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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 19:13-20

The preachers of the gospel were sent forth to carry on a war against Satan, and therein Christ went forth conquering and to conquer. The casting of evil spirits out of those that were possessed was one instance of Christ's victory over Satan; but, to show in how many ways Christ triumphed over that great enemy, we have here in these verses two remarkable instances of the conquest of Satan, not only in those that were violently possessed by him, but in those that were voluntarily devoted to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 19:13-20

19:13-20 Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists tried naming the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits. They said, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of a certain Scaeva, a Jewish chief priest. who did this. The evil spirit answered them. "Jesus I know and Paul I understand, but who are you?" And the man, in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them and mastered them all and overpowered them so that they fled naked and battered from that house. This... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:13

Then certain of the vagabond Jews ,.... Who strolled about from place to place, pretending to tell fortunes, cure diseases by charms, and dispossess devils by conjuration, and therefore are called as follows, exorcists ; such there were among the Jews, as Justin Martyr observes F8 Dialog. cum Tryphon. p. 311. , who adjured by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: these took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus ; they imitated the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 19:13

Certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists - Τινες απο των περιερχομενων Ιουδαιων εξορκιϚων ; 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... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 19:13

Verse 13− 13.To the end it may more plainly appear that the apostleship of Paul was confirmed by those miracles whereof mention was made of late, Luke doth now teach that when certain did falsely pretend the name of Christ, such abuse was most sharply punished. Whereby we gather that such miracles were wrought by the hand of Paul, to no other end, save only that all men might know that he did faithfully preach Christ to be the power of God; forasmuch as the Lord did not only not suffer them to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 19:1-20

The advance. The founding of a Church at Ephesus, the capital city of Proconsular Asia—a great center of Greek and Asiatic life, civil, religious, and commercial, the seat of the famous temple of Artemis, the place of concourse of all Ionia for its celebrated games—is one of those great epochs in the history of Christianity which arrest the attention and demand the consideration of the Christian reader. Not above two years (if so much) had elapsed since the Holy Ghost had expressly... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 19:8-17

The spiritual, the supernatural, and the natural. The faithful labors of Paul in the synagogue of the Jews and the room of Tyrannus, the unusually extensive employment of the miraculous, and the discomfiture of the exorcists suggest to us— I. THAT THE SUPERNATURAL IS TO BE SUBORDINATED TO THE SPIRITUAL . ( Acts 19:8-12 .) We remember how our Lord refused to gratify the unworthy craving for signs and wonders in his day: "There shall no sign be given to this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 19:8-20

Work of Paul at Ephesus. Here we have the victory of the Divine Word over the power of falsehood and evil in the minds of men. Such episodes show on a small scale what the effect of the evangelical leaven is in the world on a large scale. I. THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL SEEN IN THE ACTIVITY OF PAUL . It becomes a two-edged sword in his hand against all the powers of darkness. Three months' continuous preaching of great evangelical truths may lay the foundation of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 19:8-20

(or Acts 19:20 ) . Triumphs of the gospel at Ephesus. Asiatic character of the superstitions prevalent Dark. degraded mysterious Amulets and charms. Magical words. Exorcism. Not merely among the lower classes, but throughout the city. A dead man said to have spoken from the funeral pile. A wrestler with magic scroll round his body always victorious. Magic an elaborate, abstruse, difficult science, contained in learned books, studied for many years. Notice, therefore— I. THE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 19:13

But certain also for then certain, A.V.; strolling for vagabond, A.V.; name for call, A.V.; the evil for evil, A.V.; I for we, A.V. and T.R. Strolling ( περιερχομένων ) ; going their rounds from place to place, like strolling players or like peddlers. The words should be construed together, " strolling Jewish exorcists." That certain Jews in our Savior's time exorcised evil spirits appears from Matthew 12:27 ; Luke 9:49 . We learn also from Josephus, 'Ant.... read more

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