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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Acts 8:30 - 8:30
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Understandest thou what thou readest? (Ara ge ginōskeis ha anaginōskeis) The interrogative particle ara and the intensive particle ge indicate doubt on Philip’s part. The play (paranomasia) upon the words in the Greek is very neat:
Do you know what you know again (read)? The verb for read (anaginōsko) means to know the letters again, recognize, read. The famous comment of Julian about the Christian writings is often quoted: Anegnōn, egnōn, kategnōn (I read, I understood, I condemned). The keen retort was: Anegnōs, all'ouk egnōs, ei gar egnōs, ouk an kategnōs (You read, but did not understand; for if you had understood, you would not have condemned).