And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot.

And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near, and be joined to this chariot;'

Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go and enter that chariot."

And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and get on his carriage.

Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Draw near and join yourself to this chariot."

The Spirit said to Philip, "Go up to the carriage over there and keep close to it."

The Spirit - See the notes on Acts 8:26. The Holy Spirit is evidently intended here. The thought in Philip's mind is here traced to his suggestion. All good thoughts and designs have the same origin.
Join thyself - Join him in his chariot. Go and sit with him.

Then the Spirit said unto Philip - This holy man having obeyed the first direction he received from God, and gone southward without knowing the reason why, it was requisite that he should now be informed of the object of his mission: the Spirit said unto him, go near, and join thyself, etc. The angel who had given him the first direction had departed; and the influence of the Holy Spirit now completed the information. It is likely that what the Spirit did in this case was by a strong impression on his mind, which left him no doubt of its being from God.

Then the Spirit said unto Philip,.... Not the angel, a ministering Spirit, as in Acts 8:26 but the Holy Spirit, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, the same with the Spirit of the Lord, Acts 8:39 who spoke unto him, either by an articulative voice, such as was the Bath Kol among the Jews; or inwardly, by a secret impulse upon him, he directed him, saying:
go near, and join thyself to this chariot; he bid him make up to the chariot, he saw driving on the road at such a distance, and follow it, and attend it closely; and not leave it, till an opportunity of conversing with the person in it offered.

the Spirit said--by an unmistakable voice within, as in Acts 10:19; Acts 16:6-7.
go near and join this chariot--This would reveal to Philip the hitherto unknown object of his journey, and encourage him to expect something.

The Spirit said. How we are not told. Philip promptly obeyed, ran to the chariot, listened and heard what he read, and then asked his question, the result of which was that he was asked to take his place in the chariot to explain the Scripture.