Acts 19:11
in Acts 19God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
KJV
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
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This verse in Acts 19
Commentary
8 notes on this verseNot only at the time when Paul wore "handkerchiefs and aprons" did people touch them, but they also took them away and laid them on the sick. But pay attention to the hardness of heart of the Jews. They were not moved by the fact …
This site's exposition
special miracles by the hands of Paul
on Acts 19:11-12
God works unusual miracles by Paul's hands, so that handkerchiefs and aprons carried from his body to the sick bring healing and drive out evil spirits, a miracle at a distance that parallels Peter's healing shadow at 5:15 in the book's deliberate pairing of the two apostles. Luke's own wording, special, or literally not the usual sort, signals that even the narrator treats this as an extraordinary rather than a typical case, a caution against building an ordinary pattern of ministry on an extraordinary one. The healing power evidently accompanying cloth Paul had touched met a culture already steeped in magical amulets and objects, and the bench reads God's choice of this particular sign as meeting Ephesian expectation on its own terms before overturning it. Signs and wonders in Acts consistently serve the spread of the word rather than becoming spectacles in themselves, and the verses that follow show what happens when someone tries to use the name of Jesus as a technique rather than as an act of faith.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them." Not touched the wearer only and so were healed, but also receiving them, they laid them upon the sick and so healed them. "He that believeth on Me," saith Christ, "doeth greater works than those which I do." This, and the miracle of the shadows is what He meant in those words. And look, no sooner is the trial from those without over, than this from the demons begins. Mark the infatuated Jewish hardness. Having seen his garments working miracles, they paid no heed to it. What could be greater than this? But, on the contrary, it resulted in just the opposite effect. If any of the heathens believe not, having seen the very dust working these effects, let him believe.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. For the confirmation of the doctrine which he preached, and of his mission, as an apostle; and these were not any sort of miracles, common and vulgar ones, and much less things of chance, and what were merely accidental, as the word may signify; but they were rare and uncommon ones, and in which there was a visible display of the power of God; to whom as the efficient cause they are ascribed, the apostle being only an instrument God made use of.
Or, if he did, why are they not recorded? Was the success of the gospel, without miracles in the kingdom of nature, itself such a miracle in the kingdom of grace, and the divine power which went along with it such a proof of its divine original, that there needed no other?
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Special miracles - Miracles that were remarkable; that were not common, or that were very unusual (οὐ τὰς τυχών ou tas tuchōn). This expression is Classical Greek. Thus, Longinus says of Moses that he was no common man - οὐχ ̓ ὁ τύχων ἀνήρ ouch ho tuchōn anēr.
God wrought special miracles - Δυναμεις τε ου τας τυχαυσας, Miracles of no ordinary kind, i.e. extraordinary miracles.
1 more voice on this verse
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Smith Wigglesworth1859–1947
Ever Increasing Faith, Chapter 6: "Himself Took Our Infirmities" (1924)
The Lord is healing many people today by means of handkerchiefs as you read that He healed people in the days of Paul.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| δυνάμεις | dunameis | Miracles | G1411 → | 119 times |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| τὰς | tas | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τυχούσας | tuchousas | being ordinary | G5177 → | 12 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐποίει | epoiei | was doing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χειρῶν | cheiron | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| Παύλου, | paulou | of Paul, | G3972 → | 158 times |
δυνάμειςMiracles
dunameisG1411 →119 times
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
τὰς<the>
tasG3588 →19766 times
τυχούσαςbeing ordinary
tuchousasG5177 →12 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
ἐποίειwas doing
epoieiG4160 →569 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
χειρῶνhands
cheironG5495 →175 times
Παύλου,of Paul,
paulouG3972 →158 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
Hebrews 2:4and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
it leads to
- Acts 14:3
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 16:20
And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.
- Ephesians 1:5
He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
- Romans 15:18–19
I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
- Acts 14:3
Through
Acts 16:18She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And…
it leads to
- Mark 16:17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
- Luke 10:17–19
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”
- Mark 16:17
Through
Acts 5:12The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 12:12
The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.
- Hebrews 2:4
and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
- 2 Corinthians 12:12
Where this verse is studied
About Acts

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); Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Acts; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 41; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Smith Wigglesworth, Ever Increasing Faith, Chapter 6: "Himself Took Our Infirmities" and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
