ISB ~ Acts 8 v27

a eunuch:An emasculated court official, here specified as the treasurer of the Ethiopian kingdom in Africa.

Candace:Either the name or the title of the queen mother and royal matriarch of Ethiopia.

Jerusalem to worship:Judaism drew admirers from many places and nationalities in the ancient world. The eunuch falls into this category, but because of his physical condition he could not be circumcised, enter the Temple, or unite himself fully with the community of the Old Covenant.

• Although castration was an impediment to fellowship and membership in Israel (Deut 23:1), Isaiah envisioned a lifting of this restriction in the messianic age (Is 56:3-5). The dawning of this new age in Christ convinces Philip there is no longer anything to “prevent” the eunuch’s Baptism into the covenant family of God (8:36-38).