Act 16:16, 18 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 16. As we went to prayer ] ειςπροσευχην, Into the proseucha : , and . The article, την, is added here by ABCE, several others, Origen and Theophylact : thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of προσευχην to be right-not the act of prayer or praying to God, but the place , the oratory , in which these proselytes assembled for the purpose of praying, reading the law and the prophets, and such like exercises of devotion. It appears that the apostles spent dome time here; as it is evident, from this and the following verses, that they often resorted to this place to preach the Gospel. Possessed with a spirit of divination ] εχουσανπνευμαπυθωνος, Having a spirit of Python , or of Apollo . Pytho was, according to fable, a huge serpent, that had an oracle at Mount Parnassus, famous for predicting future events; Apollo slew this serpent, and hence he was called Pythius , and became celebrated as the foreteller of future events; and all those, who either could or pretended to predict future events, were influenced by the spirit of Apollo Pythius . As often-times the priestesses of this god became greatly agitated, and gave answers apparently from their bellies , when their mouths remained close, πυθων was applied to the εγγαστριμυθοι, or ventriloquists . Hesychius defines πυθων δαιμονιονμαντικον, a divining demon ; and it was evidently such a one that possessed this young woman, and which Paul expelled, . See on this subject, Clarke's notes on "Le 19:31" , and . Brought her masters much gain by soothsaying ] μαντευουενη, By divination , or what we call telling fortunes . Our term soothsaying coming from the Anglo-Saxon [A.S.], truth ; and [A.S.], to say , i.e. truth saying , or saying the truth . For, as it was supposed among the heathen that such persons spoke by the inspiration of their god , consequently what they said must be true . However, our translators might have used a term here that would not have been so creditable to this Pythoness; for, what she said concerning the apostles excepted, she certainly could not be supposed to tell the truth , while her inspiration came from him who is the father of lies . But Satan will sometimes conceal himself under the guise of truth , that he may the more effectually deceive . See below.

‏ Acts 16:16

Verse 16. As we went to prayer] ειςπροσευχην, Into the proseucha: See Clarke on Ac 16:13, and See Clarke on Lu 6:12. The article, την, is added here by ABCE, several others, Origen and Theophylact: thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of προσευχην to be right-not the act of prayer or praying to God, but the place, the oratory, in which these proselytes assembled for the purpose of praying, reading the law and the prophets, and such like exercises of devotion. It appears that the apostles spent dome time here; as it is evident, from this and the following verses, that they often resorted to this place to preach the Gospel.

Possessed with a spirit of divination] εχουσανπνευμαπυθωνος, Having a spirit of Python, or of Apollo. Pytho was, according to fable, a huge serpent, that had an oracle at Mount Parnassus, famous for predicting future events; Apollo slew this serpent, and hence he was called Pythius, and became celebrated as the foreteller of future events; and all those, who either could or pretended to predict future events, were influenced by the spirit of Apollo Pythius. As often-times the priestesses of this god became greatly agitated, and gave answers apparently from their bellies, when their mouths remained close, πυθων was applied to the εγγαστριμυθοι, or ventriloquists. Hesychius defines πυθων δαιμονιονμαντικον, a divining demon; and it was evidently such a one that possessed this young woman, and which Paul expelled, Ac 16:18. See on this subject, Clarke's notes on "Le 19:31", and See Clarke on De 18:11.

Brought her masters much gain by soothsaying] μαντευουενη, By divination, or what we call telling fortunes. Our term soothsaying coming from the Anglo-Saxon [A.S.], truth; and [A.S.], to say, i.e. truth saying, or saying the truth. For, as it was supposed among the heathen that such persons spoke by the inspiration of their god, consequently what they said must be true. However, our translators might have used a term here that would not have been so creditable to this Pythoness; for, what she said concerning the apostles excepted, she certainly could not be supposed to tell the truth, while her inspiration came from him who is the father of lies. But Satan will sometimes conceal himself under the guise of truth, that he may the more effectually deceive. See below.

‏ Acts 16:18

Verse 18. Paul, being grieved] Probably for the reasons assigned above.

Turned-to the spirit] Not to the woman; she was only the organ by which the spirit acted.

I command thee, in the name of Jesus] Jesus is the Saviour; Satan is Abaddon and Apollyon, the destroyer. The sovereign Saviour says to the destroyer, Come out of her; and he came out in the same hour. Every circumstance of this case proves it to have been a real possession. We have already had several opportunities of remarking the great accuracy of St. Luke in his accounts of demoniacs: his education as a physician gave him advantages to detect imposture of this kind where it subsisted; but he sees none in this case. He speaks of the spirit and the damsel as distinct persons. The damsel had a spirit of divination. Paul turned to the spirit, and said, I command THEE to come out of HER; and he came out in the same hour. Had not St. Luke considered this as a real case of diabolic possession, he has made use of the most improper language he could choose; language and forms of speech calculated to deceive all his readers, and cause them to believe a lie. But it is impossible that the holy apostle could do so, because he was a good man; and it is not likely he could be deceived by a parcel of charlatans, because he was a wise man; and it would be absurd to suppose that, while he was under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he could be imposed on by the cunning of even the devil himself.