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Acts 19:13

in Acts 19

Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them that had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

KJV

Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

This verse in Acts 19

Commentary

11 notes on this verse
The vagabond Jews - Greek: Jews going about - περιερχομένων perierchomenōn. The word “vagabond” with us is now commonly used in a bad sense, to denote “a vagrant; a man who has no home; an idle, worthless fellow.” The word, however, properly means “one wandering from place to place, without any settled habitation, from whatever cause it may be.” Here it denotes “those Jews who wandered from place to place, practicing exorcism.” Exorcists - ἐξορκιστῶν exorkistōn.

This site's exposition

some itinerant Jewish exorcists

on Acts 19:13-14

Itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name Paul proclaimed, the Lord Jesus, as a formula over evil spirits. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this, though no such man appears in the lists of high priests. Seven against one sets up the defeat that follows.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

"Some of the roaming Jewish exorcists." This statement shows that they did not, like exorcists believing in Jesus, adjure unclean spirits in the name of the Lord, but were testing them: wherefore also, since they were not faithful, as the evil spirit says, they shortly …
And the nature of all these deceits is obscure to those who are without the truth. For they think that those demons profit them when they cease to injure, whereas they have no power except to injure. Some one may perchance say that they are therefore to be worshipped, that they may not injure, since they have the power to injure. They do indeed injure, but those only by whom they are feared, whom the powerful and lofty hand of God does not protect, who are uninitiated in the mystery of truth.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 41 · Written before 407.

proposed

"Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth." So entirely did they do all by way of trade! Observe: vagabond, or, itinerant, Jewish exorcists. And to believe indeed, they had no mind; but by that Name they wished to cast out the demons. "By Jesus, whom Paul preacheth." Only see what a name Paul had got! Wonderful, how great the power of them that have believed! Both Simon for the sake of merchandise sought the grace of the Spirit, and these for this object did this. What hardness of heart! Why does not Paul rebuke them? It would have looked like envy, therefore it is so ordered.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

However, certain itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to invoke over those who, etc. Josephus reports that King Solomon devised and taught his people modes of exorcism, that is, adjurations, by which unclean spirits, once expelled from a person, might not dare to return. This sometimes happens …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

They did not wish to believe, yet desired to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, because these words clearly reveal that these exorcists adjured the unclean spirits in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ not as those who believed in Jesus, but …
4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Satan laughs at all those who attempt to expel him either out of the bodies or the souls of men but by Divine faith. All the light of reason is nothing to the craft or strength of that subtle spirit. His craft cannot be known but by the Spirit of God nor can his strength be conquered but by the power of faith.
Then certain of the vagabond Jews,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

That such a power did exist, for some time at least, seems implied in Mt 12:27. But no doubt this would breed imposture; and the present case is very different from that referred to in Lu 9:49, 50. We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth--a striking testimony to the power of Christ's name in Paul's mouth.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists - Τινες απο των περιερχομενων Ιουδαιων εξορκιϚων; Certain of the Jews who went about practicing exorcisms. Vagabond has a very bad acceptation among us; but, literally, vagabundus signifies a wanderer, one that has no settled place of abode. These, like all their countrymen, in all places, went about to get their bread in what way they could; making trial of every thing by which they could have the prospect of gain. Finding that Paul cast out demons through the name of Jesus, they thought, by using the same, they might produce the same effects; and, if they could, they knew it would be to them an ample source of revenue; for demoniacs abounded in the land.

The words behind it

29 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Mark 9:38

    John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

    it leads to

    • Luke 9:49–50

      “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Luke 11:19

      And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Numbers 11:26–29

      Two men, however, had remained in the camp—one named Eldad and the other Medad—and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the tent, and…

  • Through

    Luke 9:49

    “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

    it leads to

    • Mark 9:38–40

      John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

    • Numbers 11:27–29

      A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

  • Through

    Matthew 12:27

    And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

    it leads to

    • Romans 3:19

      Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Acts 19:13–16

      Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

  • Through

    Luke 11:19

    And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

    it leads to

    • Luke 9:49

      “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
This page draws on 11 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; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 41; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius, The Divine Institutes, Book 2, Chapter XVI; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.