Acts 19:6

6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—

Acts 19:6 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 19:6

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them
They having been before baptized, not by him, but by John, or one of his disciples, in the name of the Lord Jesus; just as Peter and John laid their hands upon the believing Samaritans, who had been before baptized by Philip, ( Acts 8:14-17 ) and the same extraordinary effects followed:

the Holy Ghost came on them;
in his extraordinary gifts, whose special grace they had before an experience of:

and they spake with tongues;
with other tongues, or in other languages, which they had never learned, or had been used to, as the disciples did at the day of "Pentecost": and prophesied; preached, having an extraordinary gift at once, of explaining the prophecies of the Old Testament, and also foretold things to come.

Acts 19:6 In-Context

4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus."
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—
7 altogether there were about twelve of them.
8 He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.