Acts 16:18

Many days. Either successive Sabbaths, as Paul and his group came again to the house of prayer, or having begun her speaking on a Sabbath (see v. 16), she continued at every opportunity, day after day.

Being grieved. See on ch. 4:2. There is a limit to what even a Christian can passively endure when the Lord’s work is being hindered.

Spirit. The agent behind the girl’s “soothsaying” (v. 16) is here identified. For a discussion of possession by evil spirits or demons see Additional Note on Mark 1.

I command. Here Paul followed the example of his Master with the demoniacs at Gadara (see Luke 8:29; see on Mark 5:7).

In the name. See on ch. 3:6, 16.

He came out. In fulfillment of the Master’s promise (Mark 16:17). The evil spirit could not resist the command; his obedience was immediate (cf. Mark 9:26; see on Matt. 15:28; Mark 1:31; John 4:53). Here the record ends, as far as the girl is concerned, but we cannot believe that she was left to drift back into ignorance and unbelief, or worse. It is surely permissible to think that she became a Christian (AA 213) and found shelter with the women who “laboured” with the apostle (Phil. 4:3).