Acts 13:10

Acts 13:10

8 But ^aElymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated)¹ withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, ^afilled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, ^ayou son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

11 And now, indeed, ^athe hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

At Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and ^aJohn, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

<< Acts 13:9

Acts 13:11 >>

Of all guile (pantov dolou). From delw, to catch with bait, old word, already seen in Matthew 26:4; Mark 7:22; Mark 14:1. Paul denounces Elymas as a trickster.

All villainy (pashv raidiourgiav). Late compound from raidiourgov (raidiov, easy, facile, ergon, deed, one who does a thing adroitly and with ease). So levity in Xenophon and unscrupulousness in Polybius, Plutarch, and the papyri. Only here in the N.T., though the kindred word raidiourghma occurs in Acts 18:14. With deadly accuracy Paul pictured this slick rascal.

Thou son of the devil (uie diabolou). Damning phrase like that used by Jesus of the Pharisees in John 8:44, a slanderer like the diabolov. This use of son (uiov) for characteristic occurs in Acts 3:25; Acts 4:36, a common Hebrew idiom, and may be used purposely by Paul in contrast with the name Barjesus (son of Jesus) that Elymas bore (Acts 13:6).

Enemy of all righteousness (exqre pashv dikaiosunhv). Personal enemy to all justice, sums up all the rest. Note triple use of "all" (pantos, pashs, pashv), total depravity in every sense.

Wilt thou not cease? (ou paush). An impatient rhetorical question, almost volitive in force (Robertson, Grammar, p. 874). Note ou, not mh,

To pervert (diastrefwn). Present active participle describing the actual work of Elymas as a perverter or distorter (see verse Acts 13:8). More exactly, Wilt thou not cease perverting?

The right ways of the Lord (tav odouv tou kuriou tav euqeiav). The ways of the Lord the straight ones as opposed to the crooked ways of men (Isaiah 40:4; Isaiah 42:16; Luke 3:5). The task of John the Baptist as of all prophets and preachers is to make crooked paths straight and to get men to walk in them. This false prophet was making even the Lord's straight ways crooked. Elymas has many successors.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 13:10:**

Luke 23:2
Acts 8:9
Acts 20:30
Philippians 2:15

<< Acts 13:9

Acts 13:11 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.