Discovery BoxActs 8:9-11 
Context8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 1 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, 2 from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 3 8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
Acts 8:17
Context8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, 4 and they received the Holy Spirit. 5
1 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
2 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenh megalh) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”
4 tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 sn They received the Holy Spirit. It is likely this special distribution of the Spirit took place because a key ethnic boundary was being crossed. Here are some of “those far off” of Acts 2:38-40.
