Acts 19:16The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
The setting
A house in Ephesus, ~54 AD. Seven grown men flee naked and bleeding from one demon-possessed man who has just exposed their spiritual fraud...
The emotion here: recording shocking violence with clinical precision
The original word
katakurieúō (κατακυριεύω) — to completely dominate, overpower with superior strength
Why it matters
Ancient exorcists often worked in groups for safety, but all seven were defeated by one man
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 19:16
They fled 'naked and wounded' - completely stripped of dignity and pretense, literally and figuratively
Common misconceptionPeople read this as just a scary demon story, but Luke is teaching that attempting to use God's power without God's relationship brings devastating consequences - spiritual reality doesn't play games.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 19:16
Bible Genome reading
Acts 19:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 19:16 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include consequences, spiritual warfare, defeat. Notable phrases: leaped on them; overpowered them; they fled.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Acts 19:16 mean to you, today?
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