Acts 8:39

Acts 8:39 . And when they were come up out of the water — Or, from the water, as εκ του υδατος may be properly rendered; the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip — Namely, in a miraculous manner, probably transporting him, part of the way at least, through the air; a thing which seems to have happened with respect to some of the prophets. See 1 Kings 18:12 ; 2 Kings 2:16 ; Ezekiel 3:14 . That the eunuch saw him no more — This fact is as surprising as the other parts of the story. One would have expected that the eunuch should either have stayed with Philip, or have taken him along with him into his own country, especially as it seems he might have been spared in these parts of Palestine, where there were so many apostles, evangelists, and other teachers of Christianity; and his ministry was much needed in Ethiopia, where, at this time, there were none; and where, recommended by a person so high in power as the eunuch was, he might probably have been remarkably useful in converting the Ethiopians to the faith of the gospel. But God ordered it otherwise, and took away Philip so suddenly as not even to give him time to address an exhortation to the eunuch after his baptism, as it is probable he intended to do. His sudden departure, however, in so miraculous a way, was sufficient to make up the want of that exhortation, especially if we suppose that he was caught up and carried through the air in the eunuch’s sight.

It may not be improper to observe here, that the Alexandrian MS., and several other old copies, read it, Πνευμα αγιον επεσεν επι τον ευνουχον , αγγελος δε Κυριου ηρπασε , The Holy Spirit fell upon the eunuch, but an angel of the Lord snatched away Philip: and certainly it is not improbable that God should communicate a large measure of his Spirit, and even some extraordinary gifts thereof, to such a person going into a country where the gospel was entirely unknown, and should thereby furnish him for the great work of preaching it there. And he went on his way rejoicing — His heart being full of thankfulness, that he had been favoured with the privilege of so important an interview with such a divinely-commissioned teacher, and highly-favoured servant of Christ, and that, after having received the gospel from his lips, he had seen such a miraculous confirmation of its truth in his sudden removal from his sight; a fact to which all his attendants were witnesses. He rejoiced also, 1st, That he himself was united to Christ, had an interest in him, and was thereby made a child of God, and an heir of eternal felicity and glory: and, 2d, That he had such good tidings to bring to his countrymen, and a prospect of bringing them also, by virtue of his interest among them, into fellowship with Christ; for he returned, not only a Christian, but a minister.

Philip was suddenly and extraordinarily taken away from the eunuch’s sight and company, that thereby the eunuch might be the more assured of the truth of those things which had been taught by him. The rejoicing was the effect of his faith; being now justified, he had peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1 .

Acts 8:39 . Ἥρπασε , caught away ) with miraculous velocity, without any action or exertion on the part of Philip, to a distance; as was needed in a pathless region. Such things often happened to the prophets: 1 Kings 18:12 ; 2 Kings 2:16 . The same verb occurs, 2 Corinthians 12:2 ; 2 Corinthians 12:4 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:17 . By this very mode of departure the faith of the Eunuch was confirmed. By a like mode of transit one or two apostles might ( may ) have reached even America, if no other way was open to them.— γὰρ ) in the strict sense, for . He did not see, nor did he anxiously care to see, Philip more, by reason of joy. He who has obtained the Scripture and Christ can now dispense with a human guide. We do not read of the imposition of hands on the Eunuch.—[ χαίρων , rejoicing ) To a soul disposed aright, what an amount of good can be vouchsafed at one and the same time!—V. g.]

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. It stands out on the face of the words, as just a repetition of what we read of the ancient prophets, in 1Ki 18:12; 2Ki 2:16. And the same word (as Bengel remarks) is employed to express a similar idea in 2Co 12:2, 4; 1Th 4:17. the eunuch saw him no more—nor, perhaps, for very joy, cared to see him [Bengel]. and he went on his way rejoicing—He had found Christ, and the key to the Scriptures; his soul was set free, and his discipleship sealed; he had lost his teacher, but gained what was infinitely better: He felt himself a new man, and "his joy was full." Tradition says he was the first preacher of the Gospel in Ethiopia; and how, indeed, could he choose but "tell what the Lord had done for his soul?" Yet there is no certainty as to any historical connection between his labors and the introduction of Christianity into that country.

39 . the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip ] Just as Obadiah expected Elijah would be caught away while he himself went on his errand to Ahab ( 1 Kings 18:12 ). Compare the language of Ezekiel ( Acts 3:12 ; Acts 3:14 , Acts 8:3 , &c.), “So the spirit lifted me up and took me away.” that [and] the eunuch saw him no more ] This marvellous removal of Philip would confirm the eunuch and his companions in their faith. They would recognize that he who had been sent unto them was a man of God. and he went on his way rejoicing ] The Greek says “for he went, &c.,” and thus gives the reason why Philip was seen no more of the eunuch. He did not go back, like the sons of the prophets at Jericho, who went to seek Elijah, but being filled with joy at the new light which God had sent to him, felt no anxiety for the messenger by whom God had sent it, but an assurance that he was cared for by the hand which had sent him forth.

Acts 8:39-40 . Luke relates an involuntary removal [232] of Philip effected by the Spirit of God ( κυρίον ). Comp. 2 Corinthians 12:2 ; 2 Corinthians 12:4 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ; Ezekiel 3:14 ; 1 Kings 18:12 ; 2 Kings 2:16 ; also what happened with Habakkuk in Bel and the Dragon, 33. He now had to apply himself to further work, after the design of the Spirit ( Acts 8:29 ) had been attained in the case of the Ethiopian. The Spirit snatched him away (comp. John 6:15 ), in which act not only the impulse and the impelling power , but also the mode , is conceived of as miraculous—as a sudden unseen transportation as far as Ashdod, Acts 8:40 . The sudden and quick hurrying away which took place on the impulse of the Spirit (Kuinoel, Olshausen, comp. also Lange, apost. Zeitalt. II. p. 113) is the historical element in the case, to which tradition (and how easily this was suggested by the O. T. conception in 1 Kings 18:12 ; 2 Kings 2:16 ) annexed, in addition to the miraculous operative cause, also the miraculous mode of the event. But to go even beyond this admission, and to allow merely the country and person of the converted Ethiopian to pass as historical (Zeller), is wholly without warrant with such an operation of angel and Spirit as the narrative contains, when viewed in connection with the super-sensuous causal domain of N.

T. facts in general. ἐπορεύετο γὰρ κ . τ . λ .] he obtained no further sight of Philip, for he made no halt, nor did he take another road in order to seek again him who was removed from him, but he went on his way with joy , namely, over the salvation obtained in Christ (comp. Acts 16:34 ). He knew that the object of his meeting with Philip was accomplished. εἰς Ἄζωτον ] He was found removed to Ashdod . Winer, pp. 387, 572 [E. T. 516, 769]; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 287 [E. T. 333]. Transported thither, he again became visible. Comp. Acts 21:13 ; Esther 1:5 ; Xen. Anab. iii. 4. 13 : εἰς τοῦτον δὲ τὸν σταθμὸν Τισσαφέρνης ἐπεφάνη , 2Ma 1:33 . ἌΖΩΤΟς (Herod. ii. 157; Diod. xix. 85; in Strabo, xvi. 29, p. 759; oxytone[233]), אַשְׂדוֹד , Joshua 13:3 , 1 Samuel 5:5 , was a Philistine city, the seat of a prince; after its destruction by Jonathan rebuilt by Gabinius (Joseph. Antt. xiv. 5. 3), 270 stadia to the north of Gaza, to the west of Jerusalem, now as a village named Esdud (Volney, Travels , II. p. 251; Robinson, II. p. 629). See Ruetschi in Herzog’s Encykl. II. p. 556. ΚΑΙΣΆΡΕΙΑ is the celebrated ΚΑΙΣ. ΣΕΒΑΣΤΉ (so called in honour of Augustus), built by Herod I. on the site of the Castellum Stratonis ,—the residency of the Roman procurators, on the Mediterranean, sixty-eight miles north-west of Jerusalem; it became the abode of Philip; see Acts 21:8 . He thus journeyed northward from Ashdod, perhaps through Ekron, Ramah, Joppa, and the plain of Sharon.