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4396: From a compound of pro and phemi; a foreteller; by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet.

“Do you understand
γινώσκεις (ginōskeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

what
(ha)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

you are reading?”
ἀναγινώσκεις (anaginōskeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 314: To read, know again, know certainly, recognize, discern. From ana and ginosko; to know again, i.e. to read.

[Philip] asked.
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.


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NT Apostles: Acts 8:30 Philip ran to him and heard him (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 8:29
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