Acts 19:14

14 (Now seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing 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 work aprons {that had touched his skin} were carried away to those who were sick, and [their] diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them].

13 But some itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches!"

14 (Now seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.)

15 But the evil spirit answered [and] said to them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you?"

16 And the man {who had the evil spirit} leaped on them, subdued all of them, [and] prevailed against them, so that they ran away from that house naked and wounded.