Acts 8:33

Acts 8:33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. The Greek version of the LXX., from which the Ethiopian eunuch was reading, translates the Hebrew in this passage with very great freedom. The literal rendering of the Hebrew would be: ‘By oppression and a judicial sentence he was dragged to punishment' that is to say, by an oppressive, unrighteous, judicial proceeding he was dragged to punishment. The LXX. paraphrase this in the words: ‘In his humiliation, his judgment' that is, the right to justice ‘and humanity were taken (or withheld) from him.' Gloag thus enlarges it: ‘Jesus appeared in a form so humble, a man so poor and insignificant, that Pilate, though convinced of His innocence, thought it not worth while to hazard anything to preserve His life.'

His generation who shall declare? But though so lowly, so mean, so poor, was His semblance on earth, who shall declare His generation? It is ineffable! for He is the eternal Son of God, begotten from everlasting of the Father.

For his life is taken from the earth. Not simply taken away, as the life of an ordinary mortal might be, but lifted up from the earth referring to the ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of the Father, where He was before. And thus, though as far as man's eye could see His life among us was poor and humble, its beginning and end were alike incomprehensible best described in His sacred words addressed to His own in that last evening: ‘I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father' (John 16:28; and compare Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, chap. vii.).