Acts 16 16

Acts 16:16 kjv

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Acts 16:16 nkjv

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

Acts 16:16 niv

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.

Acts 16:16 esv

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

Acts 16:16 nlt

One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes.

Acts 16 verses

Acts 16 16 Meaning

Acts 16:16 describes an encounter between Paul and his companions with a slave girl in Philippi. This girl was possessed by a spirit of divination, referred to as a "Pythian spirit," enabling her to predict the future and providing significant financial profit for her owners through her soothsaying. The verse sets the stage for a spiritual confrontation between the power of God manifested through the apostles and a demonic influence embedded within the local economy and culture.

Acts 16 16 Context

Acts 16:16 occurs during Paul's second missionary journey. Having received a vision to go to Macedonia (Acts 16:9), Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke (indicated by the "we" passage) arrive in Philippi, a significant Roman colony. Earlier in the chapter, they established a prayer meeting outside the city gates by a river, leading to the conversion of Lydia, a prominent businesswoman (Acts 16:13-15). This verse marks a shift in the narrative, introducing a direct conflict with spiritual forces of evil that contrasts sharply with the earlier peaceful conversion of Lydia. The setting is urban Philippi, a city steeped in Greco-Roman paganism, where cults and divination practices were common and often integrated into the economic fabric, setting the stage for the Gospel's challenge to entrenched systems of belief and power.

Acts 16 16 Word analysis

• And it came to pass (kai egeneto): A common introductory phrase in Greek literature and the Septuagint, signaling a sequential event in the narrative. It suggests divine orchestration, where the Holy Spirit is leading events, not merely coincidence.
• as we went (poreuomenōn hēmōn): From poreuomai (to journey, go). The participle "we went" emphasizes the ongoing nature of their regular trip to their established prayer place. The "we" highlights Luke's presence with Paul's missionary team.
• to prayer (epi proseuchēn): Literally "to prayer" or "to a place of prayer." This specifies their intention and destination. In Philippi, without a synagogue, Jewish believers and God-fearers would gather in specific places, often outdoors by a river as mentioned in Acts 16:13.
• a certain damsel (tis paidiskēn): `paidiskē` refers to a young woman, servant girl, or slave girl. The context immediately clarifies her enslaved status. "Certain" implies she was a known, specific individual in the locale.
• possessed with (echousan): From echō (to have, hold). Indicates her complete subjection to and control by the spirit.
• a spirit of divination (pneuma Pythōna): This is a critical term.
  • `pneuma`: spirit, often indicating a non-material entity, here demonic.
  • `Pythōna`: This is transliterated directly from Greek, referring to the mythical serpent Python, slain by Apollo at Delphi. The Oracle of Delphi, associated with Apollo, was the most famous site for divination in the ancient world, delivering prophecies through a priestess. By using this term, Luke points to a specific and renowned form of pagan occult practice, indicating a spirit mimicking or embodying the perceived power of the Delphic oracle. It implies a 'ventriloquist' spirit or 'familiar spirit,' where the voice of the spirit seemed to speak through her.
• met us (hēmantēsen hēmin): From mantanō (to meet, encounter). This encounter was not sought out by the apostles but initiated by the girl or the spirit controlling her, making the subsequent confrontation unavoidable.
• which brought (hostis pareichen): From parechō (to provide, supply, cause). Describes the direct benefit or consequence of her soothsaying.
• her masters (tois kyriois autēs): `kyrioi` (masters, lords) in the plural indicates she was owned by multiple individuals or a syndicate. This highlights the exploitative commercial enterprise behind her spiritual activity.
• much gain (polly kat'ergasian): `polly` (much, great) `kat'ergasian` (work, business, craft, profit). The phrase emphasizes the substantial financial earnings generated by her "work," underscoring the lucrative nature of her divination for her owners.
• by soothsaying (manteuomenēn): From manteuomai (to divine, prophesy, interpret omens, act as an oracle). This verb confirms the nature of her supernatural ability, which was to predict the future through occult means.

Words-group Analysis:

• "as we went to prayer, a certain damsel... met us": This phrasing establishes the contrast between the righteous purpose of the apostles (prayer, communion with God) and the worldly encounter with a demonically controlled person exploiting spiritual powers for profit. It also highlights the unsolicited nature of the confrontation.
• "possessed with a spirit of divination... which brought her masters much gain": This directly links demonic influence to economic exploitation. It reveals the dark side of pagan religious practices, not as genuine divine communication, but as a source of illicit income, often at the expense of human dignity and freedom (slavery).
• "spirit of divination (Pythona) by soothsaying": This precise naming of the spirit (`Pythona`) and the accompanying action (`manteuomenēn`) reveals Luke's understanding of the specific type of pagan occult practice common in the Hellenistic world, associating it directly with the famous Oracle of Delphi. It underscores the belief that this was a real, albeit demonic, spiritual power.

Acts 16 16 Bonus section

• Luke, the author of Acts, as a careful historian and physician, often employs precise terminology. His use of Pythona is an example of his meticulous detail, reflecting familiarity with Greek religious practices and providing specificity beyond merely "an evil spirit."
• The incident at Philippi foreshadows a recurring theme in Acts: the economic disruption caused by the Gospel's advance. When genuine spiritual liberation occurs, it often undermines established systems that profit from sin or spiritual deception, as also seen in the silversmiths' riot in Ephesus (Acts 19).
• This verse illustrates that demonic activity often works in conjunction with human greed and exploitation. The spirit grants "power," and the masters use it for "gain." The deliverance of the girl means both spiritual and, effectively, economic emancipation from those who profited from her bondage.

Acts 16 16 Commentary

Acts 16:16 introduces a stark spiritual clash in Philippi, foregrounding the omnipresent reality of spiritual warfare alongside the expansion of the Gospel. While Paul and his companions sought to minister and gather for prayer, they were intercepted by a demon-possessed slave girl whose ability to foretell the future was exploited for significant financial profit by her masters. Luke's use of "spirit of divination (Pythian spirit)" is a pointed reference to the revered Delphic oracle, immediately informing the ancient reader of the type of influential, though false, spiritual power at play. This verse succinctly establishes a clear conflict: the genuine spiritual power of God contrasted with the counterfeit, exploitative, and oppressive power of a demonic entity. It lays the groundwork for the Gospel's direct challenge not only to false spiritual beliefs but also to the economic structures and societal norms built upon such deception. The girl's plight, enslaved by both human masters and a demonic one, underscores the Gospel's message of liberation for the whole person.