Christian Standard Bible
Acts 16:17
17As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.”
Acts 16:17 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."
- New King James Version (NKJV)This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
Context of Acts 16:17
15After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 16Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18She did this for many days. Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. 19When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
Read all of Acts 16Acts 16:17 word by word
αὕτη τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔκραζεν λέγουσα· οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου εἰσίν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ὑμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- The sameοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- followedκατακολουθέωkatakoloutheō · to followG2628
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- and criedκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- of the most highὕψιστοςhupsistos · HighestG5310
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- shew untoκαταγγέλλωkataggellō · to proclaimG2605
- the wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
- of salvationσωτηρίαsōtēria · salvationG4991
Cross-references for Acts 16:17
- Acts 19:13Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!”
- Matthew 8:29Suddenly they shouted, “What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
- Mark 1:24“What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”
- Luke 4:34“Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”
- Daniel 3:26Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God — come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.
- Daniel 6:16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve, rescue you!”
- Jonah 1:9He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”
- 1 Peter 2:16Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.
- Genesis 14:18Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.
- Psalms 57:2I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
- Psalms 78:35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer.
- Daniel 4:2I am pleased to tell you about the miracles and wonders the Most High God has done for me.
- Daniel 5:18Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.
- Micah 6:6What should I bring before the Lord when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?
- Mark 5:7And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!”
- Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said in a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”
Commentaries on Acts 16:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17These 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: 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17The 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-24Verses 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18The second example of a changed life in Philippi is a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future (a demon that gave her special knowledge). Even though the demon inside her spoke the truth, Paul, like Jesus, did not allow it to share the Christian message (compare Mark 1:25, 34; 3:11–12; Luke 4:35, 41). The Lord commanded that his disciples, not those who oppose the message, should proclaim the gospel (Acts 1:8; 9:15; 26:15–18…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1816-18. as we went to prayer--The words imply that it was on their way to the usual place of public prayer, by the river-side, that this took place; therefore not on the same day with what had just occurred. a ... damsel--a female servant, and in this case a slave (Ac 16:19). possessed of a spirit of divination--or, of Python, that is, a spirit supposed to be inspired by the Pythian Apollo, or of the same nature. The reality of this demoniacal possession…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 16:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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