The Meaning of Acts 19:11 Explained

Acts 19:11

KJV: And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

YLT: mighty works also -- not common -- was God working through the hands of Paul,

Darby: And God wrought no ordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,

ASV: And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  God  wrought  special  miracles  by  the hands  of Paul: 

What does Acts 19:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Act 19:1-12 - The Holy Spirit Working In Ephesus
Paul had planted good seed at Corinth, and Apollos, in turn, had watered it, 1 Corinthians 3:6. Large numbers became his devoted followers. This, however, excited no jealousy in Paul. Apollos and he were only instruments through whom God was pleased to work.
Meanwhile Paul had a ministry to fulfill in Ephesus. The twelve men mentioned had known only so much of the truth as had been revealed to the Baptist. They had felt the need of repentance and had heard of Christ as the Lamb of God; but of His resurrection and ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit they were ignorant. Paul at once fixed on this lack as the source of their impotence. He seemed to say, "If you men had received the baptism of the Spirit, you would move this city."
It was wise on Paul's part to remove the disciples and his work to their own premises, which soon became famous throughout the city and indeed throughout the adjacent country. People who had come in to worship at the shrine of Diana gave themselves to Christ, and the Christian faith became disseminated through the province, Ephesus itself being mightily moved. [source]

Chapter Summary: Act 19

1  The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands
8  The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles
13  The Jewish exorcists,
16  are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit
19  Conjuring books are burnt
21  Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35  which is appeased by the town clerk

Greek Commentary for Acts 19:11

Special miracles [δυναμεις ου τας τυχουσας]
“Powers not the ones that happen by chance,” “not the ordinary ones,” litotes for “the extraordinary.” All “miracles” or “powers” In Samaria Philip wrought miracles to deliver the people from the influence of Simon Magus. Here in Ephesus exorcists and other magicians had built an enormous vogue of a false spiritualism and Paul faces unseen forces of evil. His tremendous success led some people to superstitious practices thinking that there was power in Paul‘s person. [source]
Special [οὐ τὰς τυχούσας]
A peculiar expression. Lit., not usual or common, such as one might fall in with frequently. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 19:11

Acts 28:2 No little [οὐ τυχοῦσαν]
See on special, Acts 19:11. Rev., much better, “no common kindness.” [source]
Acts 1:5 Not many days hence [ου μετα πολλας ταυτας ημερας]
A neat Greek idiom difficult to render smoothly into English: “Not after many days these.” The litotes (not many=few) is common in Luke (Luke 7:6; Luke 15:13; Acts 17:27; Acts 19:11; Acts 20:12; Acts 21:39; Acts 28:14; Acts 28:2). The predicate use of ταυτας — tautas (without article) is to be noted. “These” really means as a starting point, “from these” (Robertson, Grammar, p. 702). It was ten days hence. This idiom occurs several times in Luke (Luke 24:21; Acts 24:21), as elsewhere (John 4:18; 2 Peter 3:1). In Luke 2:12 the copula is easily supplied as it exists in Luke 1:36; Luke 2:2. [source]
Acts 19:10 So that all they which dwelt in Asia heard [ωστε παντας τους κατοικουντας την Ασιαν ακουσαι]
Actual result with ωστε — hōste and the infinitive with accusative of general reference as is common (also Acts 19:11) in the Koiné{[28928]}š (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 999f.). Paul apparently remained in Ephesus, but the gospel spread all over the province even to the Lycus Valley including the rest of the seven churches of Revelation 1:11; 2; 3. Demetrius in Acts 19:26 will confirm the tremendous influence of Paul‘s ministry in Ephesus on Asia. Forty years after this Pliny in his famous letter to Trajan from Bithynia will say of Christianity: “For the contagion of this superstition has not only spread through cities, but also through villages and country places.” It was during these years in Ephesus that Paul was greatly disturbed over the troubles in the Corinthian Church. He apparently wrote a letter to them now lost to us (1 Corinthians 5:9), received messages from the household of Chloe, a letter from the church, special messengers, sent Timothy, then Titus, may have made a hurried trip himself, wrote our First Corinthians, was planning to go after the return of Titus to Troas where he was to meet him after Pentecost, when all of a sudden the uproar raised by Demetrius hurried Paul away sooner than he had planned. Meanwhile Apollos had returned from Corinth to Ephesus and refused to go back (1 Corinthians 16:12). Paul doubtless had helpers like Epaphras and Philemon who carried the message over the province of Asia, Tychicus, and Trophimus of Asia who were with him on the last visit to Jerusalem (Acts 19:22, Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4). Paul‘s message reached Greeks, not merely Hellenists and God-fearers, but some of the Greeks in the upper circles of life in Ephesus. [source]
Acts 19:16 Mastered [κατακυριευσας]
First aorist (effective) active participle of κατακυριευω — katakurieuō late verb from κατα — kata and κυριος — kurios to become lord or master of. Both (αμποτερων — amphoterōn). Papyri examples exist where αμποτεροι — amphoteroi means “all” or more than “two” (Robertson, Grammar, p. 745). So here αμποτεροι — amphoteroi includes all seven. “Both” in old English was used for more than two. So that Another example (Acts 19:10, Acts 19:11) of ωστε — hōste with the infinitive for result. Naked (γυμνους — gumnous). Probably with torn garments, Wounded Perfect passive participle of τραυματιζω — traumatizō old verb to wound, from τραυμα — trauma (a wound). In the N.T. only here and Luke 20:12. [source]
Acts 19:16 So that [ωστε]
Another example (Acts 19:10, Acts 19:11) of ωστε — hōste with the infinitive for result. Naked (γυμνους — gumnous). Probably with torn garments, Wounded Perfect passive participle of τραυματιζω — traumatizō old verb to wound, from τραυμα — trauma (a wound). In the N.T. only here and Luke 20:12. [source]
Acts 19:23 Concerning the Way [περι της οδου]
See this phrase for Christianity in Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9; Acts 24:22 which see, like the “Jesus Way” of the Indians. There had already been opposition and “stir” before this stage (cf. Acts 19:11-20). The fight with wild beasts in 1 Corinthians 15:32 (whatever it was) was before that Epistle was written and so before this new uproar. Paul as a Roman citizen could not be thrown to wild beasts, but he so pictured the violent opponents of Christ in Ephesus. [source]
Acts 28:2 Showed us [παρειχαν]
Imperfect active of παρεχω — parechō with αν — ̇an instead of ον — ̇on as ειχαν — eichan in Mark 8:7 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 339). It was their habit on this occasion, Luke means, they kept on showing. No common kindness (ου την τυχουσαν πιλαντρωπιαν — ou tēn tuchousan philanthrōpian). The old word πιλαντρωπια — philanthrōpia (πιλος — philos αντρωπος — anthrōpos), love of mankind, occurs in the N.T. only here and Titus 3:4 (adverb in Acts 27:3). See note on Acts 19:11 for this use of ου την τυχουσαν — ou tēn tuchousan “not the kindness that happens every day.” They were not “wreckers” to take advantage of the calamity. They kindled a fire The only N.T. example and Acts 28:3 of the old word πυρα — pura (from πυρ — pur fire), a pile of burning fuel (sticks). First aorist active participle of απτω — haptō to set fire to, to kindle. Cf. αναπτω — anaptō in Luke 12:49. Received us all (προσελαβοντο παντας ημας — proselabonto pantas hēmās). Second aorist middle (indirect indicative of προσλαμβανω — proslambanō They took us all to themselves (cf. Acts 18:26). The present Second perfect active participle (intransitive) of επιστημι — ephistēmi “the rain that stood upon them” (the pouring rain). Only in Luke and Paul in N.T. [source]
Acts 28:2 No common kindness [ου την τυχουσαν πιλαντρωπιαν]
The old word πιλαντρωπια — philanthrōpia See note on Acts 19:11 for this use of ου την τυχουσαν — ou tēn tuchousan “not the kindness that happens every day.” They were not “wreckers” to take advantage of the calamity. [source]
Acts 8:9 Simon [Σιμων]
One of the common names (Josephus, Ant. XX. 7, 2) and a number of messianic pretenders had this name. A large number of traditions in the second and third centuries gathered round this man and Baur actually proposed that the Simon of the Clementine Homilies is really the apostle Paul though Paul triumphed over the powers of magic repeatedly (Acts 13:6-12; Acts 19:11-19), “a perfect absurdity” (Spitta, Apostelgeschichte, p. 149). One of the legends is that this Simon Magus of Acts is the father of heresy and went to Rome and was worshipped as a god (so Justin Martyr). But a stone found in the Tiber a.d. 1574 has an inscription to Semoni Sanco Deo Fidio Sacrum which is (Page) clearly to Hercules, Sancus being a Sabine name for Hercules. This Simon in Samaria is simply one of the many magicians of the time before the later gnosticism had gained a foothold. “In his person Christianity was for the first time confronted with superstition and religious imposture, of which the ancient world was at this period full” (Furneaux). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 19:11 mean?

Miracles then not - being ordinary - God was performing by the hands of Paul
Δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας Θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου

Δυνάμεις  Miracles 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: δύναμις  
Sense: strength power, ability.
τὰς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τυχούσας  being  ordinary 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: τυγχάνω  
Sense: to hit the mark.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸς  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἐποίει  was  performing 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
χειρῶν  hands 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
Παύλου  of  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Παῦλος  
Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles.