Curious arts (τὰ περίεργα)

The word means, literally, overwrought, elaborate, and hence recondite or curious, as magical practices. Only here and 1 Timothy 5:13, in its original sense of those who busy themselves excessively (περί): 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 (κατέκαιον)

Burned them up (κατά). The imperfect is graphic, describing them as throwing book after book on the pile.

Counted (συνεψήφισαν)

Only here in New Testament. See on Luke 14:28. The preposition σύν, 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.

Acts 19:19 Parallel Commentaries

used.

Acts 8:9-11 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria...

Acts 13:6,8 And when they had gone through the isle to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus...

Exodus 7:11,22 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt...

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination...

1 Samuel 28:7-9 Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her...

1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not...

2 Chronicles 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments...

Isaiah 8:19 And when they shall say to you, Seek to them that have familiar spirits, and to wizards that peep, and that mutter...

Isaiah 47:12,13 Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, wherein you have labored from your youth...

Daniel 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans...

curious. [Periergos,] curious, that is, magical arts, in which sense the word is used in the Greek writers. The study of magic was prosecuted with such zeal at Ephesus, that [Ephesios gramma,] the Ephesian letters, certain charms, or words used in incantation, became much celebrated in antiquity.

and burned.

Genesis 35:4 And they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears...

Exodus 32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it on the water...

Deuteronomy 7:25,26 The graven images of their gods shall you burn with fire: you shall not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it to you...

Isaiah 2:20,21 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship...

Isaiah 30:22 You shall defile also the covering of your graven images of silver, and the ornament of your molten images of gold...

Matthew 5:29,30 And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you...

Luke 14:33 So likewise, whoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.

Hebrews 10:34 For you had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods...

fifty. Probably Attic drachms; which at

7.?d. each, would amount to

1,562?.

10s. or at,

9d. each, to

1,875?.