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:
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- 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, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
- 1 Pet 2:21–24For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
- Jer 51:40I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.
- Jer 11:19But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
- Rom 8:36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
- Ps 44:11–12Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
- Ps 39:9I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
- Ps 39:2I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
- John 1:29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
- Matt 26:62–63And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
- Jer 12:3But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
- 1 Pet 1:19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
- Luke 23:34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
- John 18:9–11That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
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 8:32 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.