Atti 8:31

31 Ed egli rispose: E come potrei intenderle, se alcuno non mi guida? 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 raggiungi codesto carro.

30 Filippo accorse, l’udì che leggeva il profeta Isaia, e disse: Intendi tu le cose che leggi?

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

32 Or il passo della Scrittura ch’egli leggeva era questo: Egli è stato menato all’uccisione come una pecora; e come un agnello che è muto dinanzi a colui che lo tosa, così egli non ha aperta la bocca.

33 Nel suo abbassamento fu tolta via la sua condanna; chi descriverà la sua generazione? Poiché la sua vita e stata tolta dalla terra.