Acts 16:17
in Acts 16This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation.
KJV
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
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This verse in Acts 16
Commentary
11 notes on this verseJesus our Lord does not accept witness from demons, as he said, "Be silent and come out of him." So, in imitation of him, his apostle Paul "grieving" it says, "turned and addressed the spirit of Python, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ, depart from her.' " Perhaps you may ask why Paul is grieving when he rebukes the spirit of Python.
This site's exposition
spirit of divination
on Acts 16:16-18
The slave girl had a spirit of divination, a puthon in the Greek, the Delphic oracle's spirit. She shouted that these men are servants of the Most High God, a true statement from a false source, as when demons spoke of Jesus.
This site's exposition
servants of the Most High God
Most High God was a title Greek hearers gave Zeus, and the demon of Luke 8:28 used it of Jesus. The Greek says a way of salvation, one road among many to a pagan ear. The shouting blurred the message.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
What may be the reason that both the demon spoke these words, and Paul forbade him? Both the one acted maliciously, and the other wisely: the demon wished in fact to make himself credible. For if Paul had admitted his testimony, he would have deceived many of the believers, as being received by him: therefore he endures to speak what made against himself, that he may establish what made for himself: and so the demon himself uses accommodation in order to destruction. O thou accursed, thou execrable one! if then thou knowest that it is "His way of salvation" that "they show," why dost thou not come out freely? But just what Simon wished, when he said, "Give me, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost", the same did this demon: since he saw them becoming famous, here also he plays the hypocrite: by this means he thought to be allowed to remain in the body, if he should preach the same things. But if Christ "receive not testimony from man," meaning John, much less from a demon. "Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner", much less from a demon. For that they preach is not of men, but of the Holy Ghost. Because they did not act in a spirit of boasting.
Python is said to be a woman who used to sit upon the tripod of Apollo with its legs spread, then in this way a corrupt spirit from below entering her and passing through her genital parts would fill the woman with madness, and with …
The Medieval Church2 voices
"Following Paul and us, she cried out, saying: these men are servants of the Most High God." O unclean spirit! If you know that they "proclaim the way of salvation," then why do you not depart from them?
These men are servants of the Most High God. This is not a confession from the will, followed by a reward for confessing, but compelled by the fear of the Holy Spirit, the lying spirit speaks truth, not daring to hide its darkness any longer …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The same followed Paul and us,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The same followed Paul ... - Why she did this, or under what presence, the sacred writer has not informed us. It may have been: (1) That as she prophesied for gain, she supposed that Paul and Silas would reward her if she publicly proclaimed that they were the servants of God. Or, (2) Because she was conscious that an evil spirit possessed her, and she feared that Paul and Silas would expel that spirit, and by proclaiming them to be the servants of God she hoped to conciliate their favor.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
These men are servants of the most high God, &c.--Glorious testimony! But see on Lu 4:41. this did she many days--that is, on many successive occasions when on their way to their usual place of meeting, or when engaged in religious services.
These men are the servants, etc. - It is astonishing how such a testimony could be given in such a case; every syllable of it true, and at the same time full, clear, and distinct. But mark the deep design and artifice of this evil spirit: 1. He well knew that the Jewish law abhorred all magic, incantations, magical rites, and dealings with familiar spirits; he therefore bears what was in itself a true testimony to the apostles, that by it he may destroy their credit, and ruin their usefulness. The Jews, by this testimony, would be led at once to believe that the apostles were in compact with these demons, and that the miracles they wrought were done by the agency of these wicked spirits, and that the whole was the effect of magic; and this, of course, would harden their hearts against the preaching of the Gospel. 2. The Gentiles, finding that their own demon bore testimony to the apostles, would naturally consider that the whole was one system; that they had nothing to learn, nothing to correct; and thus the preaching of the apostles must be useless to them. In such a predicament is this, nothing could have saved the credit of the apostles but their dispossessing this woman of her familiar spirit, and that in the most incontestable manner; for what could have saved the credit of Moses and Aaron, when the magicians of Egypt turned their rods into serpents, had not Aaron’s rod devoured theirs? And what could have saved the credit of these apostles but the casting out of this spirit of divination, with which, otherwise, both Jews and Gentiles would have believed them in compact?
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| αὕτη | haute | She | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| κατακολουθοῦσα | katakolouthousa | having followed | G2628 → | |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παύλῳ | paulo | after Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡμῖν | hemin | us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἔκραζεν | ekrazen | was crying out | G2896 → | 55 times |
| λέγουσα· | legousa | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| οὗτοι | houtoi | These | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄνθρωποι | anthropoi | men | G444 → | 549 times |
| δοῦλοι | douloi | servants | G1401 → | 129 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὑψίστου | hupsistou | Most High | G5310 → | |
| εἰσίν, | eisin | are, | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| οἵτινες | oitines | who | G3748 → | 144 times |
| καταγγέλλουσιν | katangellousin | proclaim | G2605 → | 17 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὁδὸν | hodon | [the] way | G3598 → | 101 times |
| σωτηρίας. | soterias | of salvation. | G4991 → | 49 times |
αὕτηShe
hauteG3778 →1381 times
κατακολουθοῦσαhaving followed
katakolouthousaG2628 →
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Παύλῳafter Paul
pauloG3972 →158 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡμῖνus
heminG3165 →1936 times
ἔκραζενwas crying out
ekrazenG2896 →55 times
λέγουσα·saying;
legousaG3004 →1325 times
οὗτοιThese
houtoiG3778 →1381 times
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἄνθρωποιmen
anthropoiG444 →549 times
δοῦλοιservants
douloiG1401 →129 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦGod
theouG2316 →1312 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ὑψίστουMost High
hupsistouG5310 →
εἰσίν,are,
eisinG1510 →2333 times
οἵτινεςwho
oitinesG3748 →144 times
καταγγέλλουσινproclaim
katangellousinG2605 →17 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
ὁδὸν[the] way
hodonG3598 →101 times
σωτηρίας.of salvation.
soteriasG4991 →49 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
John 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
it leads to
- Acts 4:12
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
- John 10:9
I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
- Ephesians 2:18
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
- John 11:25–26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
- John 1:4
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
- Acts 4:12
Through
1 Peter 2:16Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:13
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
- Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
- Galatians 5:13
Through
Daniel 3:28Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather…
it leads to
- Psalms 34:7–8
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
- Psalms 34:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this chapter
About Acts
This page draws on 12 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); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 35; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON NUMBERS 16.7.10; R. J. Knowling, The Acts of the Apostles, The Expositor's Greek Testament and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.