Acts 8:34,35 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The eunuch said, Of whom speaketh the prophet this He asks a very important question, a question necessary to be resolved, in order to the understanding of the prophecy; of himself Does the prophet speak this of himself, in expectation of being treated as the other prophets were? or, does he speak it of some other man In his own age, or in some age to come? Though the modern Jews will not allow it to be spoken of the Messiah, yet their ancient doctors interpreted it of him; and, perhaps, the eunuch knew this, and did partly understand the prophecy, and only proposed this question to draw on discourse with Philip. Then Philip Doubtless, secretly adoring the divine providence, in giving him so fair an opportunity; opened his mouth With an air of solemnity, proportionable to the importance of what he had to say; and began at the same scripture In which Christ was so plainly described; and preached to him Jesus ευηγγελισατο αυτω τον Ιησουν, preached to him glad tidings of Jesus, of whom, not Isaiah alone, but so many of the other prophets had spoken. And after he had laid before him the predictions recorded in Scripture concerning the Messiah, he, doubtless, bore witness to the glorious accomplishment of them in Jesus of Nazareth, and gave him the history of those extraordinary facts which had lately happened, in confirmation of the gospel he taught. His noble hearer, in the mean time, we have reason to believe, hearkened attentively; and, it appears, not in vain. For though he saw no miracle performed, in evidence of the truth of Philip's doctrine, he found such a light breaking in upon his mind from the view given him of the prophecies, and such an inward conviction wrought in his spirit by the divine influence, that he became a sincere convert to the gospel.