Acts 19:16
New International Version
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

New Living Translation
Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

English Standard Version
And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

Berean Literal Bible
And the man in whom was the evil spirit, having leapt on them, having overpowered them all, prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

New American Standard Bible
And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

NASB 1995
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

NASB 1977
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Amplified Bible
Then the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house [in terror, stripped] naked and wounded.

Christian Standard Bible
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

American Standard Version
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Contemporary English Version
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.

English Revised Version
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the man possessed by the evil spirit attacked them. He beat them up so badly that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

Good News Translation
The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes torn off.

International Standard Version
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

NET Bible
Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.

New Heart English Bible
And the man in whom the evil spirit was, having leapt on them, having overpowered them all, prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded.

World English Bible
The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaping on them, and having overcome them, prevailed against them, so that they fled naked and wounded out of that house,

Berean Literal Bible
And the man in whom was the evil spirit, having leapt on them, having overpowered them all, prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Young's Literal Translation
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaping upon them, and having overcome them, prevailed against them, so that naked and wounded they did flee out of that house,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the man leaping upon them in whom the evil spirit was, and having overpowered them, he was strong against them, so that naked and wounded they fled out of the house.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the man in whom the wicked spirit was, leaping upon them, and mastering them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the man, in whom there was a wicked spirit, leaping at them and getting the better of them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled from that house, naked and wounded.

New American Bible
The person with the evil spirit then sprang at them and subdued them all. He so overpowered them that they fled naked and wounded from that house.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the insane man leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And that man who had the evil spirit in him jumped upon them and overpowered them and threw them down, and when they were stripped and wounded, they fled from the house.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled from that house, naked and wounded.

Godbey New Testament
And the man in whom was the evil spirit, leaping on them, domineering over both of them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Haweis New Testament
And the man sprang upon them, in whom was the evil spirit, and getting the mastery over them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Mace New Testament
the man who was possess'd immediately leapt upon them, got the better, and used them so roughly, they were forc'd to fly out of the house, cover'd with nothing but their wounds.

Weymouth New Testament
And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded.

Worrell New Testament
And the man in whom was the evil spirit, leaping upon them, and, overcoming them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Worsley New Testament
And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leapt upon them, and mastered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sons of Sceva
15Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. 17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.…

Cross References
Mark 5:2-5
As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. / This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains. / Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him. ...

Luke 8:27-29
When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs. / When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!” / For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Matthew 8:28-34
When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. / “What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?” / In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding. ...

Mark 1:23-26
Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue: / “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” / But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” ...

Luke 4:33-36
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, / “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” / But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him. ...

Matthew 12:43-45
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. / Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. / Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

Mark 9:17-27
Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute. / Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.” / “O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.” ...

Luke 9:38-42
Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child. / A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him. / I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.” ...

Matthew 17:14-18
When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt before Him. / “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. / I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.” ...

1 Samuel 18:10-11
The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, / and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

1 Samuel 19:9-10
But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp, / Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

1 Kings 18:28-29
So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. / Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.

2 Kings 1:9-15
Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” / Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. / So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” ...

2 Kings 5:20-27
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” / So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” / “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘Look, two young men from the sons of the prophets have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’” ...

Daniel 4:30-33
the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” / While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you. / You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Mark 5:3,4,15
Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: …

Luke 8:29,35
(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) …

Jump to Previous
Beating Clothes Clothing Evil Fled Flee House Jumped Jumping Leaped Mastered Naked Overcame Overcome Overpowered Prevailed Ran Running Spirit Sprang Stripped Subdued Treated Violence Wicked Wounded
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Beating Clothes Clothing Evil Fled Flee House Jumped Jumping Leaped Mastered Naked Overcame Overcome Overpowered Prevailed Ran Running Spirit Sprang Stripped Subdued Treated Violence Wicked Wounded
Acts 19
1. The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands.
8. The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles.
13. The Jewish exorcists,
16. are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit.
19. Conjuring books are burnt.
21. Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35. which is appeased by the town clerk.














Then the man with the evil spirit
This phrase introduces the central figure in this dramatic event. The "man with the evil spirit" is possessed, indicating a spiritual battle between the forces of darkness and the power of God. In the Greek, "evil spirit" is "pneuma ponēron," which denotes a malevolent supernatural being. This highlights the reality of spiritual warfare, a theme prevalent throughout the New Testament. The presence of such spirits serves as a reminder of the fallen world and the need for divine intervention through Christ.

jumped on them
The action of the evil spirit-possessed man "jumping" on the sons of Sceva is a vivid depiction of the physical manifestation of spiritual conflict. The Greek word "epipēdēsas" conveys a sudden and forceful attack, emphasizing the unexpected and overwhelming nature of demonic influence. This serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of confronting spiritual forces without the authority and protection of Jesus Christ.

and overpowered them all
The phrase "overpowered them all" underscores the futility of human strength against spiritual forces when not aligned with God's power. The Greek term "katakurieuō" means to gain mastery over, illustrating the complete dominance of the evil spirit over the exorcists. This highlights the necessity of genuine faith and the authority of Jesus' name in spiritual matters, as opposed to mere ritualistic or formulaic approaches.

He gave them such a beating
The severity of the beating inflicted by the possessed man is a stark reminder of the destructive power of evil. The Greek word "traumatizō" is used here, which means to wound or injure severely. This physical assault serves as a metaphor for the spiritual harm that can befall those who attempt to engage with evil without the proper spiritual armor, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18.

that they ran out of the house naked and wounded
The outcome of the encounter is both humiliating and painful, as the sons of Sceva flee "naked and wounded." In the ancient world, nakedness was often associated with shame and defeat. The Greek word "gumnos" for nakedness and "tetrōmenoi" for wounded highlight the totality of their disgrace and injury. This serves as a powerful illustration of the consequences of attempting to wield spiritual authority without a true relationship with Christ. It underscores the importance of humility, genuine faith, and reliance on God's power in spiritual warfare.

(16) And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them.--The demoniacal possession brought with it, as in the case of the Gadarene, the preternatural strength of frenzy, and the seven impostors (men of that class being commonly more or less cowards) fled in dismay before the violent paroxysms of the man's passionate rage.

Naked and wounded.--The first word does not necessarily imply more than that the outer garment, or cloak, was torn off from them, and that they were left with nothing but the short tunic. (See Notes on Matthew 5:40; John 21:7.) It may be noted, as an indication of truthfulness, that the narrative stops here. A writer inventing miracles would no doubt have crowned the story by representing the man who baffled the impostors as healed by the power of the Apostle.

Verse 16. - Mastered both of them for overcame them, A.V. and T.R.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

man
ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

with
(hō)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

evil
πονηρὸν (ponēron)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4190: Evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful.

spirit
πνεῦμα (pneuma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

jumped
ἐφαλόμενος (ephalomenos)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2177: To leap upon, assault. From epi and hallomai; to spring upon.

on
ἐπ’ (ep’)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

them
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[and] overpowered
κατακυριεύσας (katakyrieusas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2634: To exercise authority over, overpower, master. From kata and kurieuo; to lord against, i.e. Control, subjugate.

them all.
ἀμφοτέρων (amphoterōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 297: Both (of two). Comparative of amphi; both.

The attack
ἴσχυσεν (ischysen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2480: To have strength, be strong, be in full health and vigor, be able; meton: I prevail. From ischus; to have force.

was so violent
ὥστε (hōste)
Conjunction
Strong's 5620: So that, therefore, so then, so as to. From hos and te; so too, i.e. Thus therefore.

that they ran
ἐκφυγεῖν (ekphygein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1628: To flee out, away, escape; with an acc: I escape something. From ek and pheugo; to flee out.

out of
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

house,
οἴκου (oikou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3624: A dwelling; by implication, a family.

naked
γυμνοὺς (gymnous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1131: Rarely: stark-naked; generally: wearing only the under-garment; bare, open, manifest; mere. Of uncertain affinity; nude.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

wounded.
τετραυματισμένους (tetraumatismenous)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5135: To wound. From trauma; to inflict a wound.


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NT Apostles: Acts 19:16 The man in whom the evil spirit (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
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