Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Acts 8:27
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And he arose and went, etc.] As soon as he had his orders, he immediately obeyed them; he made no dispute about the matter, though he was directed only part of his way, and had no account of what he went about, or was to do; and behold, a man of Ethiopia; or “a man, an Ethiopian”; an Hebraism, such as “a man a Jew”, (<380823>Zechariah 8:23) wherefore his being called a man, is no contradiction to his being an eunuch; for the word “man” does not regard his sex, but with the other the country of which he was; and it is the same as if he had only been called an Ethiopian, which signifies one of a black countenance; for Ethiopia was not so called from Ethiops, the son of Vulcan, who is said to reign over it, but from the colour of its inhabitants; (<241323>Jeremiah 13:23, <300907>Amos 9:7). This country in the Hebrew language is called Cush, and the people of it Cushites, from Cush the son of Ham, (<011006>Genesis 10:6) And so Josephus says f417, that the Ethiopians over whom he (Cush) reigned, are now by themselves, and by all in Asia, called Chuseans; and so likewise the inhabitants of upper Ethiopia, or the Abyssines, are to this day called Cussinns, by the Portuguese. Geographers make mention of two Ethiopias, one in Africa, divided into upper and lower, and which is here meant; and the other in Asia and a part of Arabia, and which is the Ethiopia spoken of in the Old Testament: a note of admiration is prefixed, to observe to us what was remarkable in providence that just at this time, and in this way, such a man should be travelling; and what was still a greater wonder of grace, that such an one should be the object of God’s peculiar favour, and should be chosen and called, have the Gospel preached to him, and be admitted to an ordinance of it; whereby some prophecies began to have their accomplishment in part, (<196831>Psalm 68:31, <360310>Zephaniah 3:10) An eunuch of great authority; he might be one that was literally so, it being common for eastern princes and great men to have such persons as guards over their wives, to preserve their chastity; and so hereby was a fulfilment in part of (<235603>Isaiah 56:3-5) though this word is used to denote a person in office: so Potiphar is called syrs, an eunuch, though he had a wife, and which we rightly render an officer; and the Chaldee paraphrase renders it, abr, “a prince”, or great man, (<013901>Genesis 39:1). So Balaam is said f418 to be one of the king’s eunuchs, and yet Jannes and Jambres are said to be his sons; and the word Dynastes here used, which we translate “of great authority”, may be considered as explanative of the word eunuch; to teach us, that this word was not expressive of his case, but a title of office: it is reported of this eunuch, that after his conversion he preached the Gospel to the inhabitants of Zeylan and Arabia Felix, and in the island of Traprobane in the Red sea, and at last suffered martyrdom f419: this great person said to be under Candace queen of the Ethiopians; that is, of those Ethiopians who inhabited the island of Meroe; for Candace, or Candaoce, as Pliny f420 reads it, was a common name of the queens of that island, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian kings, and Caesar of the Roman emperors: the word Candace signifies a governor of children, that is, servants; it is derived from the Ethiopic word ynq, “Kani”, which signifies to govern; and from qd, “Dak, a child”, or servant; and the king of the Abyssines is to this day called Prestar Chan, or Kan, a…
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