Acts 19:13

Acts 19:13 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of Acts 19:13

11God was helping Paul to do special miracles. 12Because of this, people were taking pieces of cloth and clothes that Paul gave to them. Paul had used these things, and people took them to those who were ill. After they touched these cloths, the sick people would become well again. Bad spirits also left them. There were some Jewish men who travelled about to different places. They caused bad spirits to leave people. Some of them wanted to use the name of the Lord Jesus when they did this. These Jews said to the bad spirits, ‘We tell you to come out of these people. We say this with the authority of Jesus, the man that Paul teaches people about.’ 14Sceva was a leader of the Jewish priests in that place. He had seven sons who were telling bad spirits to come out of people. They used the name of Jesus when they did this. 15But one day the bad spirit in a man said to them, ‘I know who Jesus is. I also know about Paul. But I do not know who you are.’

Acts 19:13 word by word

Ἐπεχείρησαν δέ τινες καὶ τῶν περιερχομένων Ἰουδαίων ἐξορκιστῶν ὀνομάζειν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας τὰ πνεύματα τὰ πονηρὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες· ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν Παῦλος κηρύσσει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• certainτιςtis · oneG5100
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the vagabondπεριέρχομαιperierchomai · to go aroundG4022
• JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• exorcistsἐξορκιστήςexorkistēs · exorcistG1845
• took upon themἐπιχειρέωepicheireō · to attemptG2021
• to callὀνομάζωonomazō · to nameG3687
• overἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• which hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• evilπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• the nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• We adjureὁρκίζωhorkizō · to adjureG3726
• youσύsu · youG4771
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• preachethκηρύσσωkērussō · to preachG2784

Cross-references for Acts 19:13

• Genesis 4:12When you work hard to dig the ground, no plants will grow in it for your food. You will travel from place to place. You will not have your own home.’
• Psalms 109:10Cause his children to have no home, so that they go from place to place, and ask people to give them food.
• Matthew 12:27Some of your disciples can also send bad spirits out of people. You would not say that it is Satan's power that helps them. So your own disciples show that you are wrong about this.
• Luke 11:19If that is true, what do you say about your own disciples? They also send bad spirits out of people. You would not say that it is Satan's power that helps them. So your own people show that you are wrong about this.
• Acts 8:18Simon saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to people when the apostles put their hands on them. So he said to Peter and John, ‘Here is some money for you.
• Mark 9:38John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw a man who was causing bad spirits to go out of people. He was using your authority to do it. But he is not in our group. So we told him that he must not do it.’
• Luke 9:49John then said, ‘Teacher, we saw a man who was speaking to people that had bad spirits in them. He was saying, “Jesus says that you must come out.” We told the man that he must not do this. We said that because he is not in our group.’
• Joshua 6:26At that time, Joshua made a strong promise. He said, ‘If anyone tries to build Jericho city again, the Lord will punish him as a guilty man. When he starts to build, his oldest son will die. When he puts up the city's gates, his youngest son will die.’
• 1 Samuel 14:24The Israelite soldiers became very weak and hungry that day. Saul had told his army to agree to this promise: ‘Nobody may eat any food before this evening. By then I will have won against my enemies. If anyone eats anything before then, may God curse him!’ So no soldier in Saul's army ate any food.
• 1 Kings 22:16Then King Ahab said to Micaiah, ‘I have already told you many times to tell me only what is true! You must promise to do this in the name of the Lord!’
• Matthew 26:63But Jesus did not say anything. So Caiaphas said to him, ‘I use the authority of the God who lives. You must promise to tell us what is true. Are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of God?’
• Mark 5:7He screamed loudly, ‘Jesus, you are the Son of the Most High God! What are you doing here? Please, promise God that you will not hurt me.’

Commentaries on Acts 19:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists - Ϛ ; 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13The vagabond Jews - Greek: Jews going about - ́ perierchomenōnThe 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 - ̓͂ exorkistōnThis word…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-20Verses 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 him by the using of Christ's name, or his works, as a spell or charm, Satan will prevail against us. Where there is true sorrow for sin, there will be free confession of sin to God in every prayer and to man whom we have offended, when the case requires…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-16Paul’s ministry was effective, but the traveling Jewish exorcists (people who try to drive out evil spirits) had no real power. They used the name of Jesus as if it were a magic word. However, they did not have a personal relationship with him or the indwelling Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit living in believers). This contrast shows the difference between true faith and empty practice (compare Matthew 12:27; Mark 9:38–39; Luke 9:49–50; 11:19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. vagabond Jews--simply, "wandering Jews," who went from place to place practicing exorcism, or the art of conjuring evil spirits to depart out of the possessed. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 19:13

• Demons
• Ephesus
• Jesus Continued
• Miracles
• Paul
• Presumption
• Sceva
• Sorcery
• Superstition

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Paul
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Paul, Saul
• Adjuration
• Adjure
• Concourse
• Confused
• Confusion
• Craft

Commentaries on Acts 19

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings