Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took on them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.
vagabond.
Genesis 4:12,14 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth…
Psalm 109:10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
exorcists.
Matthew 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Luke 11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
took.
Acts 8:18,19 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, …
Mark 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
Luke 9:49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
adjure.
Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
1 Samuel 14:24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
1 Kings 22:16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?
who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus
The name of Jesus was recognized as powerful, even among those who did not follow Him. The exorcists attempted to use Jesus' name as a formulaic incantation, reflecting a misunderstanding of the source of true spiritual authority. This misuse of Jesus' name contrasts with the genuine faith and relationship with Christ that empowers believers.
over those with evil spirits
Evil spirits, or demons, are acknowledged throughout Scripture as real entities opposed to God. The New Testament frequently records Jesus and His apostles casting out demons, demonstrating the authority of God's kingdom over the forces of darkness. This phrase underscores the spiritual warfare present in the early church era.
They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
The exorcists' attempt to use Jesus' name "whom Paul proclaims" indicates their recognition of Paul's authority and success in ministry. However, their lack of personal relationship with Jesus rendered their command ineffective. This highlights the importance of personal faith and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as seen in Acts 1:8, where believers are empowered to be witnesses through the Spirit.
These traveling Jews made a living attempting to expel demons, a common practice in first-century Judaism (Matthew 12:27; Luke 11:19). Scripture affirms the reality of evil spirits (Ephesians 6:12), so these men engaged a genuine spiritual conflict. Yet, unlike the apostles who were sent by Christ (Mark 3:14-15), these exorcists moved from place to place on their own initiative, seeking reputation and income more than God’s glory (cf. 1 Timothy 6:5).
Hearing how Paul drove out demons “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:18), they attempted the same formula. They recognized that Jesus’ name carries divine authority (Philippians 2:9-11), but they treated it as a magical incantation rather than a confession of faith (John 14:13-14). The verb “tried” signals experimentation, not obedience. True disciples surrender to Christ’s lordship first, then minister in His name (Luke 10:17-20).
Their target was genuine demonic oppression, similar to cases Jesus confronted (Luke 4:33-36). Yet deliverance ministry divorced from relationship with Christ is powerless. Authority over demons belongs to believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Luke 9:1; 1 John 4:4). Without that relationship, confrontation becomes dangerous, as the next verses show (Acts 19:15-16).
Their words reveal three problems:
• Borrowed faith — they knew Jesus only secondhand, through Paul’s preaching (Acts 19:17), not through personal repentance and belief (Acts 2:38).
• Empty ritual — they “command” without submission, echoing Simon Magus who sought power without conversion (Acts 8:18-23).
• Presumption — they expect demons to obey mere speech, ignoring Jesus’ warning that many will say, “Lord, Lord,” yet be unknown to Him (Matthew 7:22-23). James 2:19 reminds us that even demons believe in God’s reality; what matters is transforming faith that produces obedience.
Acts 19:13 exposes the futility of using Jesus’ name apart from genuine faith. Spiritual authority is not a technique but a trust granted to those who belong to Christ. The passage invites every reader to move from borrowed knowledge to personal commitment, relying on Jesus Himself rather than treating His name as a formula.
(13) Certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists.--The men belonged to a lower section of the class of which we have already seen representatives in Simon of Samaria or Elymas of Cyprus. (See Notes on Acts 8:9; Acts 13:6.) They practised exorcisms as a profession, and went from city to city, pretending with charms and spells to cure those who were looked on as possessed with demons. Many of these were said to have come down from Solomon. In Layard's Nineveh and Babylon (c. 22) there is an interesting account of several bronze bowls containing such formulae. To them "the name of the Lord Jesus," which was so often in St. Paul's lips, was just another formula, mightier than the name of the Most High God, or that of the archangels Raphael or Michael, which were used by others.Verse 13. - But certain also for then certain, A.V.; strolling for vagabond, A.V.; name for call, A.V.; the evil for evil, A.V.; I for we, A.V. and T.R. Strolling (περιερχομένων); going their rounds from place to place, like strolling players or like peddlers. The words should be construed together, "strolling Jewish exorcists." That certain Jews in our Savior's time exorcised evil spirits appears from Matthew 12:27; Luke 9:49. We learn also from Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 8:2, 5, that forms of exorcism, said to have been invented by King Solomon, so efficacious that the devils cast out by them could never come back, were used with great effect in his days. He adds that he himself knew of an instance in which one of his own countrymen, Eleazar by name, had cast out devils in the presence of Vespasian and his sons and officers and a number of his soldiers. The method used was this: The exorcist applied to the nose of the possessed the bezil of a ring, under which was a certain root prescribed by Solomon, and so drew out the evil spirit through the man's nostrils. The possessed then fell to the ground, and the exorcist commanded the evil spirit in the name of Solomon never to return, and then recited one of Solomon's incantations. To give full assurance to the bystanders that the evil spirit had really left the man, the exorcist placed a vessel full of water at some distance off, and then commanded the ejected spirit to overturn it, which he did. Thus far Josephus. Lightfoot, on Acts 13. (vol. 3:215), quotes the book Juchasin as speaking of certain Jews as "skilled in miracles," and the Jerusalem Talmud as speaking of their enchantments and magical tricks and charms" in the name of Jesus" (see, further, Alford on Matthew 12:27).