Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.
Parallel translations
- KJV The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
- BSB The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
- NKJV The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
- NASB Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter; And like a lamb that is silent before its shearer, So He does not open His mouth.
- NLT The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
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 passage being read was Isaiah 53, describing the Servant who suffers silently like a sheep led to slaughter. This points directly to Christ's atoning death.
Overview
Isaiah 53 is the great prophecy of the suffering Servant who bears the sins of his people. The image of the silent, slaughtered lamb foreshadows Jesus, who did not resist his accusers but went willingly to the cross. That the eunuch was reading this exact text shows God's providence, for here the gospel is hidden in plain sight.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Isa 53:7–8He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.
- 1 Pet 2:21–24For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,
- Jer 51:40“I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.
- Jer 11:19But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I didn’t know that they had devised devices against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”
- Rom 8:36Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
- Ps 44:11–12You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.
- Ps 39:9I was mute. I didn’t open my mouth, because you did it.
- Ps 39:2I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.
- John 1:29The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- Matt 26:62–63The high priest stood up, and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?”
- Jer 12:3But you, Yahweh, know me; you see me, and try my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
- 1 Pet 1:19but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ;
- Luke 23:34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
- John 18:9–11that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 8:32 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.