Acts 13 verses 6-12

Acts 13 verses 6-12

(from the Interlinear Bible)

(6)    And passing through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain conjurer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Barjesus.

(7)    He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This one having called Barnabas and Saul to him, he sought to hear the word of God.

(8)    But Elymas, the conjurer---for so his name was translated----withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

(9)    But Saul, who is also Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and looking intently on him, 

(10)    he said, O son of the Devil, full of all guile and of all cunning, enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

(11)    And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun until a time. And instantly a mist and darkness fell on him; and going about he sought some to lead him by the hand.

(12)    Then seeing the thing happening, the proconsul believed, being astounded at the teaching of the Lord.

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Retranslation: 

(6)    On our journey piercing through the veil of materialism, we walk through what seems to be a finite land, an ‘island’, and we go as far as we can go, to the extremity, the capital of the island, the finite land, to the seat of its government, where great princes, ‘scientists’ and wise men live;

and we see an exceedingly great Magi, rich and wise, an Oriental scientist, but an uninspired speaker, a religious impostor whose name is son-of-Jesus.

(7)    This liar is with the governor of the capital city, a Roman named Sergius Paulus, whose name means: ‘(the false self) has been restrained’. This Roman is an intelligent man, i.e. he acts piously, performing the duties God has enjoined.

(10)    Paul addressed Elymas as the son of the Devil who sojourns in pride,----the mortal self, the son of the Liar. You are the subtle decoy, hidden even from yourself!

You live temporarily in this smoky consciousness, this seemingly impenetrable cloud of lies built upon lies; your so-called mortal “life” is soon finished, consumed, burnt up,---- without a flame,----a spark of divine immortal truth. Your false premise,----substance, life and mind in matter-----has turned you, and everyone you influence, away from Truth, God----Spirit is All. You pervert reason by continually misdirecting it to this false premise. All your consequences, conclusions or laws flowing from this false premise, are corrupted. Your logic is corrupted at its very source. [No truth can come but from God, the only Source.]

   

(11) You sojourn in pride without real sight. 

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NOTE on the name “Barjesus”:  Literally interpreted, this name means ‘son of Jesus’. In Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus is talking with the Pharisees. He asks them “What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they answered. 

Quoting Psalms 110:1, Jesus says, “How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said unto my Lord, ‘Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool.’

If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” (Emphasis added.)

Yesterday, a veneer on one of my teeth popped off while I was eating. I can’t tell you how much it disturbs me when something happens to my teeth. The word ‘extremity’ popped into my mind! So I opened my Bible to get some peace, and it fell open to Matthew 22, the above-mentioned quote. I thought about this and wondered if it held meaning with regard to Barjesus, son-of-Jesus.

I thought about man not being the author of man and found the full quote from Science and Health:

“Matter is neither intelligent nor creative. The tree is not the author of itself. Sound is not the originator of music, and man is not the father of man. Cain very naturally concluded that if life was in the body, and man gave it, man had the right to take it away. This incident shows that the belief of life in matter was “a murderer from the beginning.””

(Emphasis added.)

The marginal heading of paragraph above is “Divine origination”.

NOTE on “island”: “as far as” ----can be interpreted as an extreme point, extremity, the terminus or final goal, verge, brink, edge, or border. 

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health on page 166:

“Failing to recover health through adherence to physiology and hygiene, the despairing invalid often drops them, and in his extremity and only as a last resort, turns to God. The invalid’s faith in the divine Mind is less than in drugs, air, and exercise, or he would have resorted to Mind first. The balance of power is conceded to be with matter by most of the medical systems; but when Mind at last asserts its mastery over sin, disease, and death, then is man found to be harmonious and immortal.”

Mortal consciousness is like an island. There are limits in every direction.

NOTE on “Elymas” and “blindness”:

Does the Oriental scientist represent the highest, extreme authority of physical laws?

Paul addresses Elymas as the ‘son of the Devil’, full of guile and cunning. The ‘enemy of all righteousness’ and one who perverts the right ways God.

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun until a time.

The words “you will be blind” in the last phrase suggest from the definitions below that Paul is saying Elymas is already “sojourning in blindless.”

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passing through 1330 dierchomai, from 1223 and 2064; to traverse (literally):-----come, depart, go (about, abroad, every where, over, through, throughout), pass (by, over, through, throughout), pierce through, travel, walk through.

island 3520 nesos, probably from the base of 3491; an island:----island, isle.

3491 naus, from nao, or neo (to float); a boat (of any size):---ship.

as far as 891 achri, or achris, akin to 206 (through the idea of a terminus); (of time) until or (of place) up to:-----as far as, for, in, into, till, to, (even) unto, until, while. Compare 3360.

206 akron, neuter of an adjective probably akin to the base of 188; the extremity:-----one end . . . other, tip, top, uttermost part.

terminus n. (Modern Webster’s Dict. def.): 

1. A final goal; a finishing point;
2. a post or stone marking a boundary;
3. either end of a transportation line or travel route; also, the station, town or city at such a place: terminal;
4. an extreme point or element: tip.

extremity n. (1828 Dict. def.): [L. extremitas, from extremus, last.]

1. The utmost point or side; the verge; the point or border that terminates a thing; as the extremities of a country.
2. The utmost parts. The extremities of the body, in painting and sculpture, are the head, hands and feet; but in anatomy, the term is applied to the limbs only.
3. The utmost point; the highest or furthest degree; as the extremity of pain or suffering; the extremity of cruelty. Even charity and forbearance may be carried to extremity.
4. Extreme or utmost distress, straits or difficulties; as a city besieged and reduced to extremity.
5. The utmost rigor or violence. The Greeks have endured oppression in its utmost extremity.
6. The most aggravated state. The world is running after farce, the extremity of bad poetry. Dryden.

aggravated pp. (ibid.): [L. aggravo, of ad and gravis, heavy. See Grave, Gravity.] Increased in severity or enormity; made worse; exaggerated.

aggravate v.t. (ibid.):

1. To make heavy, but not used in this literal sense. Figuratively, to make worse, more or severe, or less tolerable; as, to aggravate the evils of life; to aggravate pain or punishment.
2. To make enormous, or less excusable; as, to aggravate a crime.
3. To exaggerate.
4. To give coloring in description; to give an exaggerated representation; as, to aggravate a charge against an offender; to aggravate circumstances.

verge n. (ibid.): The extreme side or end of any thing which has some extent of length; the brink; edge; border; margin. 

shore n. (ibid.): This word is applied primarily to the land contiguous to water. We also use this word to express the land near the border of the sea or of a great lake, to an indefinite extent. We do not apply the word to the land contiguous to a small stream. This we call a bank.

Paphos 3974 Paphos, of uncertain derivation; Paphus, a place in Cyprus:----Paphos.

Westminster Bible Dictionary: “New Paphos was the capital of the Roman province of Cyprus, and the residence of the proconsul. In its vicinity was a celebrated temple of the Cyprian Aphrodite.

captial a. (1828 Dict. def.): [L. capitalis, from caput, the head.]

1. Literally, pertaining to the head; as a capital bruise, in Milton, a bruise on the head.
2. Figuratively, as the head is the highest part of a man, chief; principal; first in importance; as a capital city or town; the capital articles of religion.
3. Great; important; though perhaps not chief; as, a town possesses capital advantages for trade.
4. Large; of great size; as capital letters, which are of different form, and larger than common letters.

A capital city or town is the metropolis or chief city of an empire, kingdom, state, or province. The application of the epithet indicates the city to be the largest, or to be the seat of government, or both. In many instances, the capital, that is, the largest city, is not the seat of government.

found 2147 heurisko, a prolonged form of a primary heuro, which (together with another cognate form huereo) is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect; to find (literally or figuratively):------find, get, obtain, perceive, see.

certain 5100 tis, an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:----a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (thing), ought, partly, some (man), somebody, something, somewhat, thing, that nothing, what, whatsoever, wherewith, whom, whomsoever, whose, whosesoever.

conjurer 3097 magos, of foreign origin [H7248]; a Magian, i.e. Oriental scientist; by implication a magician:----sorcerer, wise man.

H7248 rabmag, from H7227 and a foreign word for a Magian; chief Magian; Rab-Mag, a Babylonian official:-----Rab-mag. 

H7227 rab, by contraction from H7231; abundant (in quality, size, age, number, rank, quality):-----abound, in abundance, abundant, abundantly, captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great, greatly, great man, great one, increase, long, long enough, long time, many, do many, have many, manifold, many things, many a time, master, shipmaster, mighty, more, much, too much, very much, multiply, multitude, officer, oftentimes, plenteous, populous, prince, process of time, suffice, sufficient.

false prophet 5578 pseudoprophetes, from 5571 and 4396; a spurious prophet, i.e. pretended foreteller or religious impostor:-----false prophet.

5571 pseudes, from 5574; untrue, i.e. erroneous, deceitful; wicked:-----false, liar.

5574 pseudomai, middle of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood:-----falsely, lie.

4396 prophetes, from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller (“prophet”); by analogy an inspired speaker; by extension a poet:-----prophet.

4253 pro, a primary preposition; “fore”, i.e. in front of, prior (figuratively superior) to. In compounds it retains the same meaning:----above, ago, before, ever.

5346 phemi, properly the same as the base of 5457 and 5316; to show or make known one’s thoughts, i.e. speak or say:-----affirm, say. Compare 3004.

Jew 2453

whose 3739

name 3686 onoma, from a presumed derivative of the base of 1097 (compare 3685); a “name” (literal or figurative)[authority, character]:----called, name, named, surnamed.

Barjesus 919 Bariesous, of Aramaic origin [H1247 and H3091]; son of Jesus (or Joshua); Bar-jesus, an Israelite:-----Barjesus.

H1247 bar, (Aramaic) corresponding to H1121; a son, grandson, etc.:-----old, son.

H3091 yehosua, from H3068 and H3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:-----Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. Compare H1954, H3442.

who 3739

was 2258  en, imperfect of 1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):----agree, be, have (+ charge of), hold, use, was, wast, were.

with 4862 syn, a primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than 3326 or 3844), i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc. In compounds it has similar applications, including completeness:----beside, with.

Proconsul 446 anthypatos, from 473 and a superlative of 5228; instead of the highest officer, i.e. (specifically) a Roman proconsul:-----deputy.

473 anti, a primary particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to). Often used in compounds to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence, etc.:----for, in the room of.

5228 hyper, a primary preposition; “over”, i.e. (with the genitive) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative superior to, more than. In compounds it retains many of the above applications:---- (exceeding abundantly) above, in (on) behalf of, beyond, by, very, chiefest, concerning, exceeding (above), exceedingly, for, very highly, more (than), of, over, on the part of, for sake of, in stead, than, to, toward, very.

Sergius 4588 Sergios, of Latin origin; Sergius, a Roman:-----Sergius.

Paulus 3972 Paulos, of Latin origin; (little; but remotely from a derivative of 3973, meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle:---Paul, Paulus.

3973 pauo, a primary verb; (“pause”); to stop (transitive or intransitive), i.e. restrain, quit, desist, come to an end:-----cease, leave, refrain.

intelligent 4908 synetos, from 4920; mentally put (or putting) together, i.e. sagacious:-----prudent. Compare 5429.

4920 syniemi, from 4862 and hiemi (to send); to put together, i.e. (mentally) to comprehend; by implication to act piously:-----consider, understand, be wise.

man 435 aner, a primary word [compare 444]; a man (properly as an individual male):---fellow, husband, man, sir.

Elymas 1681 Elymas, of foreign origin: Elymas, a wizard:----Elymas.

Devil 1228 diabolos, from 1225; a traducer; specifically Satan [compare H7854]:-----false accuser, devil, slanderer.

H7854 satan, from H7853; an opponent; especially (with the article prefixed) Satan, the archenemy of good:-----adversary, Satan, withstand.

H7853 satan, a primitive root; to attack (figuratively) accuse:-----(be) an adversary, resist.

traducer n. (ibid.): One that traduces; a slanderer; a calumniator.

traduce v.t. (ibid.): [L. traduco; trans, over, and duco, to lead.]

1. To represent as blamable; to condemn. “The best strategem that Satan hath, is by traducing the form and manner of the devout prayers of God’s church.”  Hooker.
2. To calumniate; to vilify; to defame; willfully to misrepresent. “As long as men are malicious and designing, they will be traducing.” Gov. of the Tongue. “He had the baseness to traduce me in libel.”  Dryden.

caluminate v.i. (ibid.): To charge falsely and knowingly with a crime or offense; to propagate evil reports with a design to injure the reputation of another.

slander v.t. (ibid.): To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report respecting one; to tarnish or impair the reputation of one by false tales, maliciously told or propagated.

slanderer n. (ibid.): A defamer; one who injures another by maliciously reporting something to his prejudice.

deceit 1388 dolos, from an obsolete primary dello (probably meaning to decoy; compare 1185); a trick (bait), i.e. (figuratively) wile:-----craft, deceit, guile, subtlety.

cunning 4468 rhadiourgia, from the same as 4467; recklessness, i.e. (by extension) malignity:-----mischief.

4467 rhadiourgema, from a compound of rhadios (easy, i.e. reckless) and 2041; easy-going, i.e. (by extension) a crime:-----lewdness.

recklessness n. (1828 Dict. def.)[From reck, Sax. recan, reccan, to say, to tell, to narrate, to reckon, to care, to rule or govern, L. rego. the primary sense is to strain. Care is a straining of the mind.]

1. Heedless; careless; mindless.

careless a. (ibid.)

1. Having no care; heedless; negligent; unthinking; regardless; unmindful.

perverting 1294 diastrepho, from 1223 and 4762; to distort, i.e. (figuratively) misinterpret, or (morally) corrupt:-----perverse, pervert, turn away.

distort v.t. (ibid.): [L. distorqueo, dis and torqueo, to twist.]

1. To twist our of natural or regular shape.
2. To force or put out of the true posture or direction.
3. To wrest from the true meaning; to pervert; as, to distort passages of scripture, or their meaning.

pervert v.t. (ibid): [L. perverto, per and verto, turn.]

1. To turn from truth, propriety, or from its proper purposes; to distort from its true use or end; as, to pervert reason by misdirecting it; to pervert the laws by misinterpreting and misapplying them; to pervert justice; to pervert the meaning of an author; to pervert nature; to pervert truth.
2. To turn from the right; to corrupt. He in the serpent had perverted Eve. Milton.

will be 2071, esomai, furture of 1510; will be:-----shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), may have, fall, what would follow, live long, sojourn.

sojourn v.i. (ibid.); [It. soggiornare, which seems to be formed from the noun soggiorno; sub and giorno, a day.]

1. To dwell for a time; to dwell or live in a place as a temporary resident, or as a stranger, not considering the place as his permanent habitation. So Abram sojoured in Egypt. Gen. xii. The soldiers assembled at New Castle and there sojourned three days. Hayward.

blind 5185 typhlos, from 5187; opaque (as if smoky), i.e. (by analogy) blind (physically or mentally):---blind.

5187 typhoo, from a derivative of 5188; to envelop with smoke, i.e. (figuratively) to inflate with self-conceit:----high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud.

5188 typho, apparently a primary verb; to make a smoke, i.e. slowly consume without a flame:-----smoke.

mist 887 achlys, of uncertain derivation; dimness of sight, i.e. (probably) a cataract:----mist.

darkness 4655 skotos, from the base of 4693; shadiness, i.e. obscurity (literal or figurative):-----darkness.

going about 4013 periago, from 4012 and 71; to take around (as a companion); reflexive to walk around:----compass, go (round) about, lead about.

sought 2212

leaders by the hand 5497 cheiragogos, from 5495 and a reduplicated form of 71; a hand-leader, i.e. personal conductor (of a blind person):----some to lead by the hand.