Acts 8:32

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
KJV
The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
WEB
Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.
ASV
Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth:
DARBY
And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that shears him, thus he opens not his mouth.
BLB
Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb before the one shearing it [is] silent, so He does not open His mouth.
ÅB
Men det stykke av Skriften som han leste, var dette: Som en sau ble han ført bort for å slaktes, og lik et lam som er stumt for den som klipper det, slik åpner han ikke sin munn;
OTB
Nå var det avsnittet i Skriften han leste dette:
"Han ble ført som et lam til slakting,
og som et lam er stille foran den som klipper det,
så åpner han ikke sin munn.
B1930
Men det stykke av Skriften som han leste, var dette: Som et får blev han ført bort for å slaktes, og lik et lam som er stumt for den som klipper det, således åpner han ikke sin munn;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Isaiah 53:7–8

    He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

    Read in context
  • 1 Peter 2:21–24

    For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 51:40

    I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 11:19

    But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

    Read in context
  • Romans 8:36

    As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 44:11–12

    Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 39:9

    I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 39:2

    I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

    Read in context