Acts 16:17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!"

◄ Acts 16:17 ►

New International Version
She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

New Living Translation
She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

English Standard Version
She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

Berean Standard Bible
This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

Berean Literal Bible
Having followed Paul and us, she was crying out, saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."

King James Bible
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

New King James Version
This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

New American Standard Bible
She followed Paul and us and cried out repeatedly, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.”

NASB 1995
Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

NASB 1977
Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

Amplified Bible
She followed after Paul and us and kept screaming and shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

Christian Standard Bible
As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.”

American Standard Version
The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation.

Contemporary English Version
The girl followed Paul and the rest of us, and she kept yelling, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved."

English Revised Version
The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are servants of the Most High God, which proclaim unto you the way of salvation.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
She used to follow Paul and shout, "These men are servants of the Most High God. They're telling you how you can be saved."

Good News Translation
She followed Paul and us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They announce to you how you can be saved!"

International Standard Version
She would follow Paul and us and shout, "These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!"

Majority Standard Bible
This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ?These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to us the way of salvation!?

NET Bible
She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

New Heart English Bible
She followed Paul and us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."

Webster's Bible Translation
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who show to us the way of salvation.

Weymouth New Testament
She kept following close behind Paul and the rest of us, crying aloud, "These men are the bondservants of the Most High God, and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

World English Bible
Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
she having followed Paul and us, was crying, saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who declare to us [the] way of salvation!”

Berean Literal Bible
Having followed Paul and us, she was crying out, saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."

Young's Literal Translation
she having followed Paul and us, was crying, saying, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who declare to us a way of salvation;'

Smith's Literal Translation
She having followed Paul and us, cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who announce to us the way of salvation.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach unto you the way of salvation.

Catholic Public Domain Version
This girl, following Paul and us, was crying out, saying: “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are announcing to you the way of salvation!”

New American Bible
She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”

New Revised Standard Version
While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And she followed Paul and us, crying and saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, and they preach to you the way of salvation.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
She was coming after Paulus and after us, crying and saying, “These men are Servants of the highest God, and they are evangelizing to you the way of life.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
She followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the most High God, who show us the way of salvation.

Godbey New Testament
She, following Paul and us, continued to cry out, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.

Haweis New Testament
she following Paul and us, cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach to you the way of salvation.

Mace New Testament
as she followed Paul and the rest of us, she cried out, these men are the servants of the most high God, who show you the way to salvation.

Weymouth New Testament
She kept following close behind Paul and the rest of us, crying aloud, "These men are the bondservants of the Most High God, and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

Worrell New Testament
The same, following after Paul and us, kept crying, saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God; who, indeed, declare to you a way of salvation."

Worsley New Testament
She following Paul and us, cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who shew us the way of salvation.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” 18She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Acts 19:15
But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

Mark 1:24
“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Luke 4:34
“Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Matthew 8:29
“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

James 2:19
You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Acts 2:22
Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.

Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.

Acts 14:15
“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

Acts 22:14-15
Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice. / You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

John 6:69
We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Philippians 2:10-11
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, / and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Treasury of Scripture

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show to us the way of salvation.

These.

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.

Matthew 8:29
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Mark 1:24
Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

the servants.

Daniel 3:26,28
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire…

Daniel 6:16,20
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee…

Jonah 1:9
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

the most.

Genesis 14:18-22
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God…

Psalm 57:2
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

Psalm 78:35
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

the way.

Acts 16:30,31
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? …

Acts 18:26
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Matthew 7:13,14
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: …

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Acts 16

1. Paul and Silas are Joined by Timothy,
7. and being called by the Spirit from one country to another,
14. convert Lydia,
16. and cast out a spirit of divination;
19. for which cause they are whipped and imprisoned.
25. The prison doors are opened.
31. The jailor is converted,
35. and they are delivered.

Berean Study Bible

This girl followed Paul and us
The phrase "This girl" refers to a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination. In the Greek, the term used is "παιδίσκη" (paidiskē), indicating a young female servant or slave. This highlights the socio-economic conditions of the time, where slavery was prevalent, and individuals like this girl were often exploited. Her following "Paul and us" suggests a persistent action, indicating that she was drawn to the apostles, perhaps due to the spiritual authority they carried. The "us" includes Luke, the author of Acts, showing his presence and firsthand account of the events.

shouting
The Greek word for "shouting" is "κράζω" (krazō), which means to cry out loudly or scream. This indicates the intensity and urgency of her proclamation. In the cultural context, public shouting was a common way to draw attention, and her loud cries would have attracted the notice of many in the marketplace. This behavior underscores the disruptive nature of the spirit within her, which sought to interfere with the apostles' mission.

These men are servants of the Most High God
The phrase "servants of the Most High God" is significant. The term "Most High God" (Greek: "Ὑψίστου Θεοῦ," Hypsistou Theou) was used in both Jewish and pagan contexts to refer to the supreme deity. For Jews, it was a title for Yahweh, while pagans might associate it with Zeus or another high god. Her declaration, therefore, could be understood by a diverse audience, bridging cultural and religious divides. The acknowledgment of Paul and his companions as "servants" (Greek: "δοῦλοι," douloi) emphasizes their role as humble messengers, dedicated to the service of God.

who proclaim to you the way of salvation
The phrase "the way of salvation" is central to the Christian message. In Greek, "ὁδὸν σωτηρίας" (hodon sōtērias) suggests a path or journey leading to deliverance. This aligns with the early Christian understanding of salvation as a transformative process, not just a one-time event. The girl's proclamation, though true, was likely intended by the spirit to cause confusion or discredit the apostles by associating them with her fortune-telling. Historically, this reflects the tension between the nascent Christian movement and existing spiritual practices, highlighting the power struggle between truth and deception.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying.--Better, kept on crying. Assuming that the case now before us presented phenomena analogous to those of the cases of demoniac possession, we may refer to what has been said in the Excursus on that subject appended to St. Matthew's Gospel for general views of the question. Here it will be enough to note the same symptom of a divided consciousness. We lose much of the human interest of the narrative if we merely think of a demon bearing, as in mockery, his witness to the work of Christ, in order that he might thwart that work. That continual cry spoke, we may well believe, of the girl's mind as longing for deliverance, and peace, and calm. She sees in the preachers those whom she recognises as able to deliver her, as unlike as possible to the masters who traded on her maddened misery. And yet the thraldom in which she found herself led her to cries that simply impeded their work. We note, as characteristic, the recurrence of the name of the Most High God, which meets us from the lips of the demoniac in the Gospels. (See Note on Mark 5:7.) As the name which was often in the mouths of exorcists, it became familiar to those who were regarded as subjects for their treatment. As she seems day by day to have gone to the river-side oratory, it is probable that she also had some points of contact with the faith of those who worshipped there, and had listened there to the preaching of the Apostles. Might not she claim a share in "the way of salvation" which was proclaimed to them?

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - Following after... cried out for followed... and cried, A.V.; servants for the servants, A.V.; proclaim unto you for show unto us, A.V. and T.R. This testimony of the spirit of divination to the doctrine of St. Paul is analogous to that of the unclean spirits who cried out to Jesus, "Thou art the Son of God" (Mark 1:23-26; Mark 3:11; Luke 4:34, 35); and St. Paul's dealing with the spirit of divination was similar to that of our Lord's with the evil spirits in the cases referred to. What was the motive of the damsel, or the spirit by which she was possessed, for so crying out, or St. Paul's for so silencing her, we are not told. Perhaps she interrupted him, and diverted the minds of those to whom he was preaching. And he did not like the mixture of lies with truth. The motive of secrecy which was one cause of our Lord's rebuke to the spirits would not apply in the case of St. Paul.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

[This girl]
αὕτη (hautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

followed
κατακολουθοῦσα (katakolouthousa)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2628: To follow after. From kata and akoloutheo; to accompany closely.

Paul
Παύλῳ (Paulō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3972: Paul, Paulus. Of Latin origin; Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[the rest of] us,
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

shouting,
ἔκραζεν (ekrazen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2896: To cry aloud, shriek. A primary verb; properly, to 'croak' or scream, i.e. to call aloud.

“These
Οὗτοι (Houtoi)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

men
ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

are
εἰσίν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

servants
δοῦλοι (douloi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

of the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Most High
Ὑψίστου (Hypsistou)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular - Superlative
Strong's 5310: Highest, most high, the heights. Superlative from the base of hupsos; highest, i.e. the Supreme, or the heavens.

God,
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

who
οἵτινες (hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

are proclaiming
καταγγέλλουσιν (katangellousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2605: To declare openly, proclaim, preach, laud, celebrate. From kata and the base of aggelos; to proclaim, promulgate.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

[the] way
ὁδὸν (hodon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3598: A way, road, journey, path. Apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress; figuratively, a mode or means.

of salvation.”
σωτηρίας (sōtērias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4991: Feminine of a derivative of soter as noun; rescue or safety.

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NT Apostles: Acts 16:17 Following Paul and us she cried out (Acts of the Apostles Ac)