Add parallel Print Page Options

So there was[a] great joy[b] in that city.

Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic[c] and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 10 All the people,[d] from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”[e]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:8 tn Grk “and there came about,” but this is somewhat awkward in English.
  2. Acts 8:8 sn Great joy. The reason for eschatological joy was that such events pointed to God’s decisive deliverance (Luke 7:22-23). Note how the acts of healing extend beyond the Twelve here.
  3. Acts 8:9 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (proupērchen mageuōn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
  4. Acts 8:10 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Acts 8:10 tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenē megalē) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”