Bible Dictionary
Sceva
Sceva was a Jewish chief priest or member of a high-priestly family in Ephesus. His seven sons attempted to expel an evil spirit in Jesus’ name without faith or authority and were overpowered by the possessed man.
Definition
Sceva was a Jew living at Ephesus and described as a chief priest or member of a high-priestly family. His seven sons practiced exorcism and attempted to invoke the name of Jesus over an evil spirit.
Biblical Usage
The sons of Sceva imitated Paul but lacked authority to command the spirit. The possessed man overpowered them, and the incident displayed the difference between invoking Jesus’ name and possessing genuine authority.
Historical Background
There were only synagogues in Asia Minor, so Sceva was probably not an officiating priest there. He may have belonged to a high-priestly family or formerly headed one of the temple courses.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
An implement, a Jew, chief of the priests at Ephesus (Acts 19:13-16); i.e., the head of one of the twenty-four courses of the house of Levi. He had seven sons, who “took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus,” in imitation of Paul. They tried their method of exorcism on a fierce demoniac, and failed. His answer to them was to this effect (19:15): “The Jesus whom you invoke is One whose authority I acknowledge; and the Paul whom you name I recognize to be a servant or messenger of God; but what sort of men are ye who have been empowered to act as you do by neither?” (Lindsay on the Acts of the Apostles.)
Smith's Bible Dictionary
a Jew residing at Ephesus at the time of St. Paul’s second visit to that town. (Acts 19:14-16) (A.D. 52.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>se'-va (Skeua): A Jew, a chief priest, resident in Ephesus, whose seven sons were exorcists (Ac 19:14). Ewald regards the name as being Hebrew shekhabhyah. He was not an officiating priest, as there were only synagogues in Asia Minor. He may have belonged to a high-priestly family, or perhaps at one time he had been at the head of one of the 24 courses in the temple.</p><p>In the narrative the construction is loose. There were seven sons (Ac 19:14), and it would appear (Ac 19:16) that in this particular case all were present. But (Ac 19:16) the demon-possessed man over-powered "both of them." Textus Receptus of the New Testament gets over the difficulty by omitting "both," but Codices Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Bezae, so Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, von Soden, and the best critics, retain the difficult reading. The explanation is that Ac 19:14 states the custom: "who did this" being hoi touto poiountes, "who used to do this." Ac 19:15 and 16 state a particular case in which two took part, but the incident is introduced in a careless manner.</p><p>Ewald would translate amphoteron as "in both sides," but this is impossible. Baur understood "disciples" for "sons." Codex Bezae and Syriac have an interesting expansion which Blass considers original (Ac 19:14): "Among whom also the sons (Syriac `seven') of a certain Sceva, a priest, wished to do the same, (who) were in the custom of exorcising such. And entering into the demon-possessed man they began to call upon the Name, saying, `We charge you by Jesus whom Paul preaches to come out.' "</p><p>S. F. Hunter</p>