What Does Acts 8:9 Mean in the King James?
But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The crowd’s astonishment and Simon’s claim to greatness stand side by side, but one does not prove the other.
THE MEANING
A display can hold your attention while the person behind it shapes what you think you are seeing. Astonishment is real, but it does not establish that the person commanding it is truly great.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that being amazed by someone proves that person is what they claim to be.
THE ROOT
ἐξιστάνων
existanōn
GROWS FROM
ἵστημι (histēmi), with ἐξ- (ex-)
ἵστημι means to stand, set, or place; with ἐξ-, the compound carries the image of standing or being moved outside one’s ordinary place, and means to astonish or amaze.
The Greek word translated “bewitched” names the people’s astonishment: Simon throws them into amazement. That response helps explain how his claim to greatness takes hold, while leaving the claim itself unproven.
ALSO GROWS
existēmi: To astonish or amaze; to be amazed.
ἐξίστημι
This is the verb form behind the word in the verse, centering the crowd’s response on astonishment.
ekstasis: Astonishment or a trance.
ἔκστασις
This related word keeps the same image of being taken outside ordinary composure, showing the force of the crowd’s reaction.
histēmi: To stand, set, or place.
ἵστημι
The base verb makes the compound’s image visible: astonishment can feel like being displaced from one’s usual footing.
THE PATTERN
A striking display can lend force to a claim and draw people toward what the performer presents as true.
And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,THE THREAD
And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.The Greek uses the same verb family for “bewitched” here and in verse 9. Verse 11 shows the astonishment continuing long enough to hold their attention.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us