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Sceva

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Jewish chief priest whose seven sons failed to exorcise demons in Jesus’ name

Detailed Definition
Sceva’s sons attempted to mimic Paul’s exorcisms but were overpowered by a demon who knew Jesus and Paul but not them (Acts 19:13–16). Their failure exposed spiritual presumption. In poetry, Sceva represents empty ritualism, the danger of using sacred names without relationship, and the mockery of superficial faith—often symbolizing how divine power resists manipulation by the uncommitted.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Acts 19:13–16, Sceva’s sons fail to cast out demons—a moment inspiring poetry about counterfeit spirituality; 18th-century verse depicts Sceva as chief priest whose name lacks true power; Contemporary poems use Sceva to explore empty religiosity without relationship; In poems about authority, the demon’s retort—“Who are you?”—resonates as warning; Some liturgical laments contrast Sceva’s sons with Paul’s genuine apostolic power; Educational poems cite Sceva to teach about spiritual warfare and authenticity.
Additional Notes
Sceva, a Jewish chief priest whose sons attempt to exorcise demons in Jesus’ name without authority (Acts 19), illustrates the danger of spiritual presumption; the incident leads to widespread fear and conversion in Ephesus; poets may use Sceva to explore the boundaries of authentic versus performative faith.
Also Known As
Sceva the Chief Priest Sceva father of seven exorcists
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