John Gill's Exposition on Acts 19:13

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

Then certain of the vagabond Jews, etc.] Who strolled about from place to place, pretending to tell fortunes, cure diseases by charms, and dispossess devils by conjuration, and therefore are called as follows, exorcists; such there were among the Jews, as Justin Martyr observes f969, who adjured by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: these took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus; they imitated the Apostle Paul, and attempted to do as he did, using the same: name; hoping to get money or applause, or both, in this way; and it may be observed, that there were some who really did cast out devils in the name of Christ, who did not belong to him, (<400722>Matthew 7:22, <410838> Mark 8:38) Saying, we adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth; that is, to come out the bodies of those men which they had possessed: and the Jews made use of the name of Jesus for healing diseases; for it is said of one f970, that “he swallowed something which almost choked him, and one came, and muttered to him in the name of Jesus ben Pandira, and he was well” The Alexandrian copy, Beza’s ancient one, and others, the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, read, “I adjure you”, etc.

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