Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Parallel translations
- WEB Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
- KJV And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
- BSB So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
- NKJV So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
- NLT Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
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
Philip ran to the chariot and, hearing the official read Isaiah, asked whether he understood it. The question opens a door for explaining Scripture's meaning.
Overview
Philip's prompt obedience and his pointed question model wise evangelism that meets people where they are. The eunuch was reading the very text that points to the suffering Servant, yet he needed help to grasp it. Scripture rightly understood always leads to Christ, and faithful teachers help others see him there.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Luke 24:44–45He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
- John 5:39“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.
- Eph 5:17Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Matt 13:23What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”
- Matt 13:19When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
- Matt 15:10He summoned the multitude, and said to them, “Hear, and understand.
- Eccl 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
- Matt 24:15“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
- Matt 13:51Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”
- Mark 13:14But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
- Ps 119:32I run in the path of your commandments, for you have set my heart free. HEY
- 1 Cor 14:19However in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language.
- Acts 8:27He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
- Rev 13:18Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
- John 4:34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
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 8:30 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.