Acts 8:9

Simon. See on John 1:42. This man is usually spoken of as Simon Magus, from the Greek magos, “sorcerer,” or “magician.” According to Justin Martyr (First Apology 26) he was born at Gitto, a village of Samaria. Later accounts in the Fathers describe him as persistently at enmity with Peter, whom he followed to Rome to oppose his teaching there. Most of the legends are of extremely doubtful authority. Simon was typical of a class of Jews who traded on the prestige of their race and the credulity of the heathen. Such were Elymas at Cyprus (Acts 13:8); the vagabond Jewish exorcists at Ephesus (ch. 19:13); and Simon of Cyprus, unless he was the same man as the Samaritan (Josephus Antiquities xx. 7. 2).

Same city. Referred to in verse 5. The separate mention of “Samaria” in verse 9 suggests that the term refers to the province and not the capital city.

Used sorcery. Rather, “who formerly was practicing magic in the city.” “Magic” refers to the arts practiced by the Magi of the East, who claimed to be enchanters, astrologers, diviners, and interpreters of dreams. Simon may have had no more than an elementary knowledge of chemistry, by use of which he first attracted attention, and then traded on the credulity of those who came to consult with him. The Jews had known of such things from the time of their sojourn in Egypt, and in their traditional literature some of the “wisdom” of Moses is falsely described as of this character (cf. Acts 7:22; cf. on Dan. 1:20).

Bewitched the people. Rather, “amazed the nation,” that is, the population of Samaria were superstitiously impressed by the so-called miracles of this vaunted “great one,” Simon Magus.