Home People The Ethiopian Court Official The Ethiopian court official was a high-ranking officer serving under Queen Candace of Ethiopia. He was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had gone to worship, when he met the evangelist Philip, who explained the prophecy of Isaiah to him. He became the first known African convert to Christianity.
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Key events The official was returning to Ethiopia after worshipping in Jerusalem, showing that he was a God-fearing man seeking the God of Israel.
27 So he got up and went. And there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, Gk καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ Αἰθίοψ εὐνοῦχος δυνάστης ⸀Κανδάκης βασιλίσσης Αἰθιόπων, ὃς ἦν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γάζης αὐτῆς, ὃς ἐληλύθει προσκυνήσων εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ,
28 and was on his way home, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. Gk ἦν ⸀τε ὑποστρέφων καὶ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἅρματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνεγίνωσκεν τὸν προφήτην Ἠσαΐαν.
While sitting in his chariot, he read from the prophet Isaiah about the suffering servant but did not understand who the text referred to.
28 and was on his way home, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. Gk ἦν ⸀τε ὑποστρέφων καὶ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ ἅρματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνεγίνωσκεν τὸν προφήτην Ἠσαΐαν.
30 Philip ran up and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked. Gk προσδραμὼν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ ἀναγινώσκοντος ⸂Ἠσαΐαν τὸν προφήτην⸃ καὶ εἶπεν· Ἆρά γε γινώσκεις ἃ ἀναγινώσκεις;
31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Gk ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην ἐὰν μή τις ⸀ὁδηγήσει με; παρεκάλεσέν τε τὸν Φίλιππον ἀναβάντα καθίσαι σὺν αὐτῷ.
32 This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. Gk ἡ δὲ περιοχὴ τῆς γραφῆς ἣν ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἦν αὕτη· Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ ⸀κείραντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ.
33 In his humiliation he was denied justice. Who can tell of his descendants? For his life is taken from the earth." Gk ἐν τῇ ⸀ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· ⸀τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ.
The Spirit led Philip to the official's chariot, where he was able to explain that the passage from Isaiah was about Jesus Christ and his atoning death.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and stay close to that chariot." Gk εἶπεν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Φιλίππῳ· Πρόσελθε καὶ κολλήθητι τῷ ἅρματι τούτῳ.
30 Philip ran up and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading?" he asked. Gk προσδραμὼν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ ἀναγινώσκοντος ⸂Ἠσαΐαν τὸν προφήτην⸃ καὶ εἶπεν· Ἆρά γε γινώσκεις ἃ ἀναγινώσκεις;
31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Gk ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην ἐὰν μή τις ⸀ὁδηγήσει με; παρεκάλεσέν τε τὸν Φίλιππον ἀναβάντα καθίσαι σὺν αὐτῷ.
34 The eunuch said to Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet speaking about? Himself, or someone else?" Gk ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ εὐνοῦχος τῷ Φιλίππῳ εἶπεν· Δέομαί σου, περὶ τίνος ὁ προφήτης λέγει ⸀τοῦτο; περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἢ περὶ ἑτέρου τινός;
35 Then Philip began with that passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Gk ἀνοίξας δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης εὐηγγελίσατο αὐτῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
When they came to a place with water, the official asked to be baptized. Philip baptized him, and he thus became the first known African Christian.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. What is to keep me from being baptized?" Gk ὡς δὲ ἐπορεύοντο κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, ἦλθον ἐπί τι ὕδωρ, καί φησιν ὁ εὐνοῦχος· Ἰδοὺ ὕδωρ, τί κωλύει με ⸀βαπτισθῆναι;
37 Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."[^1]
[^1]: This verse is not found in the earliest manuscripts. Gk εἶπε δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος· Εἰ πιστεύεις ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας, ἔξεστιν. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ εἶπε· Πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.
38 He ordered the chariot to stop, and both of them went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and Philip baptized him. Gk καὶ ἐκέλευσεν στῆναι τὸ ἅρμα, καὶ κατέβησαν ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ ὅ τε Φίλιππος καὶ ὁ εὐνοῦχος, καὶ ἐβάπτισεν αὐτόν.
After the baptism, Philip was taken away by the Lord's Spirit, but the official continued his journey with joy, now as a believer.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing. Gk ὅτε δὲ ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος, πνεῦμα κυρίου ἥρπασεν τὸν Φίλιππον, καὶ οὐκ εἶδεν αὐτὸν οὐκέτι ὁ εὐνοῦχος, ἐπορεύετο γὰρ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ χαίρων.