Acts 16:18

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) But Paul, being grieved . . .—It is obvious that the constant repetition of these clamorous cries must have been a hindrance to the Apostle’s work, disturbing him as he talked to the other women at the proseucha. Was it not right for him to do as his Master had done with the demoniacs of Gadara (see Notes on Matthew 8:28-34), and to restore the woman to her true self, by teaching her to distinguish between her longing for deliverance and the wild passions that hindered her from attaining it? And so he spoke, and the evil spirit “came out the same hour.” Here the history ends, as far as the damsel was concerned; but we can hardly think that she was left to drift back into ignorance and unbelief. Would not such a one find shelter and comfort at the hands of the women who “laboured” with the Apostle? (Philippians 4:2.) May we not think of her gratitude as showing itself in the gifts that were sent to the Apostle, upon whom she had unwillingly brought so much suffering? (Philippians 4:15.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accused of teaching bad customs.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But Paul, being grieved - Being molested, troubled, offended. Paul was grieved, probably:

(1) Because her presence was troublesome to him;

(2) Because it might be said that he was in alliance with her, and that his pretensions were just like hers;

(3) Because what she did was for the sake of gain, and was a base imposition;

(4) Because her state was one of bondage and delusion, and it was proper to free her from this demoniacal possession; and,

(5) Because the system under which she was acting was a part of a scheme of delusion and imposture, which had spread over a large portion of the pagan world, and which was then holding it in bondage.

Throughout the Roman empire the inspiration of the priestesses of Apollo was believed in, and temples were everywhere reared to perpetuate and celebrate the delusion. Against this extensive system of imposture and fraud Christianity must oppose itself; and this was a favorable instance to expose the delusion, and to show the power of the Christian religion over all the arts and powers of imposture. The mere fact that in a very few instances - of which this was one - they spoke the truth, did not make it improper for Paul to interpose. That fact would only tend to perpetuate the delusion, and to make his interposition more proper and necessary. The expulsion of the evil spirit would also afford a signal proof of the fact that the apostles were really from God a far better proof than her noisy and troublesome proclamation of it would furnish.

In the name of Jesus Christ - Or, by the authority of Jesus Christ. See the notes on Acts 3:6.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

18. Paul being grieved—for the poor victim; grieved to see such power possessed by the enemy of man's salvation, and grieved to observe the malignant design with which this high testimony was borne to Christ.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

St. Paul was grieved, either for the maid’s sake, who suffered so much by her being possessed with this spirit, or, for their sakes who were seduced by him. St. Paul (as our Saviour had done, Mark 1:25) refuseth the testimony of the devil; for he being the father of lies, John 8:44, makes every thing he says to be suspected; as it is a usual punishment of liars, that they are not believed when they speak the truth; and the devil never speaks any truth but with an intention to deceive.

In the name of Jesus Christ; by the authority and power of Christ.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And this she did many days,.... As the apostle and his company passed to and from the oratory, being for that time at Lydia's house; she followed them, and repeated the above words. This she was suffered to do, time after time; not that the apostle and his friends wanted such a testimony, or that it was of any use to them; but that the expulsion of the evil spirit might be more manliest, and more taken notice of:

but Paul being grieved; at the unhappy condition the maid was in, being possessed with such a spirit: and that the people were so imposed upon and deluded by it; and that it should be thought that there was any combination and agreement between that and him:

turned; himself to her, who was behind him, she following him, as is said in the preceding verse; this is left out in the Syriac version:

and said to the spirit; or to that spirit, as the same version renders it; to the spirit of Python, or Apollo, or of divination, that was in the maid; the Ethiopic version reads, "and he said", "in", or "by the Holy Spirit"; being under a more than ordinary influence and impulse of his; but not the spirit by which he spake, but the spirit to which he spake, is here meant:

I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her, and he came out the same hour; this is an instance of that power which Christ gave to his apostles to cast out devils in his name,

Geneva Study Bible

And this did she {g} many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

(g) Paul made no haste to do this miracle, for he did all things only as he was led by the Spirit.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 16:18. διαπονηθεὶς, only here and in Acts 4:2 in N.T.; its use in LXX in two passages only does not help us much, see Acts 4:2, and in classics it is not used in the sense required here. Aquila uses it four times of the Hebrew עָצַב in passages which show that the word may combine the ideas of grief, pain, and anger, Genesis 6:6; Genesis 34:7, 1 Samuel 20:3; 1 Samuel 20:34. It may be noticed that the word and other compounds of πονεῖν are frequent in medical writers.—Παραγγέλλω, see on Acts 1:4. The same strong word is used of our Lord, Luke 8:29, where He charged another unclean spirit to come out.—ὀνόματι, see above on Acts 3:6, “Demonology,” Hastings’ B.D., where reference is made to Sayce, Hibbert Lect., pp. 302–347, as to the belief in the powerful efficacy of the name, the name meaning to an ancient Semite personal power and existence.—ἐξελθεῖν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς: the phrase occurs in Luke much more frequently than in any other N.T. writer; nine times in his Gospel of the coming out of evil spirits, as here. Rendall sees in the phrase the medical accuracy of the writer in describing the process of the cure; the evil spirit must not only come out, but depart, pp. 104, 280; it must however be remembered that St. Matthew uses the same phrase twice of the departure of evil spirits from men, Matthew 12:43, Matthew 17:18. Paul charges the evil spirit to depart; it departed, and with it departed the master’s hope of gain (see also Weiss, in loco).—αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ: “that very hour,” R.V., cf. Acts 22:13, eo ipso tempore; peculiar to Luke, cf. Luke 2:38; Luke 10:21; Luke 12:12; Luke 20:19; Luke 24:33 (so too Friedrich, p. 37). We are not told anything further of the history of the girl, but we may well believe that she too would partake of the generous help of Lydia, and of the other Christian women at Philippi, who would see in her no longer a bondservant to the many lords who had had dominion over her, but a sister beloved in the One Lord.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. this did she many days] Whether this following took place only on the sabbaths, when the Apostles were going to the place of prayer, in which case the Apostles must have remained in Philippi some weeks, or whether it was on every occasion on which they appeared in public, we are not told.

Paul, being grieved] The Greek verb is somewhat stronger, and signifies “to be thoroughly worn out with annoyance.” It is used (Acts 4:2), and nowhere else but here besides in N. T., of the annoyance of the priests and Sadducees at the teaching of the Apostles.

said to the spirit] As Christ had acted when on earth, so Paul now will not allow the cry of the evil spirit, even though the words proclaim that he and his companions are servants of the Most High God. So in Christ’s name he bids the evil power come forth.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 16:18. Διαπονηθεὶς, being grieved) in reference to his own honour, through his shrinking from it: in reference to the Divine honour, through love of it.—ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, out of her) It is probable that this maid was converted.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 18. - She did for did she, A.V.; for many for many, A.V.; sore troubled for grieved, A.V.; charge for command, A.V.; it for he, A.V.; that very for the same, A.V. Command (παραγγέλλω, as in Acts 1:4; Acts 5:28; and ver. 23 of this chapter, etc.). The only other instances of exorcism by St. Paul are these recorded in Acts 19:12 and 15. The question of possession by spirits is too large a one to be discussed here. It must suffice to notice that St. Paul in his action (as our Lord before him had done), and St. Luke in his narrative, distinctly treat possession, and expulsion by the power of Christ, as real. Acts 16:18

Vincent's Word Studies

Grieved (διαπονηθεὶς)

Not strong enough. Rather, worn out. Both grieved at the sad condition of the woman, and thoroughly annoyed and indignant at the continued demonstrations of the evil spirit which possessed her. Compare Acts 4:2.