SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:36
Y yendo por el camino, llegaron a cierta agua; y dijo el eunuco: He aquí agua; ¿qu impide que yo sea bautizado?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 8:36
Verse 36. See, here is water] He was not willing to omit the first opportunity that presented itself of his taking upon himself the profession of the Gospel. By this we may see that Philip had explained the whole of the Christian faith to him, and the way by which believers were brought into the Christian Church.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 36. And as they went on their way , etc.] In the road from Jerusalem to Gaza; Philip preaching, and the eunuch hearing, and conversing in a religious and spiritual way together; and Beza says in one exemplar it is added, conferring one with another; about the person and office of Christ, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it; as appears by what follows, both by the eunuchs request to be admitted to baptism, and his confession of faith: they came unto a certain water ; which some say was at Bethhoron, in the tribe of Judah or Benjamin; and others think it was the river Eleutherus; the former is more likely; concerning which Jerom gives this account: Bethzur in the tribe of Judah, or Benjamin, and now called Bethhoron, is a village as we go from Aella (or Jerusalem) to Hebron, twenty miles from it; near which is a fountain, springing up at the bottom of a mountain, and is swallowed up in the same ground in which it is produced; and the Acts of the Apostles relate, that the eunuch of queen Candace was baptized here by Philip. This place was about two miles from Hebron; since that, according to the same writer f439 , was twenty two miles from Jerusalem. Borchardus f440 seems to place it further off from Hebron: from Hebron are three leucas, or six miles, northward, declining a little to the west, to Nehel Escol, that is, the brook of the cluster, from whence the spies carried the cluster of grapes; to the left of this valley, for the space of a mile, or half a leuca, runs a river, in which Philip baptized the, eunuch of queen Candace, not far from Sicelech.
And, according to Jerom f441 , Escol lay in the way from Bethzur to Hebron.
This account of the historian sets aside that weak piece of criticism on Ac# 8:38 used by some persons; as if when Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, no more is meant, than that they went to the water side, or descended to the bank and brink of the river; seeing, here it is said, they came to a certain place of water; they came to the river itself, or the river side, and after this went down into it. And the eunuch said, see here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized ? This question shows, that he had some knowledge of the ordinance of baptism, which he had received from the ministry and conversation of Philip; and that he had some desire after it, as regenerate persons have, after divine things, after Christ, his word, and ordinances; and that he was willing to take the first opportunity of submitting to it, but was jealous lest he should not be qualified for it; and therefore modestly proposes the affair to Philip, and desires to be examined and judged by him: and it also suggests, that there are some things which might be a just bar to this ordinance, as want of grace, and a disorderly life and conversation, which were the hindrances to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who came to Johns baptism; and these are sufficient ones, even though persons may be born in a Christian land, and of believing parents, and have had a good education; yea, though they may have much notional light and speculative knowledge: but where the good work of grace is begun, and when a soul is spiritually enlightened, and has evangelical repentance for sin, and true faith in Christ, and sincere love to him, nothing should hinder: not any thing on his side; not a sense of his own unworthiness, which will never be otherwise, but rather increase; nor the corruptions of his heart and nature, which will always remain, as long as he is in the body; nor fears of falling away, since there cannot be more danger after baptism than before, and Christ is the same who is always able to keep from it; nor the reproaches of the world, which should be esteemed above riches; and more especially, since to be ashamed of Christ, his word, or ordinances, is highly resented by him; nor the opposition of relations and friends, who, though they are to be regarded and listened to in civil matters, yet should have no sway in religious ones to move from the cause of Christ; nor any difficulty in the ordinance itself, since it is but water baptism, and not a bloody one, such as Christ was baptized with, and some of his followers have been called unto: nor should anything hinder on the side of the administrator, when the above is the case; as not being circumcised, but Gentiles, as in the times of the apostles, ( Acts 10:47) so not the former life and conversation of the person, though it has been ever so wicked, as the instances of the crucifiers of Christ, of the jailor, of Saul the persecutor, and many of the Corinthians, show; nor the weakness of grace; the day of small things is not to be despised, nor a bruised reed to be broken, or smoking flax to be quenched: agreeably to this the Ethiopic version renders it, who doth hinder, etc.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 26-40 - Philip was directed to go to a desert. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in very unlikely places. We should stud to do good to those we come into company with by travelling. We shoul not be so shy of all strangers as some affect to be. As to those of whom we know nothing else, we know this, that they have souls. It is wisdom for men of business to redeem time for holy duties; to fill u every minute with something which will turn to a good account. I reading the word of God, we should often pause, to inquire of whom an of what the sacred writers spake; but especially our thoughts should be employed about the Redeemer. The Ethiopian was convinced by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of the exact fulfilment of the Scripture was made to understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom an salvation, and desired to be numbered among the disciples of Christ Those who seek the truth, and employ their time in searching the Scriptures, will be sure to reap advantages. The avowal of the Ethiopian must be understood as expressing simple reliance on Chris for salvation, and unreserved devotion to Him. Let us not be satisfie till we get faith, as the Ethiopian did, by diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, and the teaching of the Spirit of God; let us not be satisfied till we get it fixed as a principle in our hearts. As soon a he was baptized, the Spirit of God took Philip from him, so that he saw him no more; but this tended to confirm his faith. When the inquire after salvation becomes acquainted with Jesus and his gospel, he wil go on his way rejoicing, and will fill up his station in society, an discharge his duties, from other motives, and in another manner tha heretofore. Though baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with water, it is not enough without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Lord, grant this to every one of us; then shall we go on our wa rejoicing __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ως 5613 ADV δε 1161 CONJ επορευοντο 4198 5711 V-INI-3P κατα 2596 PREP την 3588 T-ASF οδον 3598 N-ASF ηλθον 2064 5627 V-2AAI-3P επι 1909 PREP τι 5100 X-ASN υδωρ 5204 N-ASN και 2532 CONJ φησιν 5346 5748 V-PXI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM ευνουχος 2135 N-NSM ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S υδωρ 5204 N-NSN τι 5101 I-NSN κωλυει 2967 5719 V-PAI-3S με 3165 P-1AS βαπτισθηναι 907 5683 V-APN
Robertson's NT Word Studies
8:36 {What doth hinder me to be baptized?} (ti kwluei me baptisqenai?). Evidently Philip had said something about baptism following faith and conversion. Verse #37 is not a genuine part of Acts, a western addition. Later baptismal liturgies had it.
