Acts 19:19 - Exposition

And not a few for many … also, A.V.; that practice d for which used A.V.; in the sight of all for before all men, A.V. That practiced curious arts ( τῶν τὰ περίεργα πραξάντων ) . The adjective περίεργος applied to persons means "a busybody" ( 1 Timothy 5:13 ), one who does what it is not his business to do, and pries into matters with which he has no concern; applied to things, it means that which it is not anybody's business to attend to, that which is vain and superfluous; and then, by a further extension of meaning, that which is forbidden, and specially magic arts and occult sciences. Fifty thousand pieces of silver . There is a difference of opinion as to what coin or weight is meant. If Greek coinage, which is perhaps natural in a Greek city, fifty thousand drachmae of silver would be meant, equal to £1875, If Jewish shekels are meant, the sum would amount to £7000 ('Speaker's Commentary'). It is in favor of drachmae being meant that, with the exception of Joshua 7:21 and 17:2 , the LXX . always express the word "shekel" or "didrachm" after the numeral and before the word "silver." If St. Luke, therefore, had meant shekels, he would have written δίδραχμα ἀργυρίου But it was the Greek usage to omit the word δραχμή before ἀργυρίου when the reckoning was by drachmae (Meyer).