^8:29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” ^8:30So Philip ran up⁷² to it⁷³ and heard the man⁷⁴ reading Isaiah the prophet. He⁷⁵ asked him,⁷⁶ “Do you understand what you’re reading?” ^8:31The man⁷⁷ replied, “How in the world can I,⁷⁸ unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

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Footnotes

72 The participle προσδραμών (prosdramōn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.
73 The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
74 Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
75 Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
76 Grk “he said”; but since what follows is a question, it is better English style to translate the introduction to the question “he asked him.”
77 Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
78 Grk “How am I able, unless …” The translation is based on the force of the conjunction γάρ (gar) in this context. The translation “How in the world can I?” is given in γάρ 1.f.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”

When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

NLTNew Living Translation

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet and said, “So then, do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “So how could I, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

KJV 1900King James Version

Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 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.

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