Teks -- Acts 13:6 (NET)

13:6 When they had crossed over the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Act 13:6 - Unto Paphos

Unto Paphos ( achri Paphou ).

The new Paphos at the other end of the island, reached by a fine Roman road, some eight miles north of the old Paphos famous for the worship of Venus.

Robertson: Act 13:6 - A certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew

A certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew ( andra tina magon pseudoprophētēn Ioudaion ).

Literally, "a certain man"(andra tina ) with various descriptive epithets. The word magon does not necessarily mean "sorcerer,"but only a magus (Mat 2:1, Mat 2:7,Mat 2:10 which see). The bad sense occurs in Act 8:9, Act 8:11 (Simon Magus) and is made plain here by "false prophet."In Act 13:8here Barjesus (Son of Jesus) is called "Elymas the sorcerer (or Magian),"probably his professional title, as Luke interprets the Arabic or Aramaic word Elymas. These Jewish mountebanks were numerous and had great influence with the uneducated. In Act 19:13 the seven sons of Sceva, Jewish exorcists, tried to imitate Paul. If one is surprised that a man like Sergius Paulus should fall under the influence of this fraud, he should recall what Juvenal says of the Emperor Tiberius "sitting on the rock of Capri with his flock of Chaldaeans around him."

Vincent: Act 13:6 - Sorcerer

Sorcerer ( μάγον )

That the man was an impostor is told us in the next word, but not in this term. It is the word used of the wise men who came to the Saviour's cradle. See Mat 2:1, Mat 2:7, Mat 2:16. Elymas was a magian; of what kind is shown by false prophet. See on Mat 2:1.

Vincent: Act 13:6 - Bar-Jesus

Bar-Jesus

Son of Jesus or Joshua.

Wesley: Act 13:6

Paphos was on the western, Salamis on the eastern part of the island.

JFB: Act 13:6 - when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos

On the opposite or west side of the island, about one hundred miles by land, along the south coast; the Roman capital, where the governor resided.

JFB: Act 13:6 - they found a . . . sorcerer

One of a numerous class of impostors who, at this time of general unbelief, were encouraged even by cultivated Romans.

Clarke: Act 13:6 - Gone through the isle

Gone through the isle - Ὁλην, The Whole isle, is added here by ABCDE, several others, both the Syrian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Itala; and also by several of the Greek fathers; and this must be the true reading, for it is evident they ran through the whole island from east to west

Clarke: Act 13:6 - Unto Paphos

Unto Paphos - This town, next in importance to Salamis, was situated on the western part of the isle; and having gone from Salamis to this place is a proof that they had gone through the whole island from east to west, according to the reading noticed above. There was probably no town in the universe more dissolute than Papas. Here Venus had a superb temple: here she was worshipped with all her rites; and from this place she was named the Paphian Venus, the queen of Paphos, etc. This temple and whole city were destroyed by an earthquake; so that a vestige of either does not now remain. There are two islands which go by this name, both adjoining, and on the west side of the island of Cyprus. One is called Old Paphos, the other New Paphos; the latter is probably the island here mentioned, though they are often confounded. On this island there is a Christian Church, dedicated to St. George, in which service is performed by the Greek ministers. It is a bishop’ s see, suffragan to the Abp. of Nicosia

Clarke: Act 13:6 - A certain sorcerer

A certain sorcerer - Τινα μαγον, A magician, one who used magical arts, and pretended to have commerce with supernatural agents. A person who dealt in sleight of hand, or leger-de-main. Such as I have supposed Simon Magus to be. See the note on Act 8:9

Clarke: Act 13:6 - A false prophet

A false prophet - A deceiver, one who pretended to have a Divine commission, a fortune teller

Clarke: Act 13:6 - Bar-Jesus

Bar-Jesus - That is, the son of Jesus or Joshua; as Bar-jona is the son of Jonah; Bar-tholomew, the son of Thalmi, etc.

Calvin: Act 13:6 - When they had passed over // They found a certain fake prophet

6.When they had passed over It is to be thought that this their passage was not altogether without fruit; and, assuredly, Luke would never have passed over with silence a general repulse; but it was sufficient for him to say that they were not idle in the office of teaching in their journey, seeing that he maketh haste unto a famous history, which he will set down immediately. And forasmuch as Salamis, situated upon the east coast, did look toward Syria, it was requisite that Paul and Barnabas should pass through the midst of the island unto the other side, that they might come to Paphos; for Paphos was a city situated upon the sea-coast toward the south. Furthermore though all the island was dedicated to Venus, yet Paphos was the principal seat of the idol. For which cause the goodness of God is more wonderful, in that he would have the light of his gospel to pierce into such a filthy and cruel [dire] den. For we may thereby gather what manner of integrity and chastity, and honesty and temperance, was in that city, in that religion did grant liberty to the inhabitants to commit all manner of shameful and heinous offenses.

They found a certain fake prophet Seeing that religion was quite corrupt among the Jews, it is no marvel if they fell away unto many wicked superstitions. And forasmuch as they had hitherto professed that they worshipped a certain peculiar god, this was a fair color to deceive withal, seeing that they might pretend the name of the unknown God at their pleasure; but this is a wonder how it was possible for Elymas, with his juggling, to cozen a grave and wise man. For we know that the Jews were at that time hated of all the world, and especially of the Romans, and with hatred was coupled extreme contempt of them.

Now Luke doth not without cause expressly commend Sergius’s wisdom, lest any man should think that his foolishness and lightness was subject to the seducings of the sorcerer. His meaning was, indeed, to show in a clear mirror how frivolous and vain man’s wisdom is, which cannot beware of such gross subtlety of Satan.

And assuredly where the truth of God doth not appear, the more men seem to be wise, the more filthily foolish are they. We see what filthy monsters of superstition did reign amongst the most witty Gentiles, and such as were furnished with all manner of learning. Therefore, there is neither judgment nor wisdom, save only from the Spirit of God. And this is the just vengeance of God upon all idolaters, that being delivered up to a reprobate sense they can discern nothing, (Rom 1:28.) Though it may be that Sergius Paulus, being weary of superstitions, did then begin to desire a more pure worship of God, at such time as he [did] light upon that sorcerer. Which if we receive, it was surely a wonderful judgment of God, that he suffered a man godly-affected to throw himself headlong into the [deadly] snares of Satan. But God doth sometimes so exercise his elect, that he causeth them to wander many ways, before they be directed into the right way.

TSK: Act 13:6 - certain // a false // whose

certain : Act 8:9-11, Act 19:18, Act 19:19; Exo 22:18; Lev 20:6; Deu 18:10-12; 1Ch 10:13; Isa 8:19, Isa 8:20

a false : Deu 13:1-3; 1Ki 22:22; Jer 23:14, Jer 23:15; Eze 13:10-16; Zec 13:3; Mat 24:24; 2Co 11:13; 2Ti 3:8; 2Pe 2:1-3; 1Jo 4:1; Rev 19:20

whose : Mat 16:17; Mar 10:46; Joh 21:15-17

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Act 13:6 - Unto Paphos // A certain sorcerer

Unto Paphos this city was on the west end of Cyprus, so that going from Salamis they went through the island: this place was famous for the worshipping of Venus.

A certain sorcerer there were many magicians about this time amongst the Jews, who by their false miracles endeavoured to bring the real miracles of our Saviour into contempt. As the magicians and sorcerers of Egypt, by their enchantments, for a while did seem to do such wonders as Moses had wrought by the finger of God, Exo 7:11 .

Haydock: Act 13:6 - A magician ... whose name was Bar-jesu

A magician ... whose name was Bar-jesu, son of Jesus, or Josue. In Arabic, Elymas is the same as magician. This man did all he could to dissuade the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, from embracing the Christian faith. (Witham) ---

Salamina was the capital of the island of Cyprus, and at the eastern extremity, as Paphos was at the western. A. D. 45. [the year A.D. 45.]

Gill: Act 13:6 - And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos // they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos,.... The Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, "the whole isle"; for through the midst of the whole island they must go, to go from Salarnis to Paphos; for Salamis was on the east, and Paphos on the west of the islands ^q: it had its name from the Phoenician word, פאת פאות, "peathpaoth", "the corner of corners"; because both old and new Paphos were situated in the extreme part of the island; and not from Paphus, the son of Pygmalion, by any ivory statue which he had made, whom Venus, at his request, according to the fables of the Heathens, turned into a woman: some say ^r, that Cinyras, a king of the Assyrians, coming into Cyprus, built Paphos; but Pausanias ^s affirms, that Agapenor, who came hither after the Trojan war, was the builder of this place, and also of the temple of Venus in it, for which it was famous ^t; and in a certain area of which, Pliny ^u says it never rained; and from this place, Venus was called Paphia: according to Chrysostom, it was the metropolis of Cyprus; and it is indeed mentioned by Pliny ^w, first of the fifteen cities that were in it; and seems at this time to have been the seat of the Roman deputy Paulus Sergius, afterwards spoken of: concerning this place Jerom says ^x,

"Paphus, a city on the sea coast, in the island of Cyprus, formerly famous for the sacred rites of Venus, and the verses of the poets; which fell by frequent earthquakes, and now only shows, by its ruins, what it formerly was:''

so Seneca ^y says, "quotiens in se Paphus corruit?", "how often has Paphus fell within itself?" that is, by earthquakes: the ruins of many goodly churches and buildings are to be seen in it; and the walls of a strong, and almost impregnable tower, situated upon a hill in the middle of the city, supposed to be the habitation of Sergius Paulus; there is also shown, under a certain church, a prison divided into seven rooms, where they say Paul and Barnabas were imprisoned, for preaching the Gospel; what remains of it, is now called Bapho: here

they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus, or the son of Jesus; Jesus was a name frequent among the Jews, and is the same with Joshua, and was in use long before our Saviour's time; there was Jesus the son of Sirach, the author of Ecclesiasticus, and who had a grandfather of the same name, the Syriac version here calls him "Barsuma", which some render "the son of a name"; that is, a man of note, a famous person, of great renown; others, "the son of a swelling", or "the son of ulcers"; he professing to be a physician, and to cure them, with which they make the name of Barjesus to agree, deriving it from a root, which signifies to heal: Jerom ^z pronounces this name Barieu, and observes, that some corruptly read it Barjesu; and he makes it to signify an evil man, or one in evil; and Drusius says, he found the name βαριηου, "Barjeou", in some papers of his; and a very learned man ^a of later years says, it is the same with Bar-Jehu, the son of Jehu; and affirms, that the Greek word is βαριηους, "Barjeus", which others wrongly turn into "Bar-jesus"; the Magdeburgensian Centuriators call him, "Elymas Barjehu"; the reason Beda gives, why it should be so read, and not Bar-jesus, is because that a magician was unworthy to be called the son of Jesus, the Saviour, when he was a child of the devil; but the Greek copies agree in Barjesus; his name shows him to be a Jew, as he is here called: and he was one of those false prophets our Lord said should arise, and deceive many; he pretended to foretell things to come, and practised sorcery, and was given to magic arts.