Acts Chapter 8 verse 17 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) Then laid they their hands on them.--The act had already appeared as at once the symbol and the channel of the communication of spiritual gifts and offices in the appointment of the Seven. (See Note on Acts 6:6.) Historically, the act here recorded has the interest of being the starting-point of what afterwards developed into the rite known as Confirmation. Taking the narrative of the Acts by itself, a question might be raised how far what we read of was normal or exceptional, connected, for a time only, with the bestowal of new and marvellous powers, or powerful, through the whole history of the Church, as a means of grace strengthening the spiritual life after those powers had been withdrawn. In any case it was probable that no hard and fast line marked the disappearance of the special and marvellous forms of spiritual power which were at first manifested in connection with the laying-on of hands, and so the practice had time to become part of the fixed order of the Church. When they ceased altogether we can understand the reluctance of men to give up a rite that had come down from the days of the Apostles. They would feel that the prayer of faith was still mighty to prevail; that the Spirit would still be given in answer to prayer joined with the symbolic act, though no longer in the same form, and would confirm and strengthen the work which had been begun in baptism, and so the primitive laying-on of hands passed into Confirmation, and was accompanied by other symbolic acts, such as anointing. The thought that it is so called because in it adults confirm the promises made for them when baptised as infants, is entirely modern, and cannot be traced further back than the sixteenth century.Parallel Commentaries ...GreekThenτότε (tote)AdverbStrong's 5119: Then, at that time. From ho and hote; the when, i.e. At the time that.[Peter and John] laidἐπετίθεσαν (epetithesan)Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralStrong's 2007: To put, place upon, lay on; I add, give in addition. From epi and tithemi; to impose.[their]τὰς (tas)Article - Accusative Feminine PluralStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.handsχεῖρας (cheiras)Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralStrong's 5495: A hand. onἐπ’ (ep’)PrepositionStrong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at. them,αὐτούς (autous)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluralStrong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.andκαὶ (kai)ConjunctionStrong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. they receivedἐλάμβανον (elambanon)Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralStrong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of. [the] HolyἍγιον (Hagion)Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularStrong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.Spirit.Πνεῦμα (Pneuma)Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularStrong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit. Jump to PreviousApostles Ghost Hands Holy John Laid Peter Placed Received Receiving Spirit