New King James Version
Acts 16:17
17This 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
Context of Acts 16:17
15And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us. 16Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 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.” 18And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19But when her masters saw 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 19:13Then 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.”
- Matthew 8:29And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
- Mark 1:24saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
- Luke 4:34saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
- Daniel 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
- Daniel 6:16So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”
- Jonah 1:9So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
- 1 Peter 2:16as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
- Genesis 14:18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
- Psalms 57:2I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.
- Psalms 78:35Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.
- Daniel 4:2I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.
- Daniel 5:18O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
- Micah 6:6With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?
- Mark 5:7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
- Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries