Acts 19:13 kjv
Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Acts 19:13 nkjv
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
Acts 19:13 niv
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."
Acts 19:13 esv
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims."
Acts 19:13 nlt
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!"
Acts 19 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:7 | "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain..." | Misusing God's holy name for trivial or profane ends. |
| Lev 19:12 | "You shall not swear falsely by My name..." | Emphasizes reverence for God's name and truth. |
| Psa 50:16 | "But to the wicked God says: 'What right have you to recite My statutes...'" | God questions those who misuse His Word without righteous living. |
| Prov 1:7 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." | True wisdom starts with reverent understanding of God. |
| Matt 7:22-23 | "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name... And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you.''" | A warning against outward spiritual activity without genuine relationship. |
| Matt 12:27-28 | "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?... But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." | Contrasts genuine power from God's Spirit with other sources. |
| Mk 9:38-39 | "John said to Him, 'Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he was not following us.' But Jesus said, 'Do not forbid him, for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.'" | Shows power can operate through those not directly "following," yet without true saving faith it’s precarious. |
| Lk 10:19-20 | "Behold, I have given you authority... nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." | Emphasizes salvation/relationship over spiritual power as primary. |
| Acts 3:6 | "Peter said, 'I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!'" | A demonstration of the true power of Jesus' name by a faithful follower. |
| Acts 3:16 | "And His name—by faith in His name—has made this man strong..." | Power comes from faith in Jesus, not just the utterance of His name. |
| Acts 4:7-12 | "by what name or by what power have you done this? ... nor is there any other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." | The exclusivity and supreme power of Jesus' name for salvation and miracles. |
| Php 2:9-11 | "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." | The ultimate authority and supremacy of the name of Jesus. |
| Col 3:17 | "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." | True believers are called to act in conscious reliance upon and submission to Jesus. |
| 1 Cor 1:2 | "...to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those in every place who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..." | Defines the authentic act of calling upon the name of Jesus. |
| 1 Cor 12:3 | "...no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." | Confessing Jesus' Lordship requires divine enablement. |
| Jas 2:19 | "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" | Demons recognize truth and power but lack saving faith. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." | Context of spiritual adversaries and the need for vigilance. |
| Jer 14:14 | "Then the Lord said to me: 'The prophets are prophesying lies in my name.'" | Warnings against false prophets operating under false pretenses with divine names. |
| Zech 13:3 | "And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.'" | The severity of presenting falsehood in God's name. |
| 2 Tim 3:8 | "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth..." | Shows historical examples of sorcerers mimicking divine power. |
| 1 Jn 2:3-4 | "And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says 'I know Him' but does not keep His commandments is a liar..." | True knowledge of God involves obedience and relationship, not mere intellectual assent or invocation. |
Acts 19 verses
Acts 19 13 Meaning
Acts 19:13 describes a scene in Ephesus where certain Jewish exorcists, who were accustomed to traveling and practicing their craft, attempted to harness the power associated with the name of Jesus to cast out evil spirits. Their invocation was specific: "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." This highlights their opportunistic approach, recognizing the demonstrable power evident in Paul’s ministry, yet lacking a personal faith or true relationship with Jesus Christ Himself. They saw the name of Jesus as a potent magical formula or an incantation rather than understanding the authority that flows from genuine communion with the resurrected Lord.
Acts 19 13 Context
Acts 19:13 takes place during Paul’s extensive ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10), a vibrant metropolis and a major center for commerce, but also for idolatry, magic, and various esoteric cults, most notably the worship of Artemis (Diana). Paul's powerful demonstrations of the Spirit's anointing, including performing unusual miracles and casting out evil spirits by the name of Jesus (Acts 19:11-12), were highly effective and widely known. This spiritual success, combined with the city's pre-existing magical culture, attracted the attention of local Jewish exorcists. These individuals, familiar with ancient Jewish traditions of demon expulsion (often invoking the names of figures like Solomon or specific divine names/angels), saw Paul's apparent success and sought to replicate it. They were not believers in Christ but perceived the name of "Jesus" as a new, highly potent spell or incantation, a more powerful tool for their existing trade, thus attempting to co-opt divine authority for their own gain without personal faith or genuine knowledge of Christ.
Acts 19 13 Word analysis
Then certain of the itinerant Jewish exorcists:
- certain: τινες (tines) – Indicates specific, identifiable individuals within a broader group, not just anyone.
- itinerant: περιερχομένων (perierchomenōn) – Lit. "going around," "traveling about." It describes their profession; they moved from place to place practicing their exorcisms. This suggests their livelihood depended on their trade.
- Jewish: Identifies their ethnicity and religious background. Jewish exorcists were known in antiquity, distinct from Gentile or purely pagan practitioners. They likely utilized elements of Jewish mysticism, prayer, or invocations.
- exorcists: ἐξορκιστῶν (exorkistōn) – From exorkizo, meaning "to make one swear, to adjure by an oath." This highlights their practice of attempting to command spirits through solemn adjuration, invoking some higher power or name. Their method was akin to incantation or spiritual coercion.
undertook to invoke the name:
- undertook: ἐπεχείρησαν (epecheirēsan) – "Attempted," "dared," "took in hand." This verb often implies a venture or enterprise, sometimes a presumptuous or ill-advised one. It suggests they initiated this action on their own accord, lacking divine authorization or understanding, viewing it as a new technique rather than a spiritual truth.
- to invoke the name: ὀνομάζειν τὸ ὄνομα (onomazein to onoma) – Literally "to name the name" or "to call upon the name." This was a common magical practice in the ancient world, where uttering a powerful name was believed to transfer the authority or essence of that name. Here, they were trying to apply this pagan/magical concept to Jesus' name.
of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits:
- the Lord Jesus: τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ (tou kyriou Iēsou) – They acknowledge 'Jesus' but add "Lord," though their subsequent actions ("the Jesus whom Paul proclaims") indicate this was merely an observation of a powerful title, not a declaration of personal faith or submission. They perceived the 'Lord' title as adding to the name's power for their purposes.
- evil spirits: τὰ πονηρὰ πνεύματα (ta ponēra pneumata) – Demons or malevolent spiritual beings. This confirms the objective of their attempts was similar to Paul’s genuine ministry, but their methods and source of power were vastly different.
saying, 'I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.':
- I adjure you: ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς (horkizō hymas) – The same root as "exorcist" (exorkizō), emphasizing their method as a solemn oath or incantation to command the spirit. This is a direct, formulaic command characteristic of exorcism in the ancient world.
- by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims: τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὁ Παῦλος κηρύσσει (ton Iēsoun hon ho Paulos kēryssei) – This phrase is critically important. It explicitly distances them from a personal relationship with Jesus. They did not say, "by Jesus, our Lord," or "by our God." Instead, they referenced "the Jesus that Paul is telling everyone about." This shows they had no direct revelation, faith, or encounter with Christ themselves, but merely saw Paul's effective results and tried to mimic his success by using what they observed as his "secret weapon"—Jesus’ name. They reduced Jesus to a powerful entity or an effective incantation connected to Paul.
Acts 19 13 Bonus section
This incident highlights a prevalent aspect of ancient syncretism, especially strong in Ephesus. People were eager to absorb any power, whether from Greek gods, Roman deities, or even Judeo-Christian sources, if it promised results in practical life areas like health, protection, or mastery over evil spirits. The Jewish exorcists represent a form of religious pluralism where they were willing to add Jesus to their existing pantheon of invoked powers or incantations. Their ultimate failure and subsequent humiliation (detailed in the following verses, Acts 19:14-16) served as a powerful testament to the Ephesian populace. It distinguished Paul's ministry—based on true divine power and the Holy Spirit—from mere imitative magic, leading many in the city, even practitioners of the magical arts, to abandon their practices and publicly confess faith in Christ (Acts 19:17-19). This dramatic outcome proved that the power in Jesus' name is not an independent charm but inextricably linked to His person and the faith of His genuine followers.
Acts 19 13 Commentary
Acts 19:13 starkly illustrates the profound difference between superficial religious imitation and genuine spiritual power rooted in faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. These itinerant Jewish exorcists were driven by pragmatism and profit, observing Paul's success in demon expulsion and seeking to integrate the 'Jesus formula' into their existing repertoire of magical practices. Their key error was treating the name of Jesus not as the embodiment of divine authority, but as a potent magical word to be wielded. The phrase, "the Jesus whom Paul proclaims," encapsulates their disconnect; they did not know Jesus as Lord or Savior, but only as a name associated with Paul's compelling displays of power. This narrative underscores that genuine spiritual authority in casting out demons flows from a personal, transforming knowledge of and submission to Jesus as Lord, rather than mere recitation or appropriation of His name as a means to an end. It warns against treating spiritual realities as mechanical formulas, emphasizing the essential role of faith, truth, and relationship.