Acts 16:17

Followed. Gr. katakolouthed, “to follow after,” “to follow closely.” The girl closely followed the missionaries, and kept on crying aloud (cf. v. 18). Compare the publicity given to Jesus by unclean spirits or demons (Luke 4:33-37; 8:26-36).

Us. The last occurrence of the inclusive pronoun in this section of the narrative. It is not used again until ch. 20:5, where Paul returns to Philippi. It therefore seems likely that Luke remained at Philippi, possibly to spread the gospel in that district, and took up his fellowship with the apostles once more when Paul passed through the city on his Third Missionary Journey. This would give Luke a sojourn of some seven years in Philippi (see p. 102), though, of course, it must be conceded that he might have made various trips into adjoining areas during that time.

Most high God. Gr. ho theos ho hupsistos, literally, “the God the most high [one].” For a correct understanding of this title it is necessary to bear in mind the setting in which it was used and the meaning of the word hupsistos. This word was a poetic term meaning “highest,” or “most high,” and often referred to position or rank. Its religious connotation can be linked with Semitic terminology. The Canaanites had a god of the vault of heaven whom they called ‘Elyon, “Most High.” This title was also applied to Jehovah, the God of the Israelites (see on Gen. 14:18). The Greeks employed hupsistos as an equivalent to ‘Elyon, and used it for Zeus, the head of their own pantheon. When they came in contact with the Jewish religion, they used hupsistos to represent Jehovah, the God of the Jews. It is so used in the LXX (Gen. 14:18-22; Num. 24:16; Deut. 32:8; 2 Sam. 22:14; etc.). The title became so well known through the missionary activities of the Jews of the Dispersion that it was used for the Deity by people who had absorbed some Jewish teaching without fully accepting their religion. Inscriptions from the kingdom of Bosporus, north of the Black Sea, made in the 1st century A.D. and therefore contemporary with Paul, amply testify to such usage of hupsistos.

In the present instance the title hupsistos was spoken by the slave girl. Since she is said to have been possessed of a “Python spirit” (see on Acts 16:16), her words need to be considered against their pagan background. When, therefore, she spoke of “the most high God” she was probably referring to the common heathen conception of a vague divine being who was supposed to preside over the well-known Greek pantheon. Nevertheless, her words expressed great truth. The Christians whom she was following were truly the servants of the one and only most high God. For somewhat similar instances compare on Mark 1:24; 5:7.

Way of salvation. See on John 14:6; Acts 4:12, where Jesus Christ is revealed as the only way of salvation. The girl’s darkened mind was longing for a share in “the way of salvation,” but the demon within her was challenging that “way,” and her words impeded the missionaries’ work.