Acts 13:10 Meaning and Explanation
“And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul rebukes Elymas as a deceitful enemy of righteousness who twists the Lord's straight paths.
What Does Acts 13:10 Mean?
Paul confronts Elymas with searing directness, naming him full of deceit and trickery, a child of the devil and an enemy of all righteousness, who labors to bend the straight ways of the Lord into crookedness. The rebuke is severe because the sin was grave: deliberately blocking a man from the truth.
There is a love that must sometimes speak hard words. Paul does not flatter evil but exposes it, for the soul of the proconsul hung in the balance. To pervert the right ways of the Lord is to make crooked what God has made straight. The faithful are called to gentleness, yet also to fearless honesty when deception threatens to swallow a seeking heart.
Acts 13:10 in the Original Language
dolos (δόλος), 'subtilty' -- craftiness or deceit, the bait used to ensnare.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 13:10
What does Acts 13:10 mean?
Paul rebukes Elymas as a deceitful enemy of righteousness who twists the Lord's straight paths.