Acts 8:22

κακίας : not used elsewhere by St. Luke, but it significantly meets us twice in St. Peter, cf. 1Pe 2:1; 1 Peter 2:16. ἀφεθ.: if we read above, Κυρίου, the meaning will be the Lord Jesus, in whose name the Apostles had been baptising, Acts 8:16, and ἀφεθ. may also point to the word of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 12:31 (so Alford, Plumptre). εἰ ἄρα, Mark 11:13 (Acts 17:27). R. and A.V. both render “if perhaps,” but R.V. “if perhaps … shall be forgiven thee”; A.V. “if perhaps … may be forgiven thee”. St. Peter does not throw doubt on forgiveness after sincere repentance, but the doubt is expressed, because Simon so long as he was what he was (see the probable reading of the next verse and the connecting γάρ) could not repent, and therefore could not be forgiven, cf. Genesis 18:3. “If now I have found favour in thine eyes,” εἰ ἄρα (אִם־נָא), which I hope rather than venture to assume; see also Simcox, Language of N. T. Greek, pp. 180, 181, and compare Winer-Moulton, xii., 4 c., and liii., 8 a; and Viteau, Le Grec du N. T.; cf. Jeremiah 20:10, Wis 6:16, etc., 2Ma 12:45, 4Ma 17:2, and often in classical Greek.