Acts 8:16

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

American Standard Version (1901)

for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Bible in Basic English

For up to that time he had not come on any of them; only baptism had been given to them in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Douay-Rheims 1899

For he was not as yet come upon any of them; but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Free Bible Version

The Holy Spirit hadn't come to any of these converts yet—they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Geneva Bible 1599

(For as yet, hee was fallen downe on none of them, but they were baptized onely in the Name of the Lord Iesus.)

King James (Authorized) Version

(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Translation for Translators

Peter and John realized that the Holy Spirit had not yet begun to empower any of them. They had been baptized {Philip had baptized them} because they had believed in [MTY] the Lord Jesus, but they did not know about the Holy Spirit.

Unlocked Literal Bible

For until that time, the Holy Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Noah Webster Bible

(For as yet he had fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

World English Bible

for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus.

Young's Literal Translation

for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, and only they have been baptized — to the name of the Lord Jesus;

Context

Simon the Sorcerer

¹⁵On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.¹⁶For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Sermons

Homily 18 on the Acts of the Apostles

St. John Chrysostom

Summary

This verse highlights the importance of the laying on of hands by the apostles as a means of imparting the Holy Spirit to new believers. It demonstrates the authority and power given to the apostles by God to facilitate the reception of the Holy Spirit. The laying on of hands symbolizes the transfer of spiritual blessings and empowerment for ministry. This practice served to unify the early church and strengthen the faith of believers through the tangible manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

Then laid they their hands on them,.... The Ethiopic version adds, "who had been baptized"; but not upon all of them, men and women, only on some they were directed unto by the Spirit of God; whom he had designed, and now would qualify for the work of the ministry, that so this new church, might be supplied with proper officers, pastors, and teachers, to feed them with knowledge and with understanding, and who might not only have ministerial gifts to qualify them for preaching the Gospel, but extraordinary ones, which would serve for the confirmation of it; and for this purpose the apostles, "both" of them, as the Arabic version reads, laid their hands on them: for it will not seem probable, that they laid their hands upon the women, on such an account; and it will hardly be received, that they should lay their hands on Simon Magus, otherwise he would have received the Holy Ghost too; so that it seems a plain case, that imposition of hands was not used to them all: and they received the Holy Ghost; that is, they received the gifts of the Holy Ghost; so that they could prophesy and speak with tongues, and heal diseases, and do other wonderful works: and since now these effects have ceased, the rite and ceremony which was peculiar to the apostles as such, it should seem should cease likewise.