Act 8:30 | RWP | e4.org | Understandest thou what thou readest? ( Αρα γε γινωσκεις α αναγινωσκεισ? ) The interrogative particle αρα and the intensive particle γε indicate doubt on Philip's part. The play ( παρανομασια ) upon the words in the Greek is very neat: Do you know what you know again (read)? The verb for read ( αναγινωσκο ) means to know the letters again, recognize, read. The famous comment of Julian about the Christian writings is often quoted: Ανεγνων, εγνων, κατεγνων (I read, I understood, I condemned). The keen retort was: Ανεγνωσ, αλλ'ουκ εγνωσ, ε γαρ εγνωσ, ουκ αν κατεγνως (You read, but did not understand; for if you had understood, you would not have condemned).

‏ Acts 8:30

Understandest thou what thou readest? ( Αρα γε γινωσκεις α αναγινωσκεισ? ) The interrogative particle αρα and the intensive particle γε indicate doubt on Philip's part. The play ( παρανομασια ) upon the words in the Greek is very neat:

Do you know what you know again (read)? The verb for read ( αναγινωσκο ) means to know the letters again, recognize, read. The famous comment of Julian about the Christian writings is often quoted: Ανεγνων, εγνων, κατεγνων (I read, I understood, I condemned). The keen retort was: Ανεγνωσ, αλλ'ουκ εγνωσ, ε γαρ εγνωσ, ουκ αν κατεγνως (You read, but did not understand; for if you had understood, you would not have condemned).