Acts 19:14

There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

BSB

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

KJV

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

ASV

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this.

BBE

And there were seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew and a chief priest, who did this.

Original Greek

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ἦσαν ēsan They were G1510 δέ de now G1161 τινος tinos of a certain G5100 Σκευᾶ Skeua of Sceva G4630 Ἰουδαίου Ioudaiou a Jewish G2453 ἀρχιερέως archiereōs a high priest G749 ἑπτὰ hepta seven G2033 οἱ hoi (the) G3588 υἱοὶ huioi sons G5207 τοῦτο touto this G3778 ποιοῦντες poiountes were doing G4160

The early church

"And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." They did it in secret: then their impotence is publicly exposed. Then not the Name does anything, unless it be spoken with faith. See how they used their weapons against themselves! So far were they from thinking Jesus to be anything great: no, they must needs add Paul, as thinking him to be something great. Here one may marvel how it was that the demon did not cooperate with the imposture of the exorcists, but on the contrary exposed them, and laid open their stage-play. He seems to me to have done this in exceeding wrath: just as it might be, if a person being in uttermost peril, should be exposed by some pitiful creature, and wish to vent all his rage upon him.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 13–20

It was common, especially among the Jews, for persons to profess or to try to cast out evil spirits. If we resist the devil by faith in Christ, he will flee from us; but if we think to resist him by the using of Christ's name, or his works, as a spell or charm, Satan will prevail against us. Where there is true sorrow for sin, there will be free confession of sin to God in every prayer and to man whom we have offended, when the case requires it. Surely if the word of God prevailed among us, many lewd, infidel, and wicked books would be burned by their possessors. Will not these Ephesian converts rise up in judgement against professors, who traffic in such works for the sake of gain, or allow themselves to possess them? If we desire to be in earnest in the great work of salvation, every pursuit and enjoyment must be given up which hinders the effect of the gospel upon the mind, or loosens its hold upon the heart.

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People & places

Sceva

Topics

PresumptionSorcery

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.