SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:19
Asimismo muchos de los que habían practicado vanas artes, trajeron los libros, y los quemaron delante de todos; y echada la cuenta del precio de ellos, hallaron ser cincuenta mil denarios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 19:19
Verse 19. Which used curious arts] ta perierga. From the use of this word in the Greek writers, we know that it signified magical arts, sorceries, incantations, &c. Ephesus abounded with these. Dio Cassius, speaking of the Emperor Adrian, says, o adrianov periergotatov hn kai manteiaiv kai magganeiaiv pantodapaiv ecrhto. "Adrian was exceedingly addicted to curious arts, and practised divination and magic." These practices prevailed in all nations of the earth. Brought their books together] The efesia grammata, or Ephesian characters, are celebrated in antiquity; they appear to have been amulets, inscribed with strange characters, which were carried about the body for the purpose of curing diseases, expelling demons, and preserving from evils of different kinds. The books brought together on this occasion were such as taught the science, manner of formation, use, &c., of these charms.
Suidas, under efesia grammata, Ephesian letters, gives us the following account. "Certain obscure incantations.-When Milesius and Ephesius wrestled at the Olympic games, Milesius could not prevail, because his antagonist had the Ephesian letters bound to his heels; when this was discovered, and the letters taken away, it is reported that Milesius threw him thirty times." The information given by Hesychius is still more curious: efesia grammata. hn men palai st? usteron de proseqesan tines apatewnev kai alla? fasi de twn prwtwn ta onomata, tade askion, kataskion, lix, tetrax, damnameneuv, aision? dhloi de, to men askion, skotov? to de kata skion, fwv? to de lix, gh? tetrax de, eniautov? damnameneuv de, hliov? aision de, alhqev.
tauta oun iera esti kai agia. "The Ephesian letters or characters were formerly six, but certain deceivers added others afterwards; and their names, according to report, were these: ASKION, KATASKION, LIX, TETRAX, DAMNAMENEUS, and AISLON. It is evident that Askion signifies DARKNESS; Kataskion, LIGHT; Lix, the EARTH; Tetrax, the YEAR; Damnameneus, the SUN; and Aision, TRuth. These are holy and sacred things." The same account may be seen in Clemens Alexandrinus; Strom. lib. v. cap. 8, where he attempts to give the etymology of these different terms. These words served, no doubt, as the keys to different spells and incantations; and were used in order to the attainment of a great variety of ends. The Abraxas of the Basilidians, in the second century, were formed on the basis of the Ephesian letters; for those instruments of incantation, several of which are now before me, are inscribed with a number of words and characters equally as unintelligible as the above, and in many cases more so.
Then it is said they brought their books together, we are to understand the books which treated of these curious arts; such as the efesia grammata, or Ephesian characters.
And burned them before all] These must have been thoroughly convinced of the truth of Christianity, and of the unlawfulness of their own arts.
Fifty thousand pieces of silver.] Some think that the argurion, which we translate piece of silver, means a shekel, as that word is used Matt. xxvi. 16, where see the note; 50,000 shekels, at 3s., according to Dean Prideaux's valuation, (which is that followed throughout this work,) would amount to 7,500.
But, as this was a Roman and not a Jewish country, we may rationally suppose that the Jewish coin was not here current; and that the argurion, or silver coin, mentioned by St. Luke, must have been either Greek or Roman; and, it is very likely that the sestertius is meant, which was always a silver coin, about the value, according to Arbuthnot, of two-pence, or 1d. 3q3/4., which answers to the fourth part of a denarius, rated by the same author at 7 3/4d. Allowing this to be the coin intended, the 50,000 sestertii would amount to 403. 12s. 11d.
The Vulgate reads, denariorum quinquaginta millium, fifty thousand denarii, which, at 7 3/4 d., will amount to 1,614. 11s. 8d. The reading of the Itala version of the Codex Bezae is very singular, Denariorum sestertia ducenta. "Two hundred sesterces of denarii;" which may signify no more than "two hundred sestertii of Roman money:" for in this sense denarius is certainly used by Cicero, Orat. pro Quint.; where ad denarium solvere, means to pay in Roman money, an expression similar to our word sterling.
This sum would amount to no more than 1. 12s. 3 1/2d. But that which is computed from the sestertius is the most probable amount.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. Many also of them which used curious arts . etc.] Magic arts, soothsaying, necromancy, conjuration, and the like, being convinced of the folly and wickedness of them: brought their books together ; by which they had learned these arts; Ephesus was famous for this sort of learning; here Apollonius Tyaneus, in the beginning of Neros reign, opened a school and taught magic, and such like things: frequent mention is made of the Ephesian letters, which were no other than enchantments; and even Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians, is said to be a magician f971 : and burned them before all men ; to show their detestation of them, and the truth and genuineness of their repentance for their former sins; and that these books might not be a snare to them for the future, nor be made use of by others: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver ; which is thought to answer to one thousand five hundred sixty two pounds and ten shillings of our money; reckoning a piece of silver, an Attic drachma; for such might be the silver pieces at Ephesus, a city of Greece, and which was of the value of our money seven pence halfpenny; but if Luke meant by pieces of silver, shekels, according to the Jewish way, (see Gill on Matthew 26:15) then the sum is much larger, for a shekel was about two shillings and six pence of our money; so that fifty thousand pieces of silver, amount to six thousand two hundred and fifty pounds; a large sum indeed for magic books! some manuscripts read gold instead of silver, which must greatly increase the value.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-20 - It was common, especially among the Jews, for persons to profess or to try to cast out evil spirits. If we resist the devil by faith in Christ, he will flee from us; but if we think to resist him by the using of Christ's name, or his works, as a spell or charm, Satan wil prevail against us. Where there is true sorrow for sin, there will be free confession of sin to God in every prayer and to man whom we have offended, when the case requires it. Surely if the word of God prevailed among us, many lewd, infidel, and wicked books would be burned by their possessors. Will not these Ephesian converts rise up i judgement against professors, who traffic in such works for the sake of gain, or allow themselves to possess them? If we desire to be in earnest in the great work of salvation, every pursuit and enjoymen must be given up which hinders the effect of the gospel upon the mind or loosens its hold upon the heart.
Greek Textus Receptus
ικανοι 2425 A-NPM δε 1161 CONJ των 3588 T-GPM τα 3588 T-APN περιεργα 4021 A-APN πραξαντων 4238 5660 V-AAP-GPM συνενεγκαντες 4851 5631 V-2AAP-NPM τας 3588 T-APF βιβλους 976 N-APF κατεκαιον 2618 5707 V-IAI-3P ενωπιον 1799 ADV παντων 3956 A-GPM και 2532 CONJ συνεψηφισαν 4860 5656 V-AAI-3P τας 3588 T-APF τιμας 5092 N-APF αυτων 846 P-GPF και 2532 CONJ ευρον 2147 5627 V-2AAI-3P αργυριου 694 N-GSN μυριαδας 3461 A-APM πεντε 4002 A-NUI
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. Curious arts (ta perierga). The word means, literally, overwrought, elaborate, and hence recondite or curious, as magical practices. Only here and 1 Tim. v. 13, in its original sense of those who busy themselves excessively (peri): busybodies. The article indicates the practices referred to in the context.Books. Containing magical formulas. Heathen writers often allude to the Ephesian letters. These were symbols, or magical sentences written on slips of parchment, and carried about as amulets. Sometimes they were engraved on seals.
Burned (katekaion). Burned them up (kata). The imperfect is graphic, describing them as throwing book after book on the pile.
Counted (sunyhfisan). Only here in New Testament. See on Luke xiv. 28. The preposition sun, together, in the compound verb, indicates the reckoning up of the sum-total.
Fifty thousand pieces of silver. If reckoned in Jewish money, about thirty-five thousand dollars; if in Greek drachmae, as is more probable, about nine thousand three hundred dollars.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
19:19 {Not a few of them that practised curious arts} (hikanoi twn ta perierga praxantwn). Considerable number of the performers or exorcists themselves who knew that they were humbugs were led to renounce their evil practices. The word perierga (curious) is an old word (peri, erga) originally a piddler about trifles, a busybody (#1Ti 5:13), qen impertinent and magical things as here. Only two examples in the N.T. It is a technical term for magic as the papyri and inscriptions show. Deissmann (_Bible Studies_, p. 323) thinks that these books here burned were just like the Magic Papyri now recovered from Egypt. {Burned them in the sight of all} (katekaion enwpion pantwn). Imperfect active of katakaiw. It probably took a good while to do it, burned them completely (up, we say; down, the Greeks say, perfective use of kata). These Magical Papyri or slips of parchment with symbols or magical sentences written on them called efesia grammata (Ephesian Letters). These Ephesian Letters were worn as amulets or charms. {They brought them together} (sunenegkantes). Second aorist active participle of sunferw. What a glorious conflagration it would be if in every city all the salacious, blasphemous, degrading books, pamphlets, magazines, and papers could be piled together and burned. {They counted} (suneyefisan). First aorist active indicative of sunyefizw, to reckon together. In LXX (#Jer 29:49). Only here in N.T. sunkatayefizw in #1:26. {Fifty thousand pieces of silver} (arguriou muriadas pente). Five ten thousand (muriadas) pieces of silver. Ephesus was largely Greek and probably the silver pieces were Greek drachmae or the Latin denarius, probably about ten thousand dollars or two thousand English pounds.
