Acts 13:6

4 So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.

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

7 an 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.

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

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
KJV
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:
WEB
When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar Jesus,
ASV
And 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;
DARBY
And 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,
BLB
Now having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a man—a certain a magician, a Jewish false prophet—whose name [was] Bar-Jesus,
ÅB
Etter at de nå hadde vandret gjennom hele øen like til Pafus, traff de på en trollmann, en falsk profet, en jøde ved navn Barjesus,
OTB
De reiste gjennom hele øya til de kom til Pafos. Der møtte de en jødisk trollmann og falsk profet ved navn Barjesus,
B1930
Efterat de nu hadde vandret gjennem hele øen like til Pafus, traff de på en trollmann, en falsk profet, en jøde ved navn Barjesus,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Matthew 7:15

    Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

    Read in context
  • 1 John 4:1

    Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

    Read in context
  • Mark 10:46

    Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.

    Read in context
  • 2 Corinthians 11:13

    For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

    Read in context
  • Exodus 22:18

    You must not allow a sorceress to live.

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  • Deuteronomy 13:1–3

    If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,

    Read in context
  • Matthew 24:24

    For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 23:14–15

    And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

    Read in context