Acts 19:19 Meaning and Explanation
“Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Many former practicers of magic gather their books of spells and burn them publicly, a fortune of fifty thousand pieces of silver.
What Does Acts 19:19 Mean?
Ephesus was so famous for written charms that "Ephesian letters" became a byword for spells in the ancient world. The new believers gather their costly scrolls and burn them before everyone, and the tally comes to fifty thousand pieces of silver, each coin near a day's wage.
They burn the books rather than sell them, lest the poison merely change hands. Repentance here is concrete, public, and costly, and no one demands it of them; love for Christ simply outbids the market. What fueled the old life needs a fire, not a buyer, and those who count Christ their treasure can watch lesser fortunes go up in smoke (Matt 13:44-46).
Acts 19:19 in the Original Language
periergos (περίεργος), 'curious arts' -- literally meddlesome practices; a term for magic and spells.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 19:19
What does Acts 19:19 mean?
Many former practicers of magic gather their books of spells and burn them publicly, a fortune of fifty thousand pieces of silver.