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Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Acts 19:13

Exorcists — Several of the Jews about this time pretended to a power of casting out devils, particularly by certain arts or charms, supposed to be derived from Solomon. Undertook to name — Vain undertaking! 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.

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See also Acts 19:13 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Acts 19:13. _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 acc...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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, wor...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 19 _ 1. The second visit of Paul to Ephesus. The twelve disciples of John (Acts 19:1)._ 2. The Apostle's continued labors. The separation of the disciples. The Province Asia evangelized (Act...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    MIRACLES, EXORCISMS, BURNING OF BOOKS OF MAGIC. Peter's shadow cured the sick (Acts 5:15); Paul's minor articles of clothing do the same, according to the widespread belief of antiquity in the indirec...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    IN EPHESUS (Acts 19:1-7) Acts 19:1-41 is mainly concerned with Paul's work in Ephesus. He stayed longer there than anywhere else, almost three years. (i) Ephesus (G2181) was the market of Asia Minor....

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists tried naming the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits. They said, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of a certain Scaeva,...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    VAGABOND. roving. Greek. _perierchomai._ Only here, Acts 28:13; 1 Timothy 5:13.Hebrews 11:37. Compare Genesis 4:14. EXORCISTS. Gr

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists_ The best MSS. have " AND _certain_ ALSO, &c." In addition to the real, though ignorant, faith of the converts alluded to in Acts 19:12, some impostors, w...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    PAUL PREACHES TO THE JEWS FIRST AND AFTERWARDS TO THE GENTILES. THE WORD OF GOD PREVAILS MIGHTILY...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ὉΡΚΊΖΩ with אABDE. _Vulg_. ‘abjuro.’ 13. ἘΠΕΧΕΊΡΗΣΑΝ ΔΈ ΤΙΝΕΣ ΚΑῚ ΤΩ͂Ν ΠΕΡΙΕΡΧΟΜΈΝΩΝ ἸΟΥΔΑΊΩΝ ἘΞΟΡΚΙΣΤΩ͂Ν, _and certain also of the Jews that went about as exorcists took upon them_. In addition to th...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _BOOKS ABOUT WITCHCRAFT WERE BURNED ACTS 19:11-20:_ God blessed Paul with the power to work great miracles. Many sick people were healed and evil sprits were cast out. Some vagabond Jews took it upon...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΕΠΕΧΕΊΡΗΣΑΝ _aor. ind. act. от_ ΈΠΙΧΕΙΡΈΩ (G2021) накладывать руки, покушаться, предпринимать, ΠΕΡΙΕΡΧΟΜΈΝΩΝ _praes. med. (dep.) part. (adj.) от_ ΠΕΡΙΈΡΧΟΜΑΙ (G4022) ходить, ΕΞΟΡΚΙΣΤΉΣ (G1845) закли...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    VAGABOND JEWS, EXORCISTS,— Several of the Jews about this time pretended to a power of casting out demons, particularly by some arts and charms pretended to be derived from Solomon. Some of these _str...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    BUTLER'S COMMENTS Special Study PAUL'S POWER TO GIVE CHARISMATIC POWER (Acts 19:1-41) A. There is much ambiguous, scripturally-imprecise and confusing exegesis of Acts 19:1-7 being done today. 1....

  • Combined Bible Commentary

    13-17. It is difficult to imagine how men could witness miracles so astonishing and not acknowledge the presence of divine power. We would suppose that even atheism would be confounded in the presence...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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. THEN CERTAIN OF...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    26 Apollos' ignorance of the ministry of the Lord and His twelve apostles made it easy for him to receive the truth proclaimed through Paul, so that he became a great help to the saints in Corinth as...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    EPHESUS 1-41. Paul at Ephesus. Opposition of the manufacturers of idols. St. Paul, leaving Antioch in S. Galatia (see Acts 18:23), approached Ephesus not by the usual level route leading through Colos...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE ACTS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 19 PAUL IN EPHESUS, 19:1-10 V1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul was travelling. He travelled through the *province on the higher road. He arr...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    CERTAIN OF THE VAGABOND JEWS, EXORCISTS. — The men belonged to a lower section of the class of which we have already seen representatives in Simon of Samaria or Elymas of Cyprus. (See Notes on Acts 8:...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    If we read καὶ after ἀπὸ (see critical note), it contrasts the Jewish exorcists who endeavoured to gain this power with those like St. Paul who really possessed it. περιερχ.: “vagabond,” A.V., the wor...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME Acts 19:13 Where God's spirit is mightily at work, Satan is not far away. Here the enemy's emissaries were mean enough to use the name of Jesus to get themselves a few more s...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The result of the work of Apollos was manifest when Paul reached Ephesus. There he found a company of sincere disciples to Jesus as He had been revealed by John. To them Paul declared the truth in its...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Magnifying Jesus' Name God caused some great miracles to be worked through Paul. Even pieces of cloth, like a handkerchief or apron, which had touched his body could be placed on the body of the sick...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (4) Then certain of the vagabond Jews, (f) 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. (4) Satan...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    The Jewish exorcists. Among the Jews were some, who by calling upon the name of the true God, sometimes cast out evil spirits. But these sons of Sceva seeing St. Paul cast out devils, by calling upon...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    The Jews always recognized demoniacal possessions and the feasibility of their ejectment by the power of Jehovah. It is very clear from the Scripture that the Jews availed themselves, ever and anon, o...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. (9) But when divers were hardened, and believed not,...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We now enter on the missionary journeys, as they are called, of the apostle Paul. The work, under the Spirit, opens to the glory of the Lord. Not merely are Gentiles met in grace and brought into the...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    − 13.To the end it may more plainly appear that the apostleship of Paul was confirmed by those miracles whereof mention was made of late, Luke doth now teach that when certain did falsely pretend the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    From Verse 24 of Chapter 18 to Verse 7 of Chapter 19 we have a kind of summary of the progress made by the doctrine of Christ, and of the power that accompanied it. Apollos knew only of the teaching o...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN CERTAIN OF THE VAGABOND JEWS,.... Who strolled about from place to place, pretending to tell fortunes, cure diseases by charms, and dispossess devils by conjuration, and therefore are called as f...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 13. _Exorcis...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists_ Dr. Whitby, and several other critics, have produced many passages from Irenæus, Origen, Epiphanius, and Josephus, to prove that several of the Jews, abo...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    VAGABOND; wandering about from city to city in the exercise of their juggling arts. EXORCISTS; those who pretended, by repeating the name of God, and performing certain ceremonies, to heal diseases a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The encounter with the exorcists:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Paul returned to Ephesus, as he had promised. Of course there was an assembly there already, as chapter 18:27 intimates; but he found certain disciples who, at his questioning, tell him they had not e...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    THEN SOME OF THE ITINERANT JEWISH EXORCISTS TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO CALL THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS OVER THOSE WHO HAD EVIL SPIRITS, SAYING, " WE EXORCISE YOU BY THE JESUS WHOM PAUL PREACHES. " 1....

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "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,. adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth"But" In cont...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    13-20 It was common, especially among the Jews, for persons to profess or to try to cast out evil spirits. If we resist the devil by faith in Christ, he will flee from us; but if we think to resist h...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    VAGABOND JEWS; who wandered up and down, making it their trade and livelihood; as jugglers amongst us. EXORCISTS; so called from their obtesting the evil spirits in the name of God. Of these Josephus...

  • McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries

    13-17. It is difficult to imagine how men could witness miracles so astonishing and not acknowledge the presence of divine power. We would suppose that even atheism would be confounded in the presence...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Lactantius Divine Institutes Book II that is, the worshippers of God, adjured by whose name they depart[221]...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Acts 19:13 Then G1161 some G5100 of G575 itinerant G4022 (G5740) Jewish G2453 exorcists G1845 themselves G2021 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    PAUL'S CONTINUING MINISTRY IN EPHESUS (19:8-20). Meanwhile we are reminded that Paul's' ministry continues in Ephesus in the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God (compare Acts 1:3; Acts 8:12; Acts 1...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches”.' Ephe...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Acts 19:13. THEN CERTAIN OF THE VAGABOND JEWS, EXORCISTS, TOOK UPON THEM TO CALL OVER THEM WHICH HAD EVIL SPIRITS. There were, as heathen writers tell us, numbers of these Jews in various parts of the...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    OF THE STROLLING JEWS, EXORCISTS (των περιερχομενων Ιουδαιων εξορκιστων). These exorcists travelled around (περ) from place to place like modern Gypsy fortune-tellers. The Jews were especially addic...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Paul at Ephesus. Disciples of John the Baptist become Christians. Paul in the synagogue and in the school of Tyrannus. Paul's miracles. Uproar of the silversmiths. CHARACTERS: Jesus, Holy S...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Acts 19:1. _Paul came to Ephesus,_ a city of Ionia, built by the Amezones. Its temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the world; but Pompey plundered it of all its riches. This city is now in...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    SOME JEWS. These were "professional exorcists" who made their living by driving out evil spirits. _Justin Martyr_ says that most of these Jewish exorcists had adopted the same superstitions and magic-...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul … came to Ephesus._ --Ephesus was the third capital and starting point of Christianity At Jerusalem Christianity was born in the cradle of Judaism; Antioch had been...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And he welt into the synagogue._ PAUL’S MINISTRY AT EPHESUS I. Wonderful preaching. 1. Manner of the preaching. (1) It was bold (Act 4:31; 2 Corinthians 7:4; Philippians 1:14). (2) It was logical...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists._ SEVEN SONS OF SCEVA A great spiritual revolution had taken place in Ephesus. At first Paul found the twelve disciples without Christian knowledge beyon...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ACTS—NOTE ON ACTS 19:13 ITINERANT JEWISH EXORCISTS. These persons used extensive ceremonies and spoken formulas to try to free people from the influence of evil spirits....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 19:13. VAGABOND.—_I.e._, wandering about, or strolling JEWS, EXORCISTS, by profession (compare Matthew 12:8). “They appear to have regarded Paul as one of their own class, but...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ACTS 19:1 _Country _for _coasts, _A.V.; _found _for _finding, _A.V. and T.R. THE UPPER COUNTRY (τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ μέρη); the inland districts of Galatia and Phrygia, through which St. Paul...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth [watering what Paul had planted], Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus; and there he found certain disciples [that no dou...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 22:16; 1 Samuel 14:24; Acts 8:18; Acts 8:19; Genesis 4:12;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Vagabond [π ε ρ ι ε ρ χ ο μ ε ν ω ν]. Lit., going about. Rev., strolling. Exorcists [ε ξ ο ρ κ ι σ τ ω ν]. Only here in New Testament. The kindred verb, adjure, occurs Matthew 26:63, and means, origi...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Here observe, 1. That we read not of any in the Old Testament that were bodily possessed with devils and evil spirits: but, in the New Testament, we meet with many both in our Saviour's time and also...

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