Acts 13:4–12 (ⲡⲣⲁⲝⲓⲥ ⲓ︦ⲅ︦:ⲇ︦-ⲓ︦ⲃ︦) tells the story of the Holy Spirit calling Barnabas and Saul (also known as Paul) from Antioch to embark on a mission to Cyprus. There, they encounter a magician named Bar-Jesus—also called Elymas—who opposes their work. Let’s read the story in Coptic…

(4) ⲛ̀ⲑⲱⲟⲩ-ⲙⲉⲛ–ⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲩⲟⲩⲟⲣⲡⲟⲩ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲉⲛ-ⲡⲓⲡ︤ⲛ︦ⲁ︥ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ, ⲁⲩⲓ̀ ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉ̀ⲥⲉⲗⲉⲩⲕⲓⲁ̀ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲙ̀ⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲩⲉⲣϩⲱⲧ ⲉ̀ⲕⲩⲡⲣⲟⲥ. (5) ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲩⲓ̀ ⲉ̀ⲥⲁⲗⲁⲙⲓⲛⲏ, ⲛⲁⲩϩⲓⲱⲓϣ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲫ᷍ϯ ϧⲉⲛ-ⲛⲓⲥⲩⲛⲁⲅⲱⲅⲏ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲛⲓⲓⲟⲩⲇⲁⲓ. ⲛⲁⲣⲉ-ⲡⲕⲉⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ-ⲇⲉ ⲛⲉⲙⲱⲟⲩ, ⲉϥⲟⲓ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉϥϣⲉⲙϣⲓ.

(4) So having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (5) And when they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And John was also with them as an assistant.

(6) ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲩⲥⲉⲛ-ϯⲛⲏⲥⲟⲥ-ⲇⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲥ ϣⲁ-ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉ̀ⲡⲁⲫⲟⲩ, ⲁⲩϫⲓⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲁ̀ⲭⲱ ⲙ̀ⲯⲉⲩⲇⲟⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲛ̀ⲓⲟⲩⲇⲁⲓ, ⲉ̀ⲡⲉϥⲣⲁⲛ-ⲡⲉ ⲃⲁⲣⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩ, (7) ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉ̀ⲛⲁϥⲭⲏ ⲛⲉⲙ-ⲡⲓⲁⲛⲑⲩⲡⲁⲧⲟⲥ, ⲥⲉⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ, ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲕⲁⲧϩⲏⲧ. ⲫⲁⲓ-ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩϯ ⲉ̀ⲃⲁⲣⲛⲁⲃⲁⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ-ⲥⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ, ⲛⲁϥⲕⲱϯ ⲉ̀ⲥⲱⲧⲉⲙ ⲉ̀ⲡⲓⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲫ᷍ϯ. (8) ⲛⲁϥϯ-ⲇⲉ ⲉ̀ϧⲟⲩⲛ ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲁⲩ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ-ⲉ̀ⲗⲩⲙⲁⲥ, ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲭⲱ, ⲉ̀ϣⲁⲩⲟⲩⲁϩⲉⲙ-ⲡⲉϥⲣⲁⲛ-ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙ̀ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ, ⲉϥⲕⲱϯ ⲛ̀ⲥⲁ-ⲫⲉⲛϩ-ⲡⲓⲁⲛⲑⲩⲡⲁⲧⲟⲥ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ-ⲫⲛⲁϩϯ. (9) ⲥⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ-ⲇⲉ, ⲉ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ-ⲡⲉ, ⲉ̀ⲧⲁϥⲙⲟϩ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ-ⲡⲓⲡ︤ⲛ︦ⲁ︥ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ, (10) ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ:

«ⲱ̀-ⲫⲏ ⲉ̀ⲑⲙⲉϩ ⲛ̀ⲭⲣⲟϥ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲛⲉⲙ-ⲡⲉⲧϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ, ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲡⲓⲇⲓⲁ̀ⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ, ⲡⲓϫⲁϫⲓ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ! ⲛ̀ⲕⲭⲱ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲧⲕ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ-ⲁⲛ ⲉⲕⲫⲱⲛϩ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲙⲱⲓⲧ ⲉⲧⲥⲟⲩⲧⲱⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲡ⳪︦? (11) ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ϩⲏⲡⲡⲉ ⲓⲥ-ⲧϫⲓϫ ⲙ̀ⲡ⳪︦ ⲉⲥⲉ̀ⲓ̀ ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉ̀ϫⲱⲕ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲕⲉ̀ϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲉⲕⲟⲓ ⲙ̀ⲃⲉⲗⲗⲉ, ⲛ̀ⲭⲛⲁⲩ ⲙ̀ⲫⲣⲏ-ⲁⲛ ϣⲁ-ⲟⲩⲥⲏⲟⲩ.»

(6) And having passed through the whole island up to Paphos, they found a certain man — a magician, false prophet and Jew — whose name was Bar-Jesus (7) and who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. And this man summoned Barnabas and Saul, seeking to hear the word of God. (8) But Elymas, the magician, for his name is interpreted thus, opposed them, seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith. (9) But Saul, who is Paul, having been filled by the Holy Spirit, (10) said:

“O you who is full of every deceit and every evil, son of the devil, enemy of every righteousness! Will you not stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? (11) And now look — the hand of the Lord shall come down upon you and you shall become blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲥⲁⲧⲟⲧϥ, ⲁϥⲓ̀ ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉ̀ϫⲱϥ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ-ⲟⲩϩⲗⲟⲗ ⲛⲉⲙ-ⲟⲩⲭⲁⲕⲓ, ⲛⲁϥⲕⲱϯ ⲉϥϣⲓⲛⲓ ⲛ̀ⲥⲁ-ⲫⲏ ⲉⲑⲛⲁϯ-ⲧⲟⲧϥ. (12) ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ-ⲡⲓⲁⲛⲑⲩⲡⲁⲧⲟⲥ ⲉ̀ⲫⲏ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲓ, ⲁϥⲛⲁϩϯ ⲁϥⲉⲣϣⲫⲏⲣⲓ ⲉ̀ϫⲉⲛ-ϯⲥⲃⲱ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ-ⲡ⳪︦.

And immediately mist and darkness came down upon him and he wondered about looking for anyone to help him. (12) Then the proconsul, having seen what had happened, believed and was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Selected notes

The Bohairic text is produced according to George Horner’s The Coptic Version of the New Testament in the Northern Dialect, Vol. IV. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905, pp. 274-7). The diacritics, especially the so-called djinkim (ⲡⲓϫⲓⲛⲕⲓⲙ), are normalised to what is typical for the oldest Bohairic manuscripts. The punctuation is added to aid clarity. The hyphens join elements that are often written separately in the modern editions but pronounced together around a single stressed syllable, e.g. ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲩⲥⲉⲛ-ϯⲛⲏⲥⲟⲥ-ⲇⲉ is pronounced altogether with stress on the -ⲛⲏ- syllable.

The featured image is of a painting made by Sir James Thornhill between 1729 and 1731, based on an original cartoon by the renowned 16th-century artist Raphael. It depicts The Blinding of Elymas from Acts 13. In the scene, the proconsul is seated in the centre, observing the events unfold. On the left, Paul is shown pointing at Elymas, who is opposite him. Elymas is depicted in the very moment of being struck blind, stumbling and reaching out for help. The painting is currently on display at the Royal Academy in London.

(4) ⲁⲩⲓ̀ ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉ̀ⲥⲉⲗⲉⲩⲕⲓⲁ̀ is literally translated “they went up to Seleucia”. The Greek reads κατήλθον εἰς Σελεύκειαν “they went down to Seleucia”, which makes better geographical sense since they came down from Antioch to Seleucia on the coast. Strictly speaking, in Bohairic ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ means ‘to(ward) the upper part’ (< r-ḥry) while ⲉ̀ϧⲣⲏⲓ means ‘to(ward) the lower part’ (< r-ẖry). However, sometimes ⲉ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ occurs for both meanings, particularly in manuscripts originating from the monasteries of Scetis. (See M. Müller, Grammatik des Bohairischen. Hamburg: Widmaier Verlag, 2021, Appendix C.) Horner’s critical edition of the Bohairic text does not indicate any variant readings.

(7) This whole verse could alternatively be translated “He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a wise man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul, seeking to hear the word of God.” The function of the singular masculine near demonstrative, ⲫⲁⲓ, in ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉ̀ⲛⲁϥⲭⲏ… and ⲫⲁⲓ-ⲇⲉ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩϯ ⲉ̀… is as an anaphoric deictic marker meaning something like “this one/man (just mentioned)” the former referring back to Bar-Jesus/Elymas and the latter to the proconsul with -ⲇⲉ marking a new topic.

(8) ⲉ̀ⲗⲩⲙⲁⲥ, ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲭⲱ, ⲉ̀ϣⲁⲩⲟⲩⲁϩⲉⲙ-ⲡⲉϥⲣⲁⲛ-ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙ̀ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ indicates that Elymas (Gk. Ὲλύμας) means ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲭⲱ (Gk. ὁ μάγος) ‘the magician, sorcerer’. Hence Elymas is probably a title rather than a name and possibly derived from the Semitic root ʕ-l-m, cf. Arabic ‘alīm ‘learned, wise’.

(10) ⲱ̀-ⲫⲏ ⲉ̀ⲑⲙⲉϩ ⲛ̀ⲭⲣⲟϥ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ… is literally “O that one who is full of every deceit…” The optional ⲱ̀- marks it as a vocative, so a translation “(O) You…” is a reasonable idiomatic translation in English.

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