John Calvin Commentary Acts 8:34

"And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other?" — Acts 8:34 (ASV)

The eunuch said to Philip. Here it appears what an earnest desire the eunuch had to learn. He wanders among various prophecies of Isaiah as through confusing windings, and yet he is not weary of reading. And while he claims nothing for himself, he obtains far more, contrary to his hope, even suddenly, than he could have obtained throughout his whole life by taking great pains, even if he had applied all his cleverness.

So the Lord will be a Master to us, though we are only of little account, if, acknowledging our ignorance, we are not reluctant to submit ourselves to learn. And as the seed, covered with earth, lies hidden for a time, so the Lord will illuminate us by His Spirit, and will cause our reading—which, when barren and devoid of fruit, produces only weariness—to be filled with the clear light of understanding.

The Lord never keeps the eyes of His own so shut that, once they have begun to explore the Scriptures, the way of salvation fails to appear to them; on the contrary, they do profit a little from time to time by their reading.

Yet He often allows them to get stuck and permits their progress to be hindered by some obstacle placed in their way. He does this for several reasons: to test the patience of their faith; to teach them humility by reminding them of their ignorance; to make them more attentive after they have shaken off drowsiness; to make them more fervent in prayer; to spur them onward to love the truth more dearly; and to display the excellence of His heavenly wisdom, which is otherwise not esteemed as it should be.

However, even though the faithful do not attain the mark of perfect knowledge, they will always perceive that their labor is not in vain, provided they do not obstruct their own path with proud disdain. Let this progress suffice us until the time of full revelation comes, seeing that even a small taste of knowledge instills in us the fear of God and faith.