Acts 16:16, Acts 16:19 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 16:16-39

An illustrious triple triumph of Christianity. Soft as the step with which Christianity entered the fair fields of Europe, and kindly as the welcome given to it then, its uniform lot was not long in making its appearance. It soon wakens close attention, it rouses strong opposition, it vindicates its genius and rights, and the luster of its moral victory must often have been felt by the faithful apostles enough of itself to compensate for the persecutions and sufferings they encountered.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 16:16-40

Truth and falsehood. The domains of truth and falsehood are in their own nature entirely distinct. This cannot be more emphatically expressed than in the inspired words which speak of God as the God of truth, and of Satan as the father of lies. The two realms are not only distinct, but contrary the one to the other. No greater injury has been done to the cause of truth than by the employment of weapons of falsehood in its defense. And, on the other hand, the most effective weapons used in... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Acts 16:16

As we went to prayer - Greek: as we were going to the proseuche, ‘the place of prayer, Acts 16:13. Whether this was on the same day in which the conversion of Lydia occurred, or at another time, is not mentioned by the historian.A certain damsel - A maid, a young woman.Possessed with a spirit of divination - Greek: Python. See the margin. Python, or Pythios, was one of the names of Apollo, the Grecian god of the fine arts, of music, poetry, medicine, and eloquence. Of these he was esteemed to... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Acts 16:16

Acts 16:16. As we went to prayer Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; a certain damsel met us (that is, met Paul and his three companions) possessed with a spirit of divination Greek, εχουσαν πνευμα πυθωνος , having a spirit of Python, or Apollo. This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that was called Python; or a person who for his cruelty was surnamed Python, that is, serpent or dragon, from whence... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Acts 16:11-40

Philippi - first church in Europe (16:11-40)The missionaries left Troas with another addition to the party, Luke, the author of the book (note the word ‘we’ in verse 11). Luke’s home appears to have been in Philippi, the city to which the group was now heading (11-12). It seems that Philippi had few Jews and no synagogue, but a group of God-fearers met for prayer at the river bank. The missionaries joined with them and made known to them the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result a cloth merchant... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Acts 16:16

damsel . Greek. paidiske. See note on Acts 12:13 . read "a spirit, a Python". The Python was a serpent destroyed, according to Greek Mythology, by Apollo, who was hence called Pythius, and the priestess at the famous temple at Delph was called the Pythoness. Through her the oracle was delivered. See an instance of these oracular utterances in Pember's Earth's Earliest Ages, ch. XII. The term Python became equivalent to a soothsaying demon, as in the case of this slave-girl who had an evil... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Acts 16:16

And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation. And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 16:16

Acts 16:16. As we went to prayer,— Or, To the oratory. The manner in which St. Luke relates this history,plainly implies that he considered it as a real possession, and that St. Paul himself considered it in that view: nor can we account either for the woman's behaviour, for St. Paul's, or for that of her master's afterwards, without allowing this to be the case. A spirit of divination, is in the original, a spirit of Pytho, or of Apollo; concerning which see the notes on Lev 19:31 and... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Acts 16:16

16-18. 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 ( :-). 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 is as undeniable as that of any in the Gospel... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 16:6-20

C. The extension of the church to the Aegean shores 16:6-19:20The missionary outreach narrated in this section of the book took place in major cities along the Aegean coastline that major Roman roads connected. read more