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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Acts 16:20

They brought them to the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Accusation, False;   Criminals;   Falsehood;   False Teachers;   Heresy;   Indictments;   Magistrate;   Malice;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;   Philippi;   Prisoners;   Readings, Select;   Silas;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Jews;   Missions, World-Wide;   Persecution;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philippi;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Macedonia;   Paul;   Philippi;   Philippians, letter to the;   Silas;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Antioch;   Magistrate;   Philippi;   Silas;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Euodias;   Roman Empire;   Thessalonica;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Colony;   Macedonia;   Magistrate;   Philippi;   Silas, Silvanus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Lydia;   Magistrate;   Philippians, Epistle to;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Market, Market-Place ;   Philippi ;   Philippians Epistle to the;   Praetor;   Roman Law in the Nt;   Silas or Silyanus;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Captain;   Philippi ;   Silas ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Lydia;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lystra;   Philippi;   Philippians;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Synagogue;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Acts of the Apostles;   Captain;   Magistrate;   Persecution;   Philippi;   Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the;   Thessalonica;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
They brought Paul and Silas before the Roman officials and said, "These men are Jews, and they are making trouble in our city.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and brought them to the officers sayinge: These men trouble oure cite which are Iewes
Hebrew Names Version
When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Yehudim, are agitating our city,
International Standard Version
They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They are Jews1 Kings 18:17; Acts 17:6;">[xr]
New American Standard Bible
and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble,
New Century Version
They brought Paul and Silas to the Roman rulers and said, "These men are Jews and are making trouble in our city.
Update Bible Version
and when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Webster's Bible Translation
And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
English Standard Version
And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.
World English Bible
When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And having brought them to the pretors, they said, These men,
Weymouth's New Testament
Then they brought them before the praetors. "These men," they said, "are creating a great disturbance in our city.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei brouyten hem to the magistratis, and seiden, These men disturblen oure citee,
English Revised Version
and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Contemporary English Version
They told the officials, "These Jews are upsetting our city!
Amplified Bible
and when they had brought them before the chief magistrates, they said, "These men, who are Jews, are throwing our city into confusion and causing trouble.
American Standard Version
and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Bible in Basic English
And when they had taken them before the authorities, they said, These men, who are Jews, are greatly troubling our town;
Complete Jewish Bible
Bringing them to the judges, they said, "These men are causing a lot of trouble in our city, since they are Jews.
Darby Translation
and having brought them up to the praetors, said, These men utterly trouble our city, being Jews,
Etheridge Translation
and said, These men are troubling our city, because they are Jihudoyee,
Murdock Translation
and set them before the prefects and chiefs of the city, and said: These men disturb our city; for they are Jews,
King James Version (1611)
And brought them to the Magistrates, saying, These men being Iewes, do exceedingly trouble our city,
New Living Translation
"The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials.
New Life Bible
After they brought them in front of the leaders, they said, "These men are Jews and are making a lot of trouble in our city.
New Revised Standard
When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews
Geneva Bible (1587)
And brought them to the gouernours, saying, These men which are Iewes, trouble our citie,
George Lamsa Translation
And they brought them before the soldiers and the city magistrates and said, These men are Jews, and they create disturbances in our city,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, leading them forward unto the magistrates, said - These men, are exceedingly troubling our city, they, being Jews,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: These men disturb our city, being Jews:
Revised Standard Version
and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And brought them to the officers, saying: These men trouble our citie, being Iewes:
Good News Translation
They brought them before the Roman officials and said, "These men are Jews, and they are causing trouble in our city.
Christian Standard Bible®
Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews
King James Version
And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Lexham English Bible
And when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,
Literal Translation
And bringing them near to the magistrates, they said, These men are very much troubling our city, being Jews,
Young's Literal Translation
and having brought them to the magistrates, they said, `These men do exceedingly trouble our city, being Jews;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& broughte the vnto the officers, and sayde: These men trouble oure cyte, & are Iewes,
Mace New Testament (1729)
having presented them to the Officers, they said, these men, who are Jews, raise great disorders in our city, and preach such maxims,
New English Translation
When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion. They are Jews
New King James Version
And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
Simplified Cowboy Version
There, they told the authorities, "These men are troublemakers! They have the whole town in an uproar.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,
Legacy Standard Bible
and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,

Contextual Overview

16One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of clairvoyance, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." 18She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" And the spirit left her at that very moment. 19When the girl's owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace. 20They brought them to the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil21by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice." 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods. 23And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. 24On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

being: Acts 18:2, Acts 19:34, Ezra 4:12-15, Esther 3:8, Esther 3:9

do: Acts 17:6-8, Acts 28:22, 1 Kings 18:17, 1 Kings 18:18, Matthew 2:3, John 15:18-20, Romans 12:2, James 4:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 5:4 - wherefore Jeremiah 15:10 - a man Jeremiah 38:4 - thus Daniel 3:8 - and accused Mark 13:9 - take Luke 23:2 - perverting Acts 16:37 - They have Acts 21:30 - all Acts 24:5 - we have 2 Corinthians 6:8 - honour James 2:6 - and

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And brought them to the magistrates,.... The same as before; wherefore the Syriac version omits them there, and reads them both together here, calling them the magistrates and chief men of the city; though the word here used, properly signifies military captains, captains of the Roman militia: but that they were the same with the Decuriones, or ten men before mentioned, appears from what Harpocratian says k, that every year were chosen "ten στρατηγοι, magistrates", the word here used:

saying, these men being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city; they call Paul and Silas Jews, either because they knew them to be so, or because they attended at the Jewish oratory, or place of worship; and it was common with the Romans to call the Christians Jews; they were generally included in the same name; and this name of the Jews was become very odious with the Romans; a little after this, Claudius commanded them, the Jews, to depart from Rome, Acts 18:2 they were commonly looked upon as a troublesome and seditious sort of people, and indeed this was the old charge that was fastened upon them, Ezra 4:15. So that it was enough to say that Paul and Silas were Jews, to prove them to be disturbers of the public peace: and it is to be observed, that their accusers make no mention of the dispossessing of the maid, who was their private property, and which was a private affair; but pretend a concern for the public welfare, and bring a charge of public disturbance and detriment, to which their malice and revenge prompted them, hoping in this way the better to succeed: the Arabic version reads, "these two men trouble our city, and they are both Jews".

k Lexicon, p. 274.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And brought them to the magistrates - To the military rulers στρατηγοῖς stratēgois or praetors. Philippi was a Roman colony, and it is probable that the officers of the army exercised the double function of civil and military rulers.

Do exceedingly trouble our city - In what way they did it they specify in the next verse. The charge which they wished to substantiate was that of being disturbers of the public peace. All at once they became conscientious. They forgot the subject of their gains, and were greatly distressed about the violation of the laws. There is nothing that will make people more hypocritically conscientious than to denounce, and detect, and destroy their unlawful and dishonest practices. People who are thus exposed become suddenly filled with reverence for the Law or for religion, and they who have heretofore cared nothing for either become greatly alarmed lest the public peace should be disturbed. People slumber quietly in sin, and pursue their wicked gains; they hate or despise all law and all forms of religion; but the moment their course of life is attacked and exposed, they become full of zeal for laws that they Would not themselves hesitate to violate, and for the customs of religion which in their hearts they thoroughly despise. Worldly-minded people often thus complain that their neighborhoods are disturbed by revivals of religion; and the preaching of the truth, and the attacking of their vices, often arouses this hypocritical conscientiousness, and makes them alarmed for the laws, and for religion, and for order, which they at other times are the first to disturb and disregard.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 16:20. Brought them to the magistrates — στρατηγοις, The commanders of the army, who, very likely, as this city was a Roman colony, possessed the sovereign authority. The civil magistrates, therefore, having heard the case, as we shall soon find, in which it was pretended that the safety of the state was involved, would naturally refer the business to the decision of those who had the supreme command.

Exceedingly trouble our city — They are destroying the public peace, and endangering the public safety.


 
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