Acts 19:14

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

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 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?

16 And ye man in who the evyll sprete was ranne on the and overcame the and prevayled agaynst them so that they fledde out of that housse naked and wouded.