Skip to content

Skip to table of contents

Sceva

Sceva

(Sceʹva).

A Jewish “chief priest.” His seven sons were among “certain ones of the roving Jews who practiced the casting out of demons.” In one instance, in the city of Ephesus, they tried to exorcise a demon by saying, “I solemnly charge you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The wicked spirit responded by saying: “I know Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul; but who are you?” The man obsessed by the spirit then leaped upon Sceva’s seven sons and drove them out of the house naked and wounded. This resulted in magnifying the name of the Lord and caused many to give heed to the good news that Paul was preaching.​—Ac 19:13-20.

No Jewish priest named Sceva is elsewhere mentioned, unless Sceva was a Latin name for a priest otherwise known by a Hebrew name.