Acts 16:19
in Acts 16When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers,
KJV
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
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This verse in Acts 16
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"Her masters, seeing that the hope of their profit was gone." Everywhere the cause of evil is money. For the sake of enrichment, the woman's masters wanted her to be possessed by a demon. Look: they do not even want to acknowledge the demon, but …
This site's exposition
their hope of making money
on Acts 16:19-21
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, her deliverance turning her owners into accusers, as at Ephesus in chapter 19. They charged these Jews with throwing the city into turmoil by promoting customs that are unlawful for Romans to adopt or practice, an appeal to prejudice in a colony proud of its Roman status. Luke shows lost income dressed as public order.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas." So then Paul did all, both miracles and teaching, but of the dangers Silas also is partaker. "And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone." Everywhere money the cause of evils. O that heathen cruelty! they wished the girl to be still a demoniac, that they might make money by her. "They caught Paul and Silas," it says, "and dragged them into the marketplace unto the rulers, and brought them unto the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city!"
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The magistrates - The supreme magistrates of the city. In the next verse they are called by a title which often signifies pretors. These officers exercised both the military and civil authority.
If the preaching of the gospel ruin the craft of the silversmiths ( ch. xix. 24 ), much more the craft of the soothsayers; and therefore here is a great outcry raised, when Satan's power to deceive is broken: the priests hated the gospel because it turned men from the blind service of dumb idols, and so the hope of their gains was gone.
And when her masters saw,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas--as the leading persons. and drew them into the market-place--or Forum, where the courts were. to the magistrates, saying, &c.--We have here a full and independent confirmation of the reality of this supernatural cure, since on any other supposition such conduct would be senseless.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
When her masters saw - It appears she was maintained by some men, who received a certain pay from every person whose fortune she told, or to whom she made any discovery of stolen goods, etc., etc. The hope of their gains was gone - Ἡ ελπις, This hope; viz. the spirit. So completely was this spirit cast out that the girl could divine no more; and yet she continued a heathen still, for we do not hear a word of her conversion. Had she been converted, got baptized, and been associated with the apostles, the family of Lydia, etc., there would have been some show of reason to believe that there had been no possession in the case, and that the spirit of divination coming out of her meant no more than that, through scruple of conscience, she had left off her imposing arts, and would no longer continue to pretend to do what she knew she could not perform. But she still continued with her masters, though now utterly unable to disclose any thing relative to futurity! Drew them into the market-place - This was the place of public resort, and, by bringing them here, they might hope to excite a general clamor against them; and probably those who are here called τους αρχοντας, the rulers, were civil magistrates, who kept offices in such public places, for the preservation of the peace of the city. But these words, the rulers, are suspected to be an interpolation by some critics: I think on no good ground.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The hope of their gains was gone - It was this that troubled and enraged them. Instead of regarding the act as proof of divine power, they were intent only on their profits. Their indignation furnishes a remarkable illustration of the fixedness with which people will regard wealth; of the fact that the love of it will blind them to all the truths of religion, and all the proofs of the power and presence of God; and of the fact that any interposition of divine power that destroys their hopes of gain, fills them with wrath, and hatred, and complaining.
The words behind it
25 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἰδόντες | idontes | Having seen | G1492 → | 374 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριοι | kurioi | masters | G2962 → | 711 times |
| αὐτῆς | autes | of her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἐξῆλθεν | exelthen | was gone | G1831 → | 216 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐλπὶς | elpis | hope | G1680 → | 52 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐργασίας | ergasias | profit | G2039 → | 6 times |
| αὐτῶν, | auton | of them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐπιλαβόμενοι | epilabomenoi | having taken hold of | G1949 → | 19 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλον | paulon | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Σιλᾶν | silan | Silas | G4609 → | 12 times |
| εἵλκυσαν | eilkusan | they dragged [them] | G1670 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγορὰν | agoran | marketplace | G58 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | before | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄρχοντας, | archontas | rulers, | G758 → | 37 times |
ἰδόντεςHaving seen
idontesG1492 →374 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
κύριοιmasters
kurioiG2962 →711 times
αὐτῆςof her
autesG846 →5565 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἐξῆλθενwas gone
exelthenG1831 →216 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἐλπὶςhope
elpisG1680 →52 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἐργασίαςprofit
ergasiasG2039 →6 times
αὐτῶν,of them,
autonG846 →5565 times
ἐπιλαβόμενοιhaving taken hold of
epilabomenoiG1949 →19 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλονPaul
paulonG3972 →158 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΣιλᾶνSilas
silanG4609 →12 times
εἵλκυσανthey dragged [them]
eilkusanG1670 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀγορὰνmarketplace
agoranG58 →
ἐπὶbefore
epiG1909 →883 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἄρχοντας,rulers,
archontasG758 →37 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 16:16One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
- Deuteronomy 18:9–11
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
- Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
- 1 Chronicles 10:13
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,
- Leviticus 19:31
Through
Acts 17:6But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,
it leads to
- Acts 24:5
We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
- Acts 16:19–21
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
- Acts 28:22
But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
- Acts 24:5
Through
2 Corinthians 6:5in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:23–25
Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of…
- 2 Corinthians 11:23–25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 35; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.