SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:16
¶ Y aconteci, que yendo nosotros a la oracin, una muchacha que tenía espíritu pitnico, nos sali al encuentro, la cual daba grande ganancia a sus amos adivinando.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 16:16
Verse 16. As we went to prayer] eiv proseuchn, Into the proseucha: see on ver. 13, and on Luke vi. 12. The article, thn, is added here by ABCE, several others, Origen and Theophylact: thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of proseuchn to be right-not the act of prayer or praying to God, but the place, the oratory, in which these proselytes assembled for the purpose of praying, reading the law and the prophets, and such like exercises of devotion. It appears that the apostles spent dome time here; as it is evident, from this and the following verses, that they often resorted to this place to preach the Gospel. Possessed with a spirit of divination] ecousan pneuma puqwnov, Having a spirit of Python, or of Apollo. Pytho was, according to fable, a huge serpent, that had an oracle at Mount Parnassus, famous for predicting future events; Apollo slew this serpent, and hence he was called Pythius, and became celebrated as the foreteller of future events; and all those, who either could or pretended to predict future events, were influenced by the spirit of Apollo Pythius. As often-times the priestesses of this god became greatly agitated, and gave answers apparently from their bellies, when their mouths remained close, puqwn was applied to the eggastrimuqoi, or ventriloquists. Hesychius defines puqwn, daimonion mantikon, a divining demon; and it was evidently such a one that possessed this young woman, and which Paul expelled, ver. 18. See on this subject the notes on Lev. xix. 31, and Deut. xviii. 11.
Brought her masters much gain by soothsaying] manteuouenh, By divination, or what we call telling fortunes. Our term soothsaying coming from the Anglo-Saxon (Anglo-Saxon), truth; and (Anglo-Saxon), to say, i.e. truth saying, or saying the truth. For, as it was supposed among the heathen that such persons spoke by the inspiration of their god, consequently what they said must be true. However, our translators might have used a term here that would not have been so creditable to this Pythoness; for, what she said concerning the apostles excepted, she certainly could not be supposed to tell the truth, while her inspiration came from him who is the father of lies. But Satan will sometimes conceal himself under the guise of truth, that he may the more effectually deceive. See below.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. And it came to pass as we went to prayer , etc.] That is, to the house of prayer, or to the oratory, as they were in the way to it; for this is not to be understood of their just going to the act, or duty of prayer; for the damsel that now met them, is said to follow them, and to do so for many days, one after another; and it was by their going to the prayer house, that she knew what they were; and besides, the phrase of going to prayer, as used by us, for the act or duty of prayer, is a mere Anglicism, and unknown to the eastern writers: now this their going to the oratory, was after they had been at Lydias house, and had been entertained and refreshed there; whether this was on the same day that she was converted and baptized, is not certain: however, so it was, that a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination, met us ; in the Greek text it is, the spirit of Python; the Alexandrian copy and the Vulgate Latin version read, the spirit Python; the same with Apollo, who was called Pythius, as was his oracle, from the people coming to him, punyanesyai , to inquire of him and consult with him, about difficult matters f816 ; or rather from the Hebrew word tp , which signifies a serpent; and so Apollo is said to have his name Pythius, from his killing the serpent Typhon, or Python f817 ; hence the city of Delphos, where was the oracle of Apollo, was called Pytho f818 ; the prophetess that sat upon the golden tripos, and delivered out the oracles, Pythia; and the feasts and plays instituted to the honour of Apollo, were called the Pythian feasts and plays, and the place of the oracle Pythium f819 : and so this maid, or the spirit in her, pretended to divine and foretell things to come; and the Arabic renders it, an unclean spirit, foretelling future things: the Jews make this spirit of Python, to be the same with Ob, which we render a familiar spirit, ( Leviticus 20:27 Deuteronomy 18:11) and the Septuagint by Engastrimythos, a ventriloquist, one that seemed to speak out of his belly, and pretended to predict future events; and most of the versions in the Polyglot Bible render it by Python, the word here used: so the Jews say f821 , that a master of Obidiah (as the woman of Endor is called the mistress of Ob), wtyp hz , this is Python: and so Jarchi on ( Deuteronomy 18:11) explains the word, and adds, that it is one that speaks out of his arm holes, as those sort of people did from several parts of their bodies, and even from their secret parts: the word signifies a bottle, and they were called masters or mistresses of the bottle; either because the place on which they sat, and from whence they gave forth their oracles, was in the form of one; or they made use of a bottle in their divinations; or as Schindler observes, being possessed, they swelled and were inflated like bottles; and being interrogated, they gave forth answers out of their bellies, concerning things past, present, and to come: and this speaking out of their bellies might be done, without the possession of a real spirit, and much less was it from God, as Plutarch f823 , an Heathen himself, observes; it is foolish and childish, to think that God, as the ventriloquists formerly called Eurycleans, and now Pythonists, should hide himself in the bodies of the prophets, using their mouths and voices as instruments to speak with, for this was done by turning their voices down their throats.
The first of this sort was one Eurycles, of whom Aristophanes makes mention; and the Scholiast upon him says, that he was a ventriloquist, and was said by the Athenians to prophesy by a demon that was in him, when it was only an artificial way of speaking; Tertullian affirms he had seen such women that were ventriloquists, from whose secret parts a small voice was heard, as they sat and gave answers to things asked: Caelius Rhodiginus writes, that he often saw a woman a ventriloquist, at Rhodes, and in a city of Italy his own country; from whose secrets, he had often heard a very slender voice of an unclean spirit, but very intelligible, tell strangely of things past or present, but of things to come, for the most part uncertain, and also often vain and lying; and Wierus relates of one Peter Brabantius, who as often as he would, could speak from the lower part of his body, his mouth being open, but his lips not moved, whereby he deceived many by this cunning; and there was a man at court in King James the Firsts time here in England, who could act this imposture in a very lively manner f825 : but now whether the spirit that was in this maid was a cheat, an imposture of this kind, is not so easy to say; it seems by the dispossession that follows, that it was a real spirit that possessed her; though some think it was no other than a deluding, devilish, imposture: which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying : divining or prophesying; it seems she had many masters, who had a propriety in her, and shared the gain she brought; unless by them are meant her master and mistress: vast treasures were brought to the temple at Delphos, by persons that applied to the Pythian oracle there; and great quantities were got by particular persons, who pretended to such a spirit, by which they told fortunes, and what should befall people hereafter, or where their lost or stolen goods were, and such like things; and of such sort were the magical boys and servants Pignorius makes mention of, out of Apuleius, Porphyry, and others, who either for gain or pleasure, performed many strange things.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-24 - Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most importan truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Thos who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled a troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accuse of teaching bad customs.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S δε 1161 CONJ πορευομενων 4198 5740 V-PNP-GPM ημων 2257 P-1GP εις 1519 PREP προσευχην 4335 N-ASF παιδισκην 3814 N-ASF τινα 5100 X-ASF εχουσαν 2192 5723 V-PAP-ASF πνευμα 4151 N-ASN πυθωνος 4436 N-GSM απαντησαι 528 5658 V-AAN ημιν 2254 P-1DP ητις 3748 R-NSF εργασιαν 2039 N-ASF πολλην 4183 A-ASF παρειχεν 3930 5707 V-IAI-3S τοις 3588 T-DPM κυριοις 2962 N-DPM αυτης 846 P-GSF μαντευομενη 3132 5740 V-PNP-NSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. Damsel. See on ch. xii. 13.Spirit of divination (pneuma Puqwna). Lit., a spirit, a Python. Python, in the Greek mythology, was the serpent which guarded Delphi.
According to the legend, as related in the Homeric hymn, Apollo descended from Olympus in order to select a site for his shrine and oracle. Having fixed upon a spot on the southern side of Mount Parnassus, he found it guarded by a vast and terrific serpent, which he slew with an arrow, and suffered its body to rot (puqein) in the sun. Hence the name of the serpent Python (rotting); Pytho, the name of the place, and the epithet Pythian, applied to Apollo. The name Python was subsequently used to denote a prophetic demon, and was also used of soothsayers who practiced ventriloquism, or speaking from the belly. The word ejggastrimuqov, ventriloquist, occurs in the Septuagint, and is rendered having a familiar spirit (see Lev. xix. 31; xx. 6,27; 1 Sam. xxviii. 7, 8). The heathen inhabitants of Philippi regarded the woman as inspired by Apollo; and Luke, in recording this case, which came under his own observation, uses the term which would naturally suggest itself to a Greek physician, a Python-spirit, presenting phenomena identical with the convulsive movements and wild cries of the Pythian priestess at Delphi. Soothsaying (manteuomenh). Akin to mainomai, to rave, in allusion to the temporary madness which possessed the priestess or sibyl while under the influence of the God. Compare Virgil's description of the Cumaean Sibyl:
"And as the word she spake Within the door, all suddenly her visage and her hue Were changed, and all her sleeked hair and gasping breath she drew, And with the rage her wild heart swelled, and greater was she grown, Nor mortal-voiced; for breath of God upon her heart was blown As he drew nigher." Aeneid, vil, 45 sq.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:16 {A spirit of divination} (pneuma puqwna). So the correct text with accusative (apparition, a spirit, a python), not the genitive (puqwnos). Hesychius defines it as daimonion manikon (a spirit of divination). The etymology of the word is unknown. Bengel suggests puqesqai from punqanomai, to inquire. Python was the name given to the serpent that kept guard at Delphi, slain by Apollo, who was called puqios apollo and the prophetess at Delphi was termed Pythia. Certainly Luke does not mean to credit Apollo with a real existence (#1Co 8:4). But Plutarch (A.D. 50-100) says that the term puqwnes was applied to ventriloquists (eggastrimuqoi). In the LXX those with familiar spirits are called by this word ventriloquists (#Le 19:31; 20:6,27, including the witch of Endor #1Sa 28:7). It is possible that this slave girl had this gift of prophecy "by soothsaying" (manteuomene). Present middle participle of manteuomai, old heathen word (in contrast with profeteuw) for acting the seer (mantis) and this kin to mainomai, to be mad, like the howling dervishes of later times. this is the so-called instrumental use of the circumstantial participles. {Brought} (pareicen). Imperfect active of parecw, a steady source of income. {Much gain} (ergasian pollen). Work, business, from ergazomai, to work. {Her masters} (tois kuriois autes). Dative case. Joint owners of this poor slave girl who were exploiting her calamity, whatever it was, for selfish gain, just as men and women today exploit girls and women in the "white slave" trade. As a fortune-teller she was a valuable asset for all the credulous dupes of the community. Simon magus in Samaria and Elymas Barjesus in Cyprus had won power and wealth as soothsayers.
