Acts 8:9

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Now there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀνὴρ δέ τις, ὀνόματι Σίμων, προϋπῆρχεν ἐν τῇ πόλει μαγεύων, καὶ ἐξιστῶν τὸ ἔθνος τῆς Σαμαρείας, λέγων εἶναί τινα ἑαυτὸν μέγαν:

Transliteration

Anēr de tis, onomati Simōn, proypērchen in the polei mageuōn, and existōn the ethnos of Samareias, legōn einai tina heauton megan:

Grammar Details

• *Anēr*: nominative, masculine, singular - man
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - and/but
• *tis*: indefinite pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular - certain/someone
• *onomati*: dative, neuter, singular - by name
• *Simōn*: dative, masculine, singular - Simon
• *proypērchen*: imperfect active indicative, 3rd singular - was previously/had been before
• *polei*: dative, feminine, singular - city
• *mageuōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - practicing magic
• *existōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - amazing/astonishing
• *ethnos*: accusative, neuter, singular - nation/people
• *Samareias*: genitive, feminine, singular - of Samaria
• *legōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - saying
• *einai*: present infinitive - to be
• *tina*: accusative, masculine, singular - someone/a certain
• *heauton*: reflexive pronoun, accusative, masculine, singular - himself
• *megan*: accusative, masculine, singular - great

Word Meanings

• *proypērchen*: had been there before/was previously
• *mageuōn*: practicing magic/sorcery
• *existōn*: amazing/astonishing/bewildering
• *ethnos*: nation/people/population

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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:

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And ther was a certayne man called Simon which before tyme in the same cite vsed witche crafte and bewitched the people of Samarie sayinge that he was a man yt coulde do greate thinges

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But afore there was in ye same cite a certayne ma, called Simon, which vsed witche craft, and bewitched ye people of Samaria, sayenge, that he was a man which coulde do greate thinges.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And there was before in the citie a certaine man called Simon, which vsed witchcraft, and bewitched the people of Samaria, saying that he himselfe was some great man.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But there was a certayne man called Simon, which beforetyme in the same citie vsed witchcraft, and bewitched the people of Samaria, saying that he was a man that coulde do great thynges:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one,

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And a certain man, by name Simon, was before in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be a certain great one,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But there was a certain man named Simon, who in the past had been a wonder-worker and a cause of surprise to the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was a great man:

• World English Bible (2000)

  But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

Referenced Verses

• Acts 13:6 : 6 When they had traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew named Bar-Jesus.
• Acts 5:36 : 36 'Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.'
• John 7:18 : 18 The one who speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of the One who sent him is truthful, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
• Acts 8:11 : 11 They followed him because he had amazed them with his magic for a long time.
• Exod 7:11 : 11 Pharaoh then summoned the wise men and sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their secret arts.
• Exod 7:22 : 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. He would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
• Exod 8:18-19 : 18 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarms of flies will be there. This will be proof to you that I, the LORD, am in this land. 19 I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.
• Exod 9:11 : 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.
• Lev 20:6 : 6 If anyone turns to mediums or spiritists, prostituting themselves by following them, I will set my face against that person and cut them off from their people.
• Deut 18:10-12 : 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, practices divination, tells fortunes, interprets omens, or engages in witchcraft. 11 Or one who casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or who seeks the dead. 12 For anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. Because of these detestable practices, the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you.
• Acts 16:16-18 : 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a servant girl who had a spirit of divination. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!' 18 She kept doing this for many days. Finally, Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And it came out that very moment.
• Acts 19:18-20 : 18 Many who had believed came confessing and disclosing their practices. 19 A large number of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in front of everyone. They calculated the value of the books and found it to be fifty thousand silver coins. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to grow and prevail mightily.
• 2 Thess 2:4 : 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
• 2 Tim 3:2 : 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and unholy.
• 2 Tim 3:5 : 5 They will have a form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.
• 2 Tim 3:8-9 : 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth. They are corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far because their folly will be clear to everyone, just as the folly of Jannes and Jambres became evident.
• 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For they utter arrogant, empty words and entice those who are barely escaping from others living in error, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh and by debauchery.
• Rev 13:13-14 : 13 It performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of the people. 14 It deceives those who dwell on the earth by the signs it was allowed to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
• Rev 22:15 : 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.