Acts 19:14

14 There were seven sons of one Skeva, a Yehudi chief Kohen, who did this.

Acts 19:14 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 19:14

And there were seven sons of one Sceva a Jew
Who strolled about the country, and used exorcisms: and

chief of the priests;
that were at Ephesus; not the high priest of the Jews, for he would have been at Jerusalem, and not at Ephesus; though indeed it does not necessarily follow from the words, that Sceva himself was there, only his seven sons: however, no such name appears in the catalogue of the Jewish high priests, nor is it reasonable to think, that seven sons of an high priest should follow such a vagabond course of life: Beza's ancient copy only calls him "a priest"; and the Alexandrian copy reads his name, Sceuta, and the Ethiopic version omits it; it is the same with (hawko) , and signifies a spectator, or observer; see the Targum on ( 2 Samuel 13:34 ) ( Isaiah 21:6 ) .

which did so;
adjured the devils in the name of Jesus, to come out; at least they did so in one case, as follows.

Acts 19:14 In-Context

12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out.

13 But some of the itinerant Yehudim, exorcists, took on themselves to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Yeshua, saying, "We adjure you by Yeshua whom Sha'ul preaches."

14 There were seven sons of one Skeva, a Yehudi chief Kohen, who did this.

15 The evil spirit answered, "Yeshua I know, and Sha'ul I know, but who are you?"

16 The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.