Acts 19:14

14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading 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 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”

14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this.

15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”

16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.