Acts 19:13

13 Then certayne of the vagabounde Iewes exorcistes toke apon them to call over them which had evyll spretes the name of the lorde Iesus sayinge: We adiure you by Iesu who Paul preacheth.

Acts 19:13 Meaning and 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 {h}, 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 Apostle Paul, and attempted to do as he did, using the same: name; hoping to get money or applause, or both, in this way; and it may be observed, that there were some who really did cast out devils in the name of Christ, who did not belong to him, ( Matthew 7:22 ) ( Mark 8:38 )

Saying, we adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth;
that is, to come out the bodies of those men which they had possessed: and the Jews made use of the name of Jesus for healing diseases; for it is said of one ^F9, that

``he swallowed something which almost choked him, and one came, and muttered to him in the name of Jesus ben Pandira, and he was well''

The Alexandrian copy, Beza's ancient one, and others, the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, read, "I adjure you"

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Dialog. cum Tryphon. p. 311.
F9 T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 14. 4. & Avoda Zara, fol. 40. 4.

Acts 19:13 In-Context

11 And god wrought no small miracles by the hondes of Paul:

12 so that from his body were brought vnto the sicke napkyns or partlettes and the diseases departed from the and the evyll spretes went out of them.

13 Then certayne of the vagabounde Iewes exorcistes toke apon them to call over them which had evyll spretes the name of the lorde Iesus sayinge: We adiure you by Iesu who Paul preacheth.

14 And ther were seven sonnes of one Sceva a Iewe and chefe of the prestes which dyd so.

15 And the evyll sprete answered and sayde: Iesus I knowe and Paul I knowe: but who are ye?