Acts 8:37 - Philip and the Ethiopian (2024)

King James Bible
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.New King James Version
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”New American Standard Bible
NASB 1995
And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”NASB 1977
[And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]Legacy Standard Bible
[And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]Amplified Bible
[Philip said to him, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]Holman Christian Standard Bible
And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”American Standard Version
- - -Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Philippus said, “If you believe with all the heart, it is authorized.” And he answered and said, “I do believe that Yeshua The Messiah is The Son of God.”Douay-Rheims Bible
And Philip said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answering, said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. English Revised Version
Literal Standard Version
[[And Philip said, “If you believe out of all the heart, it is lawful”; and he answering said, “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God”;]]Majority Standard Bible
[[And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptized.” The eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]]New Heart English Bible
And he said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."Webster's Bible Translation
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.Weymouth New Testament
Young's Literal Translation
And Philip said, 'If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;' and he answering said, 'I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;'Additional Translations ...

(37) And Philip said. . . .--The verse is a striking illustration of the tendency which showed itself at a very early period to improve the text of Scripture with a view to greater edification. It existed in the time of Irenaeus, who quotes it (3:12), but is wanting in all the best MSS., including the Sinaitic, and many versions. The motive for the interpolation lies on the surface. The abruptness of the unanswered question, and the absence of the confession of faith which was required in the Church's practice on the baptism of every convert, seemed likely to be stumbling-blocks, and the narrative was completed according to the received type of the prevailing order for baptism. Even with the insertion, the shortness of the confession points to a very early stage of liturgical development, as also does the reference to it in Irenaeus.

Verse 37. - The whole of ver. 37 of the A.V. is omitted in the R.T., on the authority of the best existing manuscripts. But on the other hand, Irenaeus, in the third book against Heresies, Acts 12:8, distinctly quotes a portion of this verse. The eunuch, he says, when he asked to be baptized said, Πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἴναι τὸν Ιησοῦν Ξριστόν: and Cyprian, in his third book of Testimonies, 43, quotes the other part of the verse. In proof of the thesis that "whoever believes may be immediately baptized," he says, "In the Acts of the Apostles [when the eunuch said], Behold water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip answered, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." So that in the second and third centuries, long anterior to the oldest existing manuscripts, this entire verse must have been found in the codices both of the Greek and Latin Churches. Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

And
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A weak adversative particle, generally placed second in its clause; but, on the other hand, and.

Philip
Φίλιππος (Philippos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5376: Philip, (a) one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, (b) tetrarch of the Ituraean and Trachonitic region, half-brother of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, (c) one of the seven original deacons at Jerusalem and a missionary.

said,
εἰπε (eipe)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: Answer, bid, bring word, command.

If
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If.

you believe
πιστεύεις (pisteueis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4100: To believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: to be entrusted with.

from
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards.

all
ὅλης (holēs)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3650: All, the whole, entire, complete.

the
τὴς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article.

heart,
καρδίας (kardias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2588: Literal: the heart; mind, character, inner self, will, intention, center.

it is lawful.
ἔξεστιν (exestin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1832: It is permitted, lawful, possible.

He answered
ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 611: To answer, reply, take up the conversation.

and
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A weak adversative particle, generally placed second in its clause; but, on the other hand, and.

he said,
εἷπε (heipe)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command.

I believe
Πιστεύω (Pisteuō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4100: To believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: to be entrusted with.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article.

Son
ὑιὸν (huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent.

of God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: (a) God, (b) a god, generally.

to be
ἐιναι (einai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510: Am, was, come, is, there is, to be, was.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Jesus; the Greek form of Joshua; Jesus, son of Eliezer; Jesus, surnamed Justus.

Christ.
Χριστόν (Christon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ.

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