Sceva

Seven brothers once tried to borrow a name that was not theirs. In Ephesus, sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva spoke over a man with an evil spirit, using “Jesus whom Paul preacheth.” The spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” The man leaped on them, and they ran out of the house wounded. Luke adds that word spread through Ephesus and “the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” The story is short and a little startling, and it stands in Acts 19:13-17.

5 verses

Acts

Acts 19:13

Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

Acts 19:14

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

Acts 19:15

And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Acts 19:16

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.

Acts 19:17

And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

An implement, a Jew, chief of the priests at Ephesus (Acts 19:13-16); i.e., the head of one of the twenty-four courses of the house of Levi. He had seven sons, who “took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus,” in imitation of Paul. They tried their method of exorcism on a fierce demoniac, and failed. His answer to them was to this effect (19:15): “The Jesus whom you invoke is One whose authority I acknowledge; and the Paul whom you name I recognize to be a servant or messenger of God; but what sort of men are ye who have been empowered to act as you do by neither?” (Lindsay on the Acts of the Apostles.)

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From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

a Jew residing at Ephesus at the time of St. Paul’s second visit to that town. (Acts 19:14-16) (A.D. 52.)