Acts 13:6-12 · Bible study

Acts 13:6-12 Commentary: Elymas the Sorcerer, Power of the Word

Greek · 11 what the commentators say

Meaning in one sentence

How Paul's confrontation with Bar-Jesus (Elymas) displays the Spirit's power over deception and leads a Roman proconsul to faith in Christ.

Research Summary

Meaning: The gospel confronts and overcomes deceptive spiritual power, leading even a Roman official to faith.
Key words: magos (sorcerer), anthupatos (proconsul), pseudoprophētēs (false prophet), plēstheis pneumatos hagiou (filled with the Holy Spirit), achlus (mist).
Main debate: Whether Elymas's Jewish identity deepens his guilt, and whether the judgment was harsh or merciful.
Theological theme: The Holy Spirit empowers witness and authenticates the word through signs.
Best use: For teaching on spiritual warfare, the reliability of Acts as history, and the spread of the gospel beyond Judaism.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

⁶They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

⁷an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

⁹Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas

¹⁰and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

¹¹Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹²When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

WEB World English Bible 2000

⁶When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar Jesus,

⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

⁹But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him

¹⁰and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

¹¹Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹²Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

KJV King James Version 1769

⁶And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar–jesus:

⁷Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

⁹Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

¹⁰And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

¹²Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

⁶And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus;

⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

⁹But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

¹⁰and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

¹²Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

⁶and having gone through the island unto Paphos, they found a certain magian, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name is Bar-Jesus;

⁷who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man; this one having called for Barnabas and Saul, did desire to hear the word of God,

⁸and there withstood them Elymas the magian--for so is his name interpreted--seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith.

⁹And Saul--who also is Paul--having been filled with the Holy Spirit, and having looked stedfastly on him,

¹⁰said, `O full of all guile, and all profligacy, son of a devil, enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease perverting the right ways of the Lord?

¹¹and now, lo, a hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season;' and presently there fell upon him a mist and darkness, and he, going about, was seeking some to lead him by the hand;

¹²then the proconsul having seen what hath come to pass, did believe, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Darby Darby Bible 1890

⁶And having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain man a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus,

⁷who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He, having called Barnabas and Saul to [him], desired to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the magician (for so his name is by interpretation) opposed them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

⁹But Saul, who also [is] Paul, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, fixing his eyes upon him,

¹⁰said, O full of all deceit and all craft: son of [the] devil, enemy of all righteousness; wilt thou not cease perverting the right paths of [the] Lord?

¹¹And now behold, [the] Lord's hand [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell upon him a mist and darkness; and going about he sought persons who should lead him by the hand.

¹²Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

⁶And when they had gone through the whole island, as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesu:

⁷Who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He, sending for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God.

⁸But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

⁹Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking upon him,

¹⁰Said: O full of all guile and of all deceit, child of the devil, enemy of all justice, thou ceases not to pervert the right ways of the Lord.

¹¹And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee: and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell a mist and darkness upon him: and going about, he sought some one to lead him by the hand.

¹²Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed, admiring at the doctrine of the Lord.

Verse in Context

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.

6 When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar Jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him

10 and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

14 But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

Original Language (Koine Greek)

New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 13:6

Διελθόντες Dielthontes G1330 Having passed through

δὲ de G1161 now

ὅλην holēn G3650 all

τὴν tēn G3588 the

νῆσον nēson G3520 island

ἄχρι achri G0891 as far as

Πάφου Paphou G3974 Paphos

εὗρον heuron G2147 they found

ἄνδρα andra G0435 a man —

τινὰ tina G5100 a certain

μάγον magon G3097 magician

ψευδοπροφήτην pseudoprophētēn G5578 a false prophet

Ἰουδαῖον Ioudaion G2453 Jewish —

ᾧ hō G3739 whose

ὄνομα onoma G3686 name

Βαριησοῦ, Bariēsou G0919 of Bar-Jesus,

Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators agree this passage records a decisive power encounter. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, directly confronts Elymas as an opponent of the gospel, not merely a personal rival but one who actively seeks to turn the proconsul away from faith (Barnes, Calvin). Luke's careful designation of Sergius Paulus as anθupatos (proconsul) is historically precise: Cyprus was a senatorial province governed by a proconsul (Cambridge Bible, Vincent). The sudden shift from the name Saul to Paul marks a turning point; from here onward Paul leads the narrative (Wesley, JFB). The miracle, Elymas struck blind, serves both as judgment and as confirmation that the apostles speak for God, leading the proconsul to believe, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord (Clarke). All major traditions read the episode as a demonstration that the Word of God overcomes magical deception by the Spirit's authentic power.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Medium

Main views:

Severe judgment view: Paul's words are an inspired curse that brings physical blindness; this shows God's intolerance of those who oppose the gospel.
Merciful chastisement view: The blindness is temporary (“for a season”), giving opportunity for repentance; the judgment is remedial, not final.

What is clear: The Holy Spirit empowers Paul to unmask and overcome spiritual deception, leading the proconsul to faith in Christ.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
Elymas's Jewish identity	All traditions note that Luke deliberately identifies him as a Jew and a magician, setting up a contrast between the apostles as true Jews and Elymas as a false one.	Some argue his Jewishness makes his opposition especially treacherous (Calvin); others see it as simply describing his ethnic background, not heightening the guilt (Barnes).
The severity of the judgment	The blindness is temporary, indicating mercy (Clarke, JFB). The miracle serves to confirm the apostles' divine authority.	Evangelical and Reformed traditions emphasize the justice of God against obstinate opponents; Wesleyan traditions highlight the season of blindness as an opportunity for repentance. Both affirm the event as a legitimate act of the Spirit.
Paul's name change	From this point forward Paul is called by his Roman name, likely for his Gentile mission.	Some hold that he adopted the name to honor Sergius Paulus (so-called 'first convert of rank'); others see it as his existing Roman name now taking precedence (Gill, Vincent). No tradition sees it as a divine name change like Abram to Abraham.
The nature of Elymas's sorcery	He is a false prophet and magician, actively opposing the gospel through deceptive arts.	Some commentators view his sorcery as demonic power that is broken by the Holy Spirit (Lange, Calvin). Others emphasize that his craft was mere trickery and deception, not real supernatural power (Barnes, Clarke).

Historical & Cultural Context

Paphos stood at the western tip of Cyprus, about one hundred miles from Salamis where Paul and Barnabas had begun their missionary journey. It was the island's capital and the seat of the Roman governor. Luke uses the term anθupatos (proconsul) accurately: after 22 BC, Cyprus was a senatorial province, and its chief magistrate bore that title, a detail Luke gets right where other ancient writers sometimes slipped (Barnes, Cambridge Bible). An inscription found at Soli (nearby) mentions a proconsul named Paulus, confirming the historical frame (Vincent).

Cyprus was the home of Barnabas (Acts 4:36), so the route made sense for their first missionary journey. Paphos was famous for its temple of Venus (Aphrodite), a center of pagan worship. Into this setting enters Bar-Jesus, a Jewish magician serving the proconsul's court. The term magos (sorcerer) could designate a Persian wise man (Matthew 2.1) but here is qualified as a false prophet; Luke makes clear he is no genuine seer but an impostor (Vincent). Jewish magicians were not uncommon in the Roman world, they traded on the exotic reputation of Jewish names and traditions. The tension is sharp: a Jewish false prophet opposes the Jewish apostles who proclaim the Jewish Messiah to a Roman official. Calvin notes that the magician saw his own darkness being dispelled by the light of the gospel and fought to preserve his position.

Textual Notes

The main textual variation in this passage is the inclusion of holēn (“whole”) before “island” in verse 6. Many early manuscripts (including Codex Bezae and the Vulgate) read “the whole island,” while others read simply “the island.” The variant does not change the meaning, since context implies they covered the full length of Cyprus (Clarke). No other significant textual variants affect the interpretation of the passage.

Reception History

In the early church, this passage was frequently cited as a model of apostolic authority over false spiritual powers. Irenaeus and others contrasted the magician Elymas with the magi of Matthew 2, noting that true power comes from the Spirit, not from occult arts. Medieval commentators (including Bede) saw the proconsul's conversion as a prophecy of the Roman Empire's eventual acceptance of Christianity. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther pointed to the episode to argue that the Word of God must confront and displace religious impostors, whether Jewish or Gentile. In modern mission history, Acts 13:6, 12 has been used as a pattern for power encounters in cross-cultural settings, illustrating that the gospel can break spiritual strongholds even in high-ranking political circles. The tradition that Elymas later repented is mentioned by some patristic writers but is not widely accepted.

Preaching This Verse

Three-Point Outline

The Opponent: Bar-Jesus (Elymas) represents spiritual deception claiming religious authority. He is a Jewish magician who opposes Paul and Barnabas.
The Confrontation: Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, exposes Elymas's true character and pronounces judgment, temporary blindness.
The Outcome: The proconsul Sergius Paulus sees the miracle and believes, astonished at the Lord's teaching.

Five-Point Outline

Setting of the encounter: Paphos, capital of Cyprus, seat of the proconsul.
The seeker: Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, summons Barnabas and Saul to hear God's word.
The resistance: Elymas withstands the apostles, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
The apostolic response: Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebukes Elymas as a son of the devil and enemy of righteousness; the hand of the Lord brings temporary blindness.
The conversion: The proconsul believes, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Illustration Hooks

A person today who has a surface interest in Christianity but is influenced by a spiritual advisor who mixes new-age ideas with biblical language. The advisor sees his influence threatened when the person starts attending church.
A high-profile individual, CEO or politician, who begins asking serious spiritual questions. Those around him try to divert him because his conversion would change the power dynamics.
A family member who claims to be Christian but consistently undermines the faith of others, using partial truths to confuse seekers. The text shows that the Spirit exposes such deception.

Questions Your Congregation Is Asking

Was Paul's harsh condemnation of Elymas justified, or did he overreact?
Does the fact that Elymas was Jewish make his opposition worse, or is that incidental?
How can we tell the difference between genuine spiritual teaching and deception?

Leading a Discussion

This passage presents a head-on collision between the power of God and the power of deception. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear the word of God; Elymas tried to stop him. The apostles do not retreat, the Spirit gives both discernment and authority. As a small group, work through the details to see what this encounter teaches about the nature of faith, the role of the Spirit, and how the gospel overcomes resistance.

Discussion Questions

Read Acts 13:6, 12 together. What details about Elymas (Bar-Jesus) stand out? Why might Luke mention that he was a Jew, a sorcerer, and a false prophet?
Sergius Paulus is described as “a man of understanding” (v.7). What does his action of summoning Barnabas and Saul suggest about his spiritual openness?
Elymas resisted the apostles (v.8). What do you think motivated him? What was at stake for him?
Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at Elymas and spoke strong words (v.9-10). How does being “filled with the Holy Spirit” affect how we confront opposition to the gospel?
The judgment was temporary blindness “for a season” (v.11). What does the temporary nature of the punishment suggest about God's mercy even in judgment?
The proconsul believed after seeing what happened (v.12). Why does Luke say he was astonished “at the teaching of the Lord” rather than at the miracle? What role did the teaching play?
In what situations today do you see similar resistance to the gospel from people who claim religious expertise? How should Christians respond, balancing boldness and love?

What the Commentators Say

8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Clarke notes that Saul may have been given the Latin name Paulus, meaning "little," because he was a small child at birth, though a Hebrew derivation would mean "wonderful." He also stresses that Elymas's blindness was only temporary, a merciful judgment that an ancient tradition says led to his eventual conversion.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832

Barnes highlights Luke's precise historical accuracy in calling Sergius Paulus a proconsul, since Cyprus was initially an imperial province under the emperor. He shows that Dio Cassius records Augustus later transferring Cyprus to the senate, which explains why the governor held that exact title.

Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599

The Geneva Notes highlight that Elymas, though Jewish, was a sorcerer and false prophet, opposing the gospel. Paul's rebuke and the miraculous blindness expose Elymas as an enemy of righteousness, causing the prudent deputy to believe and marvel at the Lord's doctrine.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871

JFB emphasizes that Luke's precise use of "procons

Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857

Lange ties the shift from Saul to Paul not to the conversion of Sergius Paulus, but to a deeper change: at this moment Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, steps into a new independent leadership role, taking the lead from Barnabas. The name marks an internal elevation, not a mere memorial.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Henry points out that Barnabas and Saul headed to Cyprus because Barnabas was a native of that island. He was eager to offer the first fruits of his new apostolic labors to his own countrymen, making the mission a deeply personal one from the start.

Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887

Vincent points out that the Greek word for sorcerer is the same one used for the wise men who visited Jesus; the term itself does not label Elymas an impostor, only the description "false prophet" does. He also dismisses the idea that Paul took his name from the proconsul, calling that explanation accidental and vulgar.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754

Wesley draws attention to Paul's name change at this moment, noting it likely came from Roman speakers adapting Saul to Paul, and that Paul himself then used the name as apostle to the Gentiles. He also sharply characterizes Elymas as a false prophet and magician, full of guile and mischief.

Word Study

The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.

ἀνήρ anēr man G0435 · Greek → ἄχρι achri until G0891 · Greek → Βαριησοῦς Bariēsous Bar-Jesus G0919 · Greek → δέ de then G1161 · Greek → διέρχομαι dierchomai to pass through G1330 · Greek → εὑρίσκω ehuriskō to find/meet G2147 · Greek → Ἰουδαῖος Ioudaios Jew G2453 · Greek → μάγος magos sage G3097 · Greek → νῆσος nēsos island G3520 · Greek → ὁ ho the/this/who G3588 · Greek → ὅλος holos all G3650 · Greek → ὄνομα onoma name G3686 · Greek → ὅς hos, hē which G3739 · Greek → Πάφος Paphos Paphos G3974 · Greek → τις tis one G5100 · Greek → ψευδοπροφήτης pseudoprophētēs false prophet G5578 · Greek →

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Exodus 22:18	“You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
Leviticus 20:6	“‘The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
Deuteronomy 13:1	If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
Deuteronomy 13:3	you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 18:10	There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
Deuteronomy 18:12	For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you.
I Kings 22:22	Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He said, ‘You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.’
I Chronicles 10:13	So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire,

Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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