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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_16:16-18
16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." 18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.
Act_16:16 "It happened" Apparently this occurred on another day, possibly the next Sabbath. This was a chance encounter, but God was fully involved for His purposes, as He is in every event, every personal encounter, every day!
▣ "a spirit of divination" There are two terms used in this sentence to describe this slave girl. The first, "divination" (found only here in the NT) has an OT background, but uses different Greek terms in the Septuagint (cf. Lev_19:31; Lev_20:6; Lev_20:27; Deu_18:11; 1Sa_28:3; 1Sa_28:7; 2Ki_21:6; 1Ch_10:13). This was a demon-possessed person who, by chants, incantations, or the interpreting of natural phenomena (i.e., flight of birds, clouds, remains in a drinking cup, animal liver, etc.) could predict and, to some degree, affect the future.
In this Greek cultural setting the term is puthôn, which comes out of Greek mythology where a giant serpent is killed by Apollo. This myth became an oracle rite (i.e., Delphi), where humans could consult the gods. This site was known for its temple snakes (i.e., pythons) who would crawl over people who lay down in the temple and allowed the snake to crawl over them for the purpose of knowing and affecting the future.
▣ "by fortune telling" This term (present active participle, feminine, singular) is used only here in the NT. The root term is common in the Septuagint for "diviner, seer, prophet," usually in a negative context. It means one who raves, thereby denoting the emotional trance which accompanies their prediction. Here it denotes one who predicts the future for profit. The contextual and lexical implication is that the girl was indwelt with an unclean spirit.
Act_16:17 "Following after Paul. . .kept crying out" This is a present active participle and an imperfect active indicative. She continued to follow and kept on crying out (cf. Act_16:18).
▣ "These men are bondservants of the Most High God" Jesus would not accept demonic testimony (cf. Luk_8:28; Mar_1:24; Mar_3:11; Mat_8:29) and neither would Paul because it could lead to the implication of demonic support.
The term "Most High God" (cf. Mar_5:7; Luk_8:28) is used of YHWH (i.e., El, Elyon) in Gen_14:18-19; 2Sa_22:14 (see Special Topic at Act_1:6), but it was also used in this culture of Zeus. This spirit was not giving testimony to glorify God, but to associate the gospel with the demonic.
▣ " who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation" There is no article with "way" (cf. NRSV). She was possibly saying that they were one of several ways to the Most High God. This demon is not trying to help Paul's ministry. The purpose of this statement is
1. to identify Paul with divination
2. to present an alternative way, not the way of salvation (i.e., faith in Christ)
The NET Bible (p. 2022 #16) has a good discussion of the grammatical issues involved in translating "the way" vs. "a way." It prefers "the way."
The real issue is what the hearers in first century Philippi would have understood. In their cultural setting, "the Most High God" would have referred to Zeus, so the presence of absence of the definite article with "way" is not the exegetical issue.
Act_16:18 "Paul was greatly annoyed" In this instance Paul acted, not out of love, but out of irritation. Paul was human too! This same strong verb is found in the Septuagint in Ecc_10:9, where it means hard labor. In the NT it is used only here and in Act_4:2. It denotes someone who is completely worn out.
▣ "to the spirit" Notice Paul does not address the slave girl, but the demon indwelling and controlling her. Paul's exorcism was couched in the same manner as other NT exorcisms (i.e., in the name of Jesus). See the Special Topics: The Demonic and Exorcism at Act_5:16.