Acts 8:7

8:7 cast out . . . healed: Miracles often accompany evangelism in Acts (see study note on 3:1-11).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Act 8:7. Πνεύματα, spirits) The nominative: the accusative case must be understood after τῶν ἐχόντων, “who were possessed with them.” It is worthy of observation, that Luke in the Acts never employs the term demons (δαιμόνια) in speaking of those possessed; and yet he himself in the Gospel has employed the term oftener than the other Evangelists. From which one may infer, that the power of possession was feebler after the death of Christ. 1Jn 3:8; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 8:7 . πολλῶν γὰρ κ . τ . λ .: if we accept reading in R.V. (see critical notes above), we must suppose that St. Luke passes in thought from the possessed to the unclean spirits by which they were possessed, and so introduces the verb ἐξήρχοντο (as if the unclean spirits were themselves the subject), whereas we should have expected that ἐθεραπεύθησαν would have followed after the first πολλοί as after the second, in the second clause of the verse. Blass conjectures that ἄ should be read before βοῶντα , which thus enables him, while retaining ἐξήρχοντο , to make πολλοί in each clause of the verse the subject of ἐθεραπ . One of the most striking phenomena in the demonised was that they lost at least temporarily their own self-consciousness, and became identified with the demon or demons, and this may account for St. Luke’s way of writing, as if he also identified the two in thought, Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah , i., 479, 647, ff. As a physician St. Luke must have often come into contact with those who had unclean spirits, and he would naturally have studied closely the nature of their disease. It is also to be noted that πολλοί with the genitive, τῶν ἐχόντων (not πολλοὶ ἔχοντες ), shows that not all the possessed were healed, and if so, it is an indication of the truthfulness of the narrative. Moreover, St. Luke not only shows himself acquainted with the characteristics of demoniacal possession, cf. his description in Luk 8:27 ; Luk 9:38-39 , but he constantly, as in the passage before us, distinguishes it from disease itself, and that more frequently than the other Evangelists. Hobart draws special attention to Luk 6:17 ; Luk 8:4 ; Luk 13:32 , which have no parallels in the other Gospels, and Act 19:12 . To which we may add Luk 4:40 , Act 5:16 (Wendt); see further on Act 19:12 . βοῶντα , cf. Mar 1:26 , Luk 4:33 . παραλελυμένοι : St. Luke alone of the Evangelists uses the participle of παραλύειν , instead of παραλυτικός , the more popular word; and here again his usage is exactly what we should expect from a medical man acquainted with technical terms (Hobart, Zahn, Salmon), cf. Act 9:33 and Luk 5:18 ; Luk 5:24 ( παραλυτικῷ , W.H [215] margin). Dr. Plummer, St. Luke , Introd., 65, points out that Aristotle, a physician’s son, has also this use of παραλελυμένος ( Eth. Nic. , i., 13, 15), but he adds that its use in St. Luke may have come from the LXX, as in Heb 12:12 , where we have the word in a quotation from Isa 35:3 ( cf. also Sir 25:23 ). It may be added that the participle is also found in 3Ma 2:22 , καὶ τοῖς μέλεσι παραλελυμένον , and cf. 1Ma 9:15 , where it is said of Alcimus, καὶ παρελύθη . But the most remarkable feature in St. Luke’s employment of the word is surely this, that in parallel passages in which St. Matthew and St. Mark have παραλυτικός he has παραλελυμένος , cf. Luk 5:18 , Mat 9:2 , Mar 2:3 ; in Luk 5:24 this same distinction is also found in the Revisers’ text (but see W.H [216] above), when this verse is compared with Mat 9:6 and Mar 2:10 .

[215] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

[216] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 7. 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, &c., 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!

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Unclean spirits. He toucheth certain kinds briefly, that we may know with what miracles they were brought to attribute any authority to Philip. That crying wherewith the unclean spirits cried was a token of resistance. Wherefore this served not a little to set forth the power of Christ, that he did bind the devils with his commandment, though they resisted stubbornly.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(7) For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice.—The MSS. present several variations in the structure of the sentence, but they do not affect its meaning. The character of the “signs” agrees with those that are recorded in the Gospels. The “great cry,” partly, it may be, of agony, partly of exultation at deliverance, agrees with Mar_1:26; Luk_4:33.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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. Act_8:16 note.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For unclean spirits,.... Devils, so called because they were unclean themselves, defiled others, add delighted in impure persons and places; See Gill on Mat 10:1.

crying with loud voice; showing their unwillingness to remove, and the irresistibleness of divine power they could not withstand:

came out of many that were possessed with them; who had for a long time dwelt in them, and had greatly afflicted them:

and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed; by Philip, in the name of Christ, through a word speaking, or by touching them, without making use of any means or medicines.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

7 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.

Ver. 7. Crying with a loud voice] To show that they went out perforce, and with a very ill will.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Unclean spirits, crying with loud voice; this is frequently mentioned, as Mat 8:29; Mar 1:26; 3:11; 5:8; Luk 4:41, to show how doth these evil spirits are to be forbid and kept from tormenting and destroying of us; and they are called unclean spirits, because they delight in sin, and instigate men unto it, which is spiritual uncleanness, and defile the soul.

Taken with palsies, and other diseases and infirmities: this was promised, Mar 16:17,18, that they which believe should cure in Christ’s name, or by his power.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

From many of those which had unclean spirits, they came out crying with a loud voice for unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them, A.V.; that were palsied for taken with palsies, A.V. From many of those, etc. The R.T. is represented by the margin, but it is nonsense. The different rendering depends upon whether pneumata ajkaqata is taken as the subject to ejxhrceto, or as the object after econta. In one case, pneumata or aujta must be understood after ejcontwn, as in the A.V, which inserts with them in italics; in the other, the same word must be understood before ejxhrceto, as in the R.V., which inserts they. The latter construction seems right, but the sense is the same, and the A.V. is much the nearest rendering. That were palsied. The purpose and effect of miracles is here clearly shown, to attract attention, and to evidence to the hearers and seers that the workers of miracles are God"s messengers, and that the Word which they preach is God"s Word.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. “Many of those having unclean spirits, roaring with a great voice went out of them.” “Crying” in E. V. is the Greek boaoo, by whose pronunciation you see that it means to roar like the lowing of an ox. Hence we see that those great, stalwart heathen men, under the mighty conviction of the Holy Ghost, through the preaching of this red-hot young Israelite, threw their mouths open and roared like oxen. I have seen much of this kind. Lord, help us to get back to the “roaring,” knock-down convictions (1

Corinthians 14:25) of the Apostolic age. Philip in Samaria met the obstruction so common in all ages, i. e., the devil’s preacher, Simon Magus, cultured, influential, wealthy and wielding an apparently omnipotent influence among the people. Nothing is too hard for the grace of God. Consequently, Satan’s preacher comes down at the mourners’ bench along with his members and gets religion. Some doubt this, but Act 8:13 is conclusive: “And Simon himself also believed, and having been baptized, was accompanying Philip.” If uninspired man had said that “Simon believed,” I would doubt his conversion; but since the infallible Holy Ghost, the Author of l true and saving faith, here certifies that “Simon believed,” we dare not gainsay. However, it is perfectly clear that he failed to get sanctified under the preaching of Peter and John, and consequently lapsed into condemnation like millions of others who, having been truly converted and refusing to obey the call of the Holy Ghost and go on into holiness, forfeit their justification and, with Simon Magus, plunge into a backslider’s hell. The love of money which would have ruined Jacob had he not received his Peniel sanctification twenty years after his Bethel conversion, and did drag poor Judas Iscariot from the apostleship down to hell, also proved fatal in the case of Simon Magus.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 6

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. πολλοὶ for πολλῶν with אABCE.

7. πολλοὶ γὰρ κ.τ.λ., for many of those which had unclean spirits that cried with a loud voice came forth. This reading is confirmed by the Vulg. ‘multi enim eorum qui habebant spiritus immundos clamantes voce magna exibant.’ But accepting the reading we see that the writer has passed in thought from the persons to the spirits by which they were possessed, and has made the verb refer to the latter. Of the many attempts to correct the oldest texts Tischendorf says ‘locus retractando corruptus est.’

On unclean spirits see Act 5:16, note.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7.] According to the reading in the text, which is too strongly upheld by manuscript authority to be rejected for the easier ordinary one, πολλαί is a ‘nominativus pendens’ (compare ch. 7:40; Rev 3:12. Winer, edn. 6, § 29. 1), For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they crying out with a loud voice, came out: ἐξήρχοντο being plur., as often when the neuter plural betokens living agents; see Winer, edn. 6, § 58. 3, a. β.

πολλοί has probably been altered to πολλῶν, to agree with τῶν ἐχόντων, on the difficulty being perceived.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Taken with palsies [παραλελυμενοι] . Rev., more neatly, palsied. See on Luk 5:18.

Were healed. See on Luk 5:15.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.