and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
Parallel translations
- WEB He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
- KJV Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
- NKJV was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
- NASB and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading Isaiah the prophet.
- NLT and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
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
The Ethiopian official, returning from worship in Jerusalem, was reading aloud from Isaiah in his chariot. His hunger for God's word set the stage for a divine appointment.
Overview
This court official of Ethiopia had traveled far to worship and was now studying Scripture on his journey home. That a Gentile God-fearer possessed and pored over the prophet Isaiah shows God preparing hearts before the messenger arrives. His searching of the Scriptures opens the way for the gospel of Christ to reach the nations.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Col 3:16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
- Acts 28:25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
- Isa 1:1This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
- Prov 2:1–6My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
- John 5:39–40You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,
- Josh 1:8This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.
- 2 Tim 3:15–17From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- Ps 1:2–3But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.
- Acts 17:11–12Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
- Luke 3:4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.
- Deut 6:6–7These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.
- Ps 119:99I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
- Luke 4:17the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written:
- Prov 8:33–34Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
- Deut 11:18–20Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
- Ps 119:111Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
- Deut 17:18–19When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 8:28 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.