Acts 16:16

Acts 16:16

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:

a. NLT: One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.

b. 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.

c. YLT: And it came to pass in our going on to prayer, a certain maid, having a spirit of Python, did meet us, who brought much employment to her masters by soothsaying,

d. Amplified Bible: As we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination [claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners much gain by her fortunetelling.

e. Wuest Translation: And it came to pass that as we were proceeding to the place of prayer, a certain female slave possessing a spirit [a demon], a pythian spirit [associated with the demonology of the pagan Greek religions], encountered us, who was of such a nature that she provided her masters with a profitable business by acting as a seer and delivering prophecies and oracles.

f. Peshitta Eastern Text: And it came to pass, as we went to the house of prayer, we were met by a young girl who was possessed of a spirit, and who did for her masters a great business by fortune telling.     

1. “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer…”

a. And [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. it came to pass [Strong: 1096 ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

c. as we [Strong: 2257 hemon hay-mone' genitive case plural of 1473; of (or from) us:--our (company), us, we.]

d. went [Strong: 4198 poreuomai por-yoo'-om-ahee middle voice from a derivative of the same as 3984; to traverse, i.e. travel (literally or figuratively; especially to remove (figuratively, die), live, etc.); --depart, go (away, forth, one's way, up), (make a, take a) journey, walk.]

e. to [Strong: 1519 eis ice a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

    

f. prayer [Strong: 4335 proseuche pros-yoo-khay' from 4336; prayer (worship); by implication, an oratory (chapel):--X pray earnestly, prayer.]

2. “…a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us…”

a. a certain [Strong: 5100 tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

b. damsel [Strong: 3814 paidiske pahee-dis'-kay feminine diminutive of 3816; a girl, i.e. (specially), a female slave or servant:--bondmaid(-woman), damsel, maid(-en).]

c. possessed [Strong: 2192 echo ekh'-o, including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; (used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition):--be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.] [Zodhiates: to have , to hold, implying continued possession.]

d. a spirit [Strong: 4151 pneuma pnyoo'-mah from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.]

e. of divination [Strong: 4436 Puthon poo'-thone from Putho (the name of the region where Delphi, the seat of the famous oracle, was located); a Python, i.e. (by analogy, with the supposed diviner there) inspiration (soothsaying):-- divination.] [Zodhiates: Python the Greek name given to the mythological serpent which lived at Pytho beneath Mount Parnassus and guarded the Delphic Oracle. The name then became the surname of Apollo, the god of divination in Greek, and applied to all divinatory spirits.]

    

f. met [Strong: 528 apantao ap-an-tah'-o from 575 and a derivative of 473; to meet away, i.e. encounter:--meet.]

g. us [Strong: 2254 hemin hay-meen' dative case plural of 1473; to (or for, with, by) us:--our, (for) us, we.]

1). This woman was possessed with a familiar spirit, or a similar demon. This is borne out in the rest of the verse. This type of demonic was clearly forbidden in the Old Testament.

a). Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

b). Leviticus 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

(1) familiar spirit [Strong: 178 ‘owb obe from the same as 1 (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name); properly, a mumble, i.e. a water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar):--bottle, familiar spirit.] [Gesenius: [one] who evokes the manes of the dead by the power of incantations and magical songs in order to give answers as to future or doubtful things.]

(2) A person who has a familiar spirit supposedly can call upon and be possessed by the spirit of a person who has died. God’s word calls them “familiar spirits” because the spirit is familiar to the person and impersonates the person, pretending to be them and deceives those who will listen.   

2). An example of which is given in 1 Samuel when Saul ordered his men to get a witch who had a familiar spirit.

a). 1 Samuel 28:7-19 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

28:8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

28:9  And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

28:10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

28:11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

28:12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

28:13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

28:14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

28:15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

28:17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:

28:18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath theLord done this thing unto thee this day.

28:19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

b). In the example above there is a difference of opinion as to whether this was really Samuel or a demon pretending to be Samuel. Both schools of thought give really good Scriptural reasoning for their position. The purpose I cited this example is to show the general process. Though I am familiar with this passage of Scripture I have never studied it out in depth to arrive at my own view.

2. “…which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.”

a. which [Strong: 3748 hostis hos'-tis, including the feminine hetis hay'-tis, and the neuter ho,ti hot'-ee from 3739 and 5100; which some, i.e. any that; also (definite) which same:--X and (they), (such) as, (they) that, in that they, what(-soever), whereas ye, (they) which, who(-soever).]

b. brought [Strong: 3930 parecho par-ekh'-o from 3844 and 2192; to hold near, i.e. present, afford, exhibit, furnish occasion:--bring, do, give, keep, minister, offer, shew, + trouble.]

c. her [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

d. masters [Strong: 2962 kurios koo'-ree-os from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.]

e. much [Strong: 4183 polus pol-oos' including the forms from the alternate pollos; (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many; neuter (singular) as adverbial, largely; neuter (plural) as adverb or noun often, mostly, largely:--abundant, + altogether, common, + far (passed, spent), (+ be of a) great (age, deal, -ly, while), long, many, much, oft(-en (-times)), plenteous, sore, straitly.]

    

f. gain [Strong: 2039 ergasia er-gas-ee'-ah from 2040; occupation; by implication, profit, pains:--craft, diligence, gain, work.]

g. by soothsaying [Strong: 3132 manteuomai mant-yoo'-om-ahee from a derivative of 3105 (meaning a prophet, as supposed to rave through inspiration); to divine, i.e. utter spells (under pretense of foretelling:--by soothsaying.] [Unger’s  p.683: “The soothsayer was the counterpart of the prophet. Diviners were energized by evil powers, as the prophet of the Lord was by the Holy Ghost.]

1). Because of her yielding herself to the devil and allowing the evil spirit to speak through her, she made her masters rich.