New Living Translation
Acts 16:17
17She 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.”
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
15She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. 16One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 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.” 18This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. 19Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
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 19:13A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”
- Matthew 8:29They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”
- Mark 1:24“Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
- Luke 4:34“Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
- Daniel 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.
- Daniel 6:16So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
- Jonah 1:9Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
- 1 Peter 2:16For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
- Genesis 14:18And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine.
- Psalms 57:2I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
- Psalms 78:35Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer.
- Daniel 4:2“I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.
- Daniel 5:18Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.
- Micah 6:6What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?
- Mark 5:7With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!”
- Luke 8:28As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture 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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