Acts 8 — Clausal Layout (Greek)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The persecution and the scattering 8:1–4

vv. 1–3 — Saul's approval, Stephen's burial, the ravaging

Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ.independent — periphrastic imperfect — sustained approval; the thread resumed from 7:58, ominous before ch. 9

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ διωγμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις·independent — Semitic ἐγένετο-frame — the persecution dated to Stephen's death; the first διωγμός named against 'the church'

πάντες δὲ διεσπάρησαν κατὰ τὰς χώρας τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Σαμαρείαςindependent — divine passive διεσπάρησαν — the diaspora-sowing verb; Acts 1:8's map (Judea and Samaria) supplied by persecution

πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων.phrase modifier — the exceptive πλήν — the Twelve remain in the epicenter

Συνεκόμισαν δὲ τὸν Στέφανον ἄνδρες εὐλαβεῖςindependent — συγκομίζω — a burial hapax; εὐλαβεῖς, pious (diaspora?) Jews honoring the martyr against the tide

καὶ ἐποίησαν κοπετὸν μέγαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ.independent — κοπετός — breast-beating grief, the LXX mourning idiom (Gen 50:10; Zech 12:10)

Σαῦλος δὲ ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν ἐκκλησίανindependent — ἐλυμαίνετο — the wild-beast verb (Ps 80:13 LXX); iterative imperfect: a sustained campaign

κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους εἰσπορευόμενος,participial — distributive κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους — the house-assemblies invaded one by one

σύρων τε ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκαςparticipial — preposed σύρων — the violence loaded before the verb strikes; leans on παρεδίδου

παρεδίδου εἰς φυλακήν.independent — παρεδίδου — the handing-over verb of Judas and of Jesus, now Saul's routine

v. 4 — the hinge: the scattered become the sown

Οἱ μὲν οὖν διασπαρέντες διῆλθονindependent — μὲν οὖν seam — διασπαρέντες picks up v. 1: persecution achieves the opposite of its intent

εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν λόγον.participial — the route becomes the pulpit — the chapter's thesis in one participle

Philip in Samaria and Simon Magus 8:5–13

vv. 5–8 — Philip down to Samaria: the Christ, the signs, the joy

Φίλιππος δὲ κατελθὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείαςparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐκήρυσσεν; one of the Seven (6:5) crosses the Jewish–Samaritan rift

ἐκήρυσσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Χριστόν.independent — iterative imperfect — τὸν Χριστόν: an explicitly messianic claim to a people with its own messianic hope

Προσεῖχον δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι τοῖς λεγομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου ὁμοθυμαδὸνindependent — ὁμοθυμαδόν — Luke's unanimity word; προσεῖχον, the verb that will ring three times (vv. 6, 10, 11)

ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν αὐτοὺς καὶ βλέπειν τὰ σημεῖαphrase modifier — ἐν τῷ + infinitive, temporal — word and sign received together

ἃ ἐποίει.relative — iterative imperfect — the miracles keep coming

πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐχόντων πνεύματα ἀκάθαρτα βοῶντα φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ἐξήρχοντο,cause — the γάρ unpacking the σημεῖα — exorcisms first; the construction strains (πολλοί nominative, the spirits exiting)

πολλοὶ δὲ παραλελυμένοι καὶ χωλοὶ ἐθεραπεύθησαν.cause — coordinate ground — Isa 35:6 in miniature; the second column of works

ἐγένετο δὲ πολλὴ χαρὰ ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ.independent — χαρά — the Lukan fruit of the gospel's arrival, answered by the eunuch's χαίρων (v. 39)

vv. 9–13 — Simon Magus: the astounder astounded

Ἀνὴρ δέ τις ὀνόματι Σίμων προϋπῆρχεν ἐν τῇ πόλειindependent — προϋπῆρχεν — the incumbent wonder-worker, established long before Philip arrives

μαγεύων καὶ ἐξιστάνων τὸ ἔθνος τῆς Σαμαρείας,participial — μαγεύω — only here in the NT, giving Simon his surname; ἐξιστάνων, the verb that will boomerang at v. 13

λέγων εἶναί τινα ἑαυτὸν μέγαν,participial — indirect statement — self-proclaimed μέγας, seeding the title of v. 10

ᾧ προσεῖχον πάντες ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλουrelative — the merism of total allegiance — προσεῖχον again, the same verb as Philip's crowds (v. 6)

λέγοντες·participial — the manner of their attention — acclamation

Οὗτός ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ καλουμένη Μεγάλη.content — the 'Great Power' acclamation — a quasi-divine title Luke reports (καλουμένη) without endorsing (cf. Justin, 1 Apol. 26)

προσεῖχον δὲ αὐτῷindependent — the third προσεῖχον — the ring around Simon's hold on Samaria closes

διὰ τὸ ἱκανῷ χρόνῳ ταῖς μαγείαις ἐξεστακέναι αὐτούς.cause — διὰ τό + perfect infinitive — the entrenched spell, about to be broken

ὅτε δὲ ἐπίστευσαν τῷ Φιλίππῳconditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — the decisive break; leans on ἐβαπτίζοντο

εὐαγγελιζομένῳ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,participial — the chapter's fullest gospel summary — kingdom and name together

ἐβαπτίζοντο ἄνδρες τε καὶ γυναῖκες.independent — iterative imperfect — ἄνδρες τε καὶ γυναῖκες, the very pairing Saul dragged to prison (v. 3)

ὁ δὲ Σίμων καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίστευσεν,independent — ascensive καί + intensive αὐτός — the arch-sorcerer swept in; sincerity left unqualified until vv. 18–24

καὶ βαπτισθεὶςparticipial — preposed aorist participle — leans on the periphrastic ἦν προσκαρτερῶν

ἦν προσκαρτερῶν τῷ Φιλίππῳ,independent — προσκαρτερέω — the devotion-verb of Acts 2:42, here with a spectator's motive

θεωρῶν τε σημεῖα καὶ δυνάμεις μεγάλας γινομέναςparticipial — θεωρῶν — the spectator's gaze; preposed, leaning on ἐξίστατο; δυνάμεις μεγάλας echoes his own title

ἐξίστατο.independent — ἐξίστατο — the astounder of vv. 9, 11 now himself astounded; the reversal complete

Peter and John: the Spirit given, simony rebuked 8:14–25

vv. 14–17 — the Jerusalem delegation: prayer, hands, the Spirit

Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀπόστολοιparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἀπέστειλαν

ὅτι δέδεκται ἡ Σαμάρεια τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ,content — perfect δέδεκται — a standing fact requiring apostolic response

ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην,independent — the temple pair (3:1–4:22) — the highest sanction for the Samaritan mission

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶνrelative — qualitative οἵτινες — prayer before hands: the Spirit is God's to give, not a technique

ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον·purpose — ὅπως + subjunctive — the prayer's single object

οὐδέπω γὰρ ἦν ἐπ᾽ οὐδενὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιπεπτωκός,cause — the famous baptism–Spirit gap — Luke records the sequence without explaining it

μόνον δὲ βεβαπτισμένοι ὑπῆρχον εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.cause — μόνον — baptism complete, the falling still pending; the crux of Acts pneumatology

τότε ἐπετίθεσαν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς,independent — iterative imperfect — person by person

καὶ ἐλάμβανον πνεῦμα ἅγιον.independent — the matching imperfect — the λάβωσιν of v. 15 realized, visibly enough for v. 18

vv. 18–24 — the money offer and the curse: simony named

Ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Σίμωνparticipial — ἰδών — the spectator's decisive look; preposed, leans on προσήνεγκεν

ὅτι διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων δίδοται τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον,content — he isolates the mechanism — instrumentality (διά) misread as ownership

προσήνεγκεν αὐτοῖς χρήματαindependent — χρήματα — the act that gives 'simony' its name

λέγων·participial — the speech-frame for the fatal request

Δότε κἀμοὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτηνcontent — δότε — grace ordered like a commodity; ἐξουσία, a transferable license, not mere δύναμις

ἵνα ᾧ ἐὰν ἐπιθῶ τὰς χεῖρας λαμβάνῃ πνεῦμα ἅγιον.purpose — ᾧ ἐάν — whomever I choose: the apostolic rite absorbed without its theology

Πέτρος δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν·independent — the speech-frame for the sharpest rebuke in Acts

Τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν,content — imprecatory optative εἴη — σὺν σοί: money and man consigned together (the Achan pattern, Josh 7)

ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνόμισας διὰ χρημάτων κτᾶσθαι.cause — the ground — δωρεά vs. χρήματα: what is by definition free, priced for purchase

οὐκ ἔστιν σοι μερὶς οὐδὲ κλῆρος ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ,content — asyndeton — μερὶς … κλῆρος, the Levitical portion-and-lot pair (Deut 12:12): total exclusion

ἡ γὰρ καρδία σου οὐκ ἔστιν εὐθεῖα ἔναντι τοῦ θεοῦ.cause — καρδία — the diagnostic organ of Acts (1:24; 5:3); εὐθεῖα: crooked, not straight

μετανόησον οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας σου ταύτης,content — the singular μετανόησον — the apostolic summons turned on a baptized man

καὶ δεήθητι τοῦ κυρίουcontent — the second imperative — Simon must himself beseech

εἰ ἄρα ἀφεθήσεταί σοι ἡ ἐπίνοια τῆς καρδίας σου·conditional — εἰ ἄρα, backward on δεήθητι (anchored) — forgiveness sought, not guaranteed; ἐπίνοια a NT hapax: the deliberate scheme

εἰς γὰρ χολὴν πικρίας καὶ σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας ὁρῶ σε ὄντα.cause — Deut 29:18 + Isa 58:6 LXX — the γάρ grounding both imperatives; Peter's prophetic ὁρῶ

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Σίμωνparticipial — the Semitic reply-formula — leans on εἶπεν

εἶπεν·independent — Simon's last word in Acts

Δεήθητε ὑμεῖς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν κύριον,content — the singular δεήθητι deflected into a plural δεήθητε — intercessors sought instead of repentance

ὅπως μηδὲν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ὧν εἰρήκατε.purpose — escape from consequences, not from the ἐπίνοια — Luke closes the episode without verdict

v. 25 — the return: Samaritan villages evangelized

Οἱ μὲν οὖν διαμαρτυράμενοι καὶ λαλήσαντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίουparticipial — μὲν οὖν seam — the mission summarized; preposed, leans on ὑπέστρεφον

ὑπέστρεφον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα,independent — progressive imperfect — the preaching happens en route

πολλάς τε κώμας τῶν Σαμαριτῶν εὐηγγελίσαντο.independent — city widened to countryside — Acts 1:8's Samaria complete

Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch 8:26–40

vv. 26–29 — the road command: angel, chariot, Spirit

Ἄγγελος δὲ κυρίου ἐλάλησεν πρὸς Φίλιππον λέγων·independent — anarthrous ἄγγελος κυρίου — the LXX divine-messenger formula (Gen 16:7; Exod 3:2)

Ἀνάστηθιcontent — the commissioning imperative of Acts (9:11; 10:20)

καὶ πορεύου κατὰ μεσημβρίαν ἐπὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν καταβαίνουσαν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς Γάζαν·content — μεσημβρίαν — 'south' (or 'noon,' the noted alternative); the descending road geographically exact

αὕτη ἐστὶν ἔρημος.independent — read as Luke's parenthesis (possibly still the angel's words) — the desolation makes the lone encounter providential

καὶ ἀναστὰςparticipial — ἀναστάς answers Ἀνάστηθι — obedience verbatim; leans on ἐπορεύθη

ἐπορεύθη.independent — one-word compliance — πορεύου obeyed

καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ Αἰθίοψ εὐνοῦχος δυνάστης Κανδάκης βασιλίσσης Αἰθιόπων,independent — verbless ἰδού-presentation — four descriptors: ethnic, bodily, political, royal; Meroe at the earth's edge (1:8); Κανδάκη a dynastic title, not a name

ὃς ἦν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γάζης αὐτῆς,relative — the γάζης/Γάζαν pun (v. 26) — the treasurer met on the Gaza road; Deut 23:1's excluded man, Isa 56:3–5's welcomed one

ὃς ἐληλύθει προσκυνήσων εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ,relative — pluperfect + future participle of purpose (προσκυνήσων) — a God-fearing pilgrim (Ps 68:31)

ἦν τε ὑποστρέφων καὶ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἅρματος αὐτοῦindependent — periphrastic imperfects — the scene held open for the encounter

καὶ ἀνεγίνωσκεν τὸν προφήτην Ἠσαΐαν.independent — ἀνεγίνωσκεν — reading aloud, as v. 30 confirms; the scroll named before the passage

εἶπεν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Φιλίππῳ·independent — the guidance escalates — angel (v. 26), now the Spirit himself (cf. 10:19; 13:2)

Πρόσελθεcontent — the approach commanded

καὶ κολλήθητι τῷ ἅρματι τούτῳ.content — κολλήθητι — the glue-verb of close fellowship (5:13; 10:28)

vv. 30–35 — the scroll opened: Isaiah 53 and the good news of Jesus

προσδραμὼν δὲ ὁ Φίλιπποςparticipial — προσδραμών — the evangelist runs; leans on ἤκουσεν

ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ ἀναγινώσκοντος Ἠσαΐαν τὸν προφήτηνindependent — ἀκούω + genitive participle — ancient reading was vocal; the scroll audible on the road

καὶ εἶπεν·independent — the opening question

Ἆρά γε γινώσκειςcontent — ἆρά γε — a genuine, probing question, expecting no assured answer

ἃ ἀναγινώσκεις;relative — the γινώσκεις / ἀναγινώσκεις paronomasia — reading vs. knowing

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν·independent — the teachable reply — the opposite of Simon's self-sufficiency

Πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμηνcontent — πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην — potential optative, rare in the NT: polite impossibility

ἐὰν μή τις ὁδηγήσει με;conditional — backward protasis (anchored) — ἐὰν μή with future ὁδηγήσει; the ὁδηγός sought on the ὁδός

παρεκάλεσέν τε τὸν Φίλιππον ἀναβάντα καθίσαι σὺν αὐτῷ.independent — the seeker takes the initiative — the chariot becomes a classroom

ἡ δὲ περιοχὴ τῆς γραφῆς ἣν ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἦν αὕτη·independent — περιοχή — a NT hapax: the citation frame for Isa 53:7–8 LXX, quoted in full before Philip interprets

Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη,content — Isa 53:7 — the divine passive ἤχθη: someone leads the Servant

καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος,content — verbless simile — ἄφωνος: the Servant reduced to voicelessness

οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ.content — the refrain Philip will answer at v. 35 — ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα

ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη·content — Isa 53:8 — ἡ κρίσις ἤρθη left double: justice denied him, or his condemnation lifted

τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται;content — the unanswerable τίς — posterity cut off, or (christologically) an origin beyond telling

ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ.cause — αἴρεται echoing ἤρθη — cut off from the land of the living (Isa 53:8 MT)

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ εὐνοῦχος τῷ Φιλίππῳparticipial — the reply-formula — leans on εἶπεν

εἶπεν·independent — the pivot question of the episode

Δέομαί σου,content — δέομαί σου — earnest petition; contrast Simon's deflected δεήθητε (v. 24)

περὶ τίνος ὁ προφήτης λέγει τοῦτο;content — THE referential question of Isa 53 — still the exegetical crux

περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἢ περὶ ἑτέρου τινός;phrase modifier — the alternatives framed verbless — ἑτέρου: someone qualitatively other

ἀνοίξας δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦparticipial — the pointed reversal of v. 32 — the herald opens his mouth where the Servant kept his shut; leans on εὐηγγελίσατο

καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς ταύτηςparticipial — ἀρξάμενος ἀπό — the Emmaus hermeneutic (Luke 24:27)

εὐηγγελίσατο αὐτῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν.independent — τὸν Ἰησοῦν — the Servant named; the chapter's verb εὐαγγελίζω at its climax

vv. 36–40 — water, baptism, the snatching [no v. 37]

ὡς δὲ ἐπορεύοντο κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν,conditional — temporal ὡς (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans on ἦλθον

ἦλθον ἐπί τι ὕδωρ,independent — τι ὕδωρ — water on a desert road: providence in the geography

καί φησιν ὁ εὐνοῦχος·independent — historic present φησιν — the exclamation made vivid

Ἰδοὺ ὕδωρ·content — verbless exclamation — the moment seized

τί κωλύει με βαπτισθῆναι;content — κωλύει — Luke's inclusion litmus (10:47; 11:17); the excluded eunuch asks the door-question

καὶ ἐκέλευσεν στῆναι τὸ ἅρμα,independent — NO v. 37 — the eunuch's confession ('I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God') is a Western/Byzantine baptismal insertion, absent from P45 P74 ℵ A B: the numbering jumps 36 → 38

καὶ κατέβησαν ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅ τε Φίλιππος καὶ ὁ εὐνοῦχος,independent — κατέβησαν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ — the descent that suggests immersion; the evangelist named first, leading

καὶ ἐβάπτισεν αὐτόν.independent — three crisp aorists — the question of v. 36 answered by act: nothing prevents

ὅτε δὲ ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans on ἥρπασεν

πνεῦμα κυρίου ἥρπασεν τὸν Φίλιππον,independent — ἥρπασεν — the Elijah-translation verb (1 Kgs 18:12; 2 Kgs 2:16 LXX); the Spirit closes the scene it opened

καὶ οὐκ εἶδεν αὐτὸν οὐκέτι ὁ εὐνοῦχος·independent — the herald vanishes as suddenly as he appeared

ἐπορεύετο γὰρ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ χαίρων.cause — χαίρων — Samaria's joy (v. 8) now rides toward Meroe; the gospel self-sufficient without its herald

Φίλιππος δὲ εὑρέθη εἰς Ἄζωτον,independent — εὑρέθη — the passive of divine deposit; Azotus = Philistine Ashdod

καὶ διερχόμενοςparticipial — διερχόμενος — the scattered-preaching verb of v. 4 resumed; leans on εὐηγγελίζετο

εὐηγγελίζετο τὰς πόλεις πάσαςindependent — iterative imperfect — city by city up the coast

ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς Καισάρειαν.phrase modifier — ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν — the terminus; Philip's home at 21:8, the stage set for Cornelius (ch. 10)

Analysis. Acts 8 is the hinge of the book — the 1:8 programme (Judea, Samaria, the ends of the earth) set in motion by persecution — and the layout shows it as three narrative panels on a flush-left mainline. The first panel (vv. 1–4) is grim and staccato: Saul consenting, the persecution arising, all scattered — until the μὲν οὖν hinge of v. 4 turns the scattering into sowing (διασπαρέντες picking up διεσπάρησαν) and the participle εὐαγγελιζόμενοι hangs the chapter's thesis under one verb of travel. The Samaria panel runs on imperfects (ἐκήρυσσεν, προσεῖχον, ἐβαπτίζοντο, the matched ἐπετίθεσαν/ἐλάμβανον of v. 17), and the ring of προσεῖχον (vv. 6, 10, 11) binds Philip's crowds to Simon's old audience while ἐξίστημι boomerangs — the astounder of vv. 9, 11 is himself astounded at v. 13. Peter's rebuke hangs blue beneath a single εἶπεν: the imprecatory optative (εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν) with its ὅτι-ground, the asyndetic exclusion grounded in the crooked heart, two imperatives with the εἰ-ἄρα uncertainty leaning on δεήθητι, and the gall-of-bitterness γάρ — answered by Simon's deflection of the singular δεήθητι into a plural δεήθητε. The eunuch panel is guided narrative: angel, then Spirit; the Isa 53:7–8 LXX citation hangs in full beneath the ἡ-περιοχή/ἀνεγίνωσκεν frame; the eunuch's πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην is the chapter's one potential optative (tagged), its backward ἐὰν-μή protasis anchored beneath it; and Philip 'opens his mouth' (v. 35) precisely where the Servant did not open his (v. 32). Cruxes the layout takes a side on or leaves open: μεσημβρίαν rendered 'south' (against 'noon'); αὕτη ἐστὶν ἔρημος read as Luke's parenthesis; ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη left double (justice denied, or condemnation lifted); the baptism–Spirit gap of v. 16 recorded, not resolved; and v. 37 — the eunuch's confession, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God' — is ABSENT from the critical text (a Western/Byzantine baptismal insertion, missing from P45 P74 ℵ A B), flagged where the numbering jumps from 36 to 38.