The Meaning of Acts 8:20 Explained

Acts 8:20

KJV: But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

YLT: And Peter said unto him, 'Thy silver with thee -- may it be to destruction! because the gift of God thou didst think to possess through money;

Darby: And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money.

ASV: But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  Peter  said  unto  him,  Thy  money  perish  with  thee,  because  thou hast thought  that the gift  of God  may be purchased  with  money. 

What does Acts 8:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 8:14-25 - Confirming New Believers
Simon attracted people to himself; he posed as a man of power and mystery. The gospel fixes our thoughts exclusively upon Jesus. We preach Him as Lord, and ourselves as servants for His sake. Simon's faith was spurious; he believed about rather than in Christ. John was sent with Peter to bring the fire of Pentecost to the very locality where formerly he and his brother had suggested that they should call fire from heaven to destroy. See Luke 9:54. May we not learn from this mission that some are specially qualified to lead others into the enjoyment of pentecostal blessing? In this service Peter used the power of the keys entrusted to him by the Master; and we may all do likewise when we lead others forward to claim that which awaits them in Christ Jesus.
Simon saw what an additional source of influence would accrue to him if only he could exert the same powers, but he had no idea of the spiritual conditions on which alone they could be obtained. Simony is the name for the practice of making gain by means of religion, 1 Timothy 6:5. Perhaps in Acts 8:22 does not indicate a doubt upon God's side, but upon Simon's side-whether his treacherous heart would ever be able to conform to the divine conditions. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 8

1  By occasion of the persecution in Jerusalem, the church being planted in Samaria,
4  by Philip the deacon, who preached, did miracles, and baptized many;
9  among the rest Simon the sorcerer, a great seducer of the people;
14  Peter and John come to confirm and enlarge the church;
15  where, by prayer and imposition of hands giving the Holy Spirit;
18  when Simon would have bought the like power of them,
20  Peter sharply reproving his hypocrisy and covetousness,
22  and exhorting him to repentance,
25  together with John preaching the word of the Lord, return to Jerusalem;
26  but the angel sends Philip to teach and baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch

Greek Commentary for Acts 8:20

Perish with thee [συν σοι ειη εις απωλειαν]
Literally, Be with thee for destruction. Optative for a future wish. The use of εις — eis with the accusative in the predicate is especially common in the lxx. The wish reveals Peter‘s indignation at the base offer of Simon. Peter was no grafter to accept money for spiritual power. He spurned the temptation. The natural meaning of Peter‘s language is that Simon was on the road to destruction. It is a warning and almost a curse on him, though Acts 8:22 shows that there was still room for repentance. [source]
To obtain [κτασται]
To acquire. Usual meaning of the present tense (infinitive middle) of κταομαι — ktaomai f0). [source]
Perish with thee [σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν]
Lit., be along with thee unto destruction. Destruction overtake thy money and thyself. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 8:20

1 Timothy 6:9 Perdition [ἀπώλειαν]
It is unsafe to distinguish between ὄλεθρος destructionin general, and ἀπώλεια as pointing mainly to destruction of the soul. Ἁπώλεια sometimes of spiritual destruction, as Philemon 1:28; but also of destruction and waste in general, as Mark 14:4; Acts 8:20. One is reminded of Virgil, Aen. iii. 56:“Quid non mortalia pectora cogis,Auri sacra fames?” [source]
Revelation 21:6 I am the Alpha and the Omega [Εγω το Αλπα και το Ο]
God is the bountiful Giver (James 1:5, James 1:17) of the Water of Life. See Revelation 7:17; Revelation 22:1, Revelation 22:17 for this metaphor, which is based on Isaiah 55:1. It is God‘s own promise For this partitive use of εκ — ek see Matthew 25:8, without εκ — ek Revelation 2:17.Freely See Matthew 10:8; John 4:10; Romans 3:24; Acts 8:20; Revelation 22:17. [source]
Revelation 21:6 Freely [δωρεαν]
See Matthew 10:8; John 4:10; Romans 3:24; Acts 8:20; Revelation 22:17. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 8:20 mean?

Peter however said to him The silver of you with you may it be to destruction because the gift - of God you thought by money to be obtained
Πέτρος δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν Τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνόμισας διὰ χρημάτων κτᾶσθαι

Πέτρος  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
ἀργύριόν  silver 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ἀργύριον  
Sense: silver.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
εἴη  may  it  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Optative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ἀπώλειαν  destruction 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀπώλεια  
Sense: destroying, utter destruction.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
δωρεὰν  gift 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: δωρεά  
Sense: a gift.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἐνόμισας  you  thought 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: νομίζω  
Sense: to hold by custom or usage, own as a custom or usage, to follow a custom or usage.
χρημάτων  money 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: χρῆμα  
Sense: a thing, a matter, affair, event, business.
κτᾶσθαι  to  be  obtained 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: κτάομαι  
Sense: to acquire, get, or procure a thing for one’s self, to possess.