{Not a few of them that practised curious arts} (hikanoi
t(936e) ta perierga praxant(936e)). Considerable number of the
performers or exorcists themselves who knew that they were
humbugs were led to renounce their evil practices. The word
perierga (curious) is an old word (peri, erga) originally a
piddler about trifles, a busybody ( 1Ti 5:13 ), then impertinent
and magical things as here. Only two examples in the N.T. It is a
technical term for magic as the papyri and inscriptions show.
Deissmann (_Bible Studies_, p. 323) thinks that these books here
burned were just like the Magic Papyri now recovered from Egypt.
{Burned them in the sight of all} (katekaion en(9370)ion pant(936e)).
Imperfect active of katakai(935c). It probably took a good while to
do it, burned them completely (up, we say; down, the Greeks say,
perfective use of kata). These Magical Papyri or slips of
parchment with symbols or magical sentences written on them
called Ephesia Grammata (Ephesian Letters). These Ephesian
Letters were worn as amulets or charms. {They brought them
together} (sunenegkantes). Second aorist active participle of
sunpher(935c). What a glorious conflagration it would be if in every
city all the salacious, blasphemous, degrading books, pamphlets,
magazines, and papers could be piled together and burned. {They
counted} (suneps(8870)hisan). First aorist active indicative of
sunps(8870)hiz(935c), to reckon together. In LXX ( Jer 29:49 ). Only
here in N.T. Sunkataps(8870)hiz(935c) in  1:26 . {Fifty thousand pieces
of silver} (arguriou muriadas pente). Five ten thousand
(muriadas) pieces of silver. Ephesus was largely Greek and
probably the silver pieces were Greek drachmae or the Latin
denarius, probably about ten thousand dollars or two thousand
English pounds.