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who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:15 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;
  • KJV Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
  • BSB On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
  • NASB who came down and prayed for them that they would receive the Holy Spirit.
  • NLT As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Peter and John prayed that the Samaritan believers would receive the Holy Spirit. Their prayer sought the full blessing of the Spirit for these new converts.

Overview

The two apostles prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit. This unusual delay between belief and the Spirit's coming appears tied to this unique transitional moment, publicly uniting the Samaritan believers with the apostolic church. It underscored that Samaritans were fully included in God's people through the same Spirit.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • Acts 2:38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • John 16:23–24“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
  • Phil 1:19For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
  • Matt 18:19Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
  • John 14:13–14Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 8:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 8:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.