Text -- Acts 19:15 (NET)

19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, “I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Act 19:15

¹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.” The expression, redundant in English, has been simplified to “replied.”

² tn Grk “Jesus I know about.” Here ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun) is in emphatic position in Greek, but placing the object first is not normal in contemporary English style.

³ tn BDAG 380 s.v. ἐπίσταμαι 2 has “know, be acquainted with τινά…τὸν Παῦλον Ac 19:15.” Here the translation “be acquainted with” was used to differentiate from the previous phrase which has γινώσκω (ginwskw).

⁴ sn But who are you? This account shows how the power of Paul was so distinct that parallel claims to access that power were denied. In fact, such manipulation, by those who did not know Jesus, was judged (v. 16). The indirect way in which the exorcists made the appeal shows their distance from Jesus.