Acts 16:16 (DRB)

Passage

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl having a pythonical spirit met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

Acts 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.

Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl having a pythonical spirit met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.

Acts 16:17 This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the Most High God, who preach unto you the way of salvation.

Acts 16:18 And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit: I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go from her. And he went out the same hour.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "came", "pass", "went", "prayer", "certain", "girl", and "having". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And when she was baptized and her..." into verse 17's "This same following Paul and us cried...", so "Spirit" and "came" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.