Acts 16:21

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice."

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
They are telling people to do things that are not right for us as Romans to do."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and preache ordinaunces which are not laufull for vs to receave nether to observe seinge we are Romayns.

Hebrew Names Version
and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

International Standard Version
and are advocating customs that we are not allowed to accept or practice as Romans."

New American Standard Bible
and they are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are Romans."

New Century Version
They are teaching things that are not right for us as Romans to do."

Update Bible Version
and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.

Webster's Bible Translation
And teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

English Standard Version
They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."

World English Bible
and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which it is not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive, neither to observe.

Weymouth's New Testament
They are Jews, and are teaching customs which we, as Romans, are not permitted to adopt or practise."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for thei ben Jewis, and schewen a custom, which it is not leueful to vs to resseyue, nether do, sithen we ben Romayns.

English Revised Version
and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.

Contemporary English Version
They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do."

Amplified Bible
"They are publicly teaching customs which are unlawful for us, as Romans, to accept or observe."

American Standard Version
and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.

Bible in Basic English
Teaching rules of living which it is not right for us to have or to keep, being Romans.

Complete Jewish Bible
What they are doing is advocating customs that are against the law for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans."

Darby Translation
and announce customs which it is not lawful for us to receive nor practise, being Romans.

Etheridge Translation
and are preaching to us those rites which it is not permitted us to receive and perform, because we are Rumoyee.

Murdock Translation
and they preach to us customs, which it is not lawful for us to receive and to practise, because we are Romans.

King James Version (1611)
And teach customes which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, being Romanes.

New Living Translation
"They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice."

New Life Bible
They are teaching a religion that we Romans are not allowed to follow."

New Revised Standard
and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And preache ordinances, which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, seeing we are Romanes.

George Lamsa Translation
And they preach customs to us which are not lawful for us to accept and practice, because we are Romans.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And are declaring customs, which it is not allowable for us either to accept or to observe, being Romans.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And preach a fashion which it is not lawful for us to receive nor observe, being Romans.

Revised Standard Version
They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And preache ordinaunces, which are not lawfull for vs to receaue, neither to obserue, seeyng we are Romanes.

Good News Translation
They are teaching customs that are against our law; we are Roman citizens, and we cannot accept these customs or practice them."

Christian Standard Bible®
and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”

King James Version
And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Lexham English Bible
and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we are Romans!"

Literal Translation
and announce customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, nor to do, being Romans.

Young's Literal Translation
and they proclaim customs that are not lawful for us to receive nor to do, being Romans.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and preach an ordynaunce, which is not laufull for vs to receaue, ner to obserue, seynge we are Romaynes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
as it is not lawful for Romans, as we are, to admit or practise.

New English Translation
and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans."

New King James Version
and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe."

Simplified Cowboy Version
They are telling everyone to rebel against the Roman way of doing things."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

Legacy Standard Bible
and are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

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 turmoil ²¹by 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

Acts 26:3, Jeremiah 10:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 5:4 - wherefore Esther 3:8 - their laws Matthew 2:3 - he Luke 23:2 - perverting Acts 16:12 - a colony Acts 17:7 - and these Acts 24:5 - we have Acts 28:22 - for

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And teach customs,.... The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read in the singular number, "custom or law"; referring to the doctrine of salvation by Christ, in whose name the spirit of divination was cast out of the maid, and whom they took for a new deity; and so concluded that the apostle and his company were introducing a new religious law or custom, the worship of another God:

which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans; for the city of Philippi was a Roman colony, and so the inhabitants of it called themselves Romans; or these men might be strictly such, who were transplanted hither; and with the Romans, it was not lawful to receive, observe, and worship, a new or strange deity, without the decree of the senate l.

l Tertull. Apolog. c. 5. Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 2. c. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And teach customs - The word “customs” here ἔθη ethē refers to “religious rites or forms of worship.” See the notes on Acts 6:14. They meant to charge the apostles with introducing a new religion which was unauthorized by the Roman laws. This was a cunning and artful accusation. It is perfectly evident that they cared nothing either for the religion of the Romans or of the Jews. Nor were they really concerned about any change of religion. Paul had destroyed their hopes of gain; and as they Could not prevent that except by securing his punishment or expulsion, and as they had no way of revenge except by endeavoring to excite indignation against him and Silas for violating the laws, they endeavored to convict thorn of such violation. This is one among many instances, Where wicked and unprincipled people will endeavor to make religion the means of promoting their own interest. If they can make money by it, they will become its professed friends or if they can annoy Christians, they will at once have remarkable zeal for the laws and for the purity of religion. Many a man opposes revivals of religion, and the real progress of evangelical piety from professed zeal for truth and order.

Which are not lawful for us to receive - There were laws of the Roman empire under which they might shield themselves in this charge, though it is evident that their zeal was; not because they loved the laws more, but because they loved Christianity less. Thus, Servius on Virgil, Aeneid, viii. 187, says, “care was taken among the Athenians and the Romans that no one should introduce new religions. It was on this account that Socrates was condemned, and the Chaldeans or Jews were banished from the city.” Cicero (“DeLegibus,” ii. 8) says, “No person shall have any separate gods, or new ones; nor shall he privately worship any strange gods, unless they be publicly allowed.” Wetstein (in loco) says, “The Romans would indeed allow foreigners to worship their own god, but not unless it were done secretly, so that the Worship of foreign gods would not interfere with the allowed worship of the Romans, and so that occasion for dissension and controversy might be avoided. Neither was it lawful among the Romans to recommend a new religion to the citizens, contrary to what was confirmed and established by the public authority, and to call off the people from that. It was on this account that there was such a hatred of the Romans against the Jews” (Kuinoel). Tertullian says that “there was a decree that no god should be consecrated unless approved by the senate” (Grotius). See many other authorities quoted in Dr. Watson’s “Apology (Defense) for Christianity.”

To observe - To do.

Being Romans - Having the privileges of Roman citizens. See the notes on Acts 16:12.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 16:21. And teach customs — εθη, Religious opinions, and religious rites.

Which are not lawful for us to receive — The Romans were very jealous of their national worship. Servius, on the following lines of Virgil, has given us correct information on this point; and has confirmed what several other writers have advanced:-

Rex Evandrus ait: Non haec solemnia nobis

______ ______ ______ ______

Vana superstitio, veterumque ignara deorum,

Imposuit. AEn. viii. v. 185, c. King Evander said:-It is not vain superstition, ignorant of the ancient worship of the gods, which has imposed these rites on us.

Duo dicit, says Servius: non ideo Herculem colimus aut quia omnem religionem veram putamus; aut quia deos ignoramus antiquos. Cautum enim fuerat, et apud Athenienses, et apud Romanos; ne quis NOVAS introduceret RELIGIONES: unde et Socrates damnatus est: et Chaldaei et Judaei unt urbe depulsi.

"He says two things: we do not worship Hercules because we believe every religion to be true; nor are we ignorant of the ancient gods. Great care was taken, both among the Athenians and Romans, that no one should introduce any new religion. It was on this account that Socrates was condemned, and on this account the Chaldeans and the Jews were banished from Rome."

CICERO, De Legibus, lib. ii. c. 8, says: Separatim nemo habessit deos; neve NOVOS; sed nec ADVENAS, nisi publice ADSCITOS, PRIVATIM colunto. "No person shall have any separate gods, nor new ones; nor shall he privately worship any strange gods, unless they be publicly allowed." The whole chapter is curious. It was on such laws as these that the people of Philippi pleaded against the apostles. These men bring new gods, new worship, new rites; we are Romans, and the laws forbid us to worship any new or strange god, unless publicly allowed.