Atti 8:31

31 Ed egli disse: E come potrei io intenderle, se non che alcuno mi guidi? E pregò Filippo che montasse, e sedesse con lui.

Atti 8:31 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 8:31

And he said, how can I, except some man should guide me?
&c.] Which shows that he was of an excellent spirit and temper; since instead of answering in a haughty and disdainful manner, as great men are too apt to do; and instead of charging Philip with, impertinence and insolence, in interrupting him whilst reading, and putting such a question to him, he expresses himself with great and uncommon modesty; with a sense and confession of his ignorance and incapacity and of the necessity and usefulness of the instructions of men, appointed of God to open and explain the Scriptures: and though he wanted such a guide, and could have been glad of one, yet he was willing to use all diligence himself in reading, that he, might, if possible, come at some knowledge of the truth; which was very commendable in him; and no doubt but the spirit he was in was much owing to his reading the word, and to the Spirit of God disposing his mind in this manner:

and he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him;
which is an instance of his great humanity and courteousness, and of his meekness and condescension, as well as of his vehement thirst after the knowledge of the Scriptures; he concluding, or at least hoping by Philip's question, and by the air and look of the man, that he was one that might be useful to him this way.

Atti 8:31 In-Context

29 E lo Spirito disse a Filippo: Accostati, e giungi questo carro.
30 E Filippo accorse, ed udì ch’egli leggeva il profeta Isaia, e gli disse: Intendi tu le cose che tu leggi?
31 Ed egli disse: E come potrei io intenderle, se non che alcuno mi guidi? E pregò Filippo che montasse, e sedesse con lui.
32 Or il luogo della scrittura ch’egli leggeva era questo: Egli è stato menato all’uccisione, come una pecora; ed a guisa d’agnello che è mutolo dinanzi a colui che lo tosa, così egli non ha aperta la sua bocca.
33 Per lo suo abbassamento la sua condannazione è stata tolta; ma chi racconterà la sua età? poichè la sua vita è stata tolta dalla terra.
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