Acts 16:18 (DRB)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Acts 16:19 But her masters, seeing that the hope of their gain was gone, apprehending Paul and Silas, brought them into the market place to the rulers.

Acts 16:20 And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: These men disturb our city, being Jews:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "days", "paul", "grieved", "turned", "said", "command", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "days", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "This same following Paul and us cried..." into verse 19's "But her masters seeing that the hope...", so "Spirit" and "days" 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 "days" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.