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the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Acts 16:38

So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Criminals;   Magistrate;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;   Philippi;   Prisoners;   Readings, Select;   Reproof;   Sergeant;   Silas;   Trial;   Thompson Chain Reference - Missions, World-Wide;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Roman Empire, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Philippi;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Acts, book of;   Government;   Judge;   Justice;   Macedonia;   Paul;   Philippians, letter to the;   Rome;   Ruler;   Silas;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Freedom;   Magistrate;   Philippi;   Stripes;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Thessalonica;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Colony;   Luke, Gospel of;   Macedonia;   Magistrate;   Philippi;   Police, Policemen;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Lydia;   Magistrate;   Philippians, Epistle to;   Serjeants;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Philippi ;   Philippians Epistle to the;   Serjeants Lictors;   Silas or Silyanus;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Philippi ;   Serjeant,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Lydia;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lystra;   Philippi;   Philippians;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jesus Christ, the Arrest and Trial of;   Magistrate;   Persecution;   Philippi;   Serjeants;   Thessalonica;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The soldiers told the officials what Paul said. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When the ministres tolde these wordes vnto the officers they feared when they hearde that they were Romayns
Hebrew Names Version
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
International Standard Version
The guards reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
New American Standard Bible
The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they became fearful when they heard that they were Romans,
New Century Version
The police told the Roman officers what Paul said. When the officers heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.
Update Bible Version
And the sergeants reported these words to the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans;
Webster's Bible Translation
And the sergeants told these words to the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.
English Standard Version
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
World English Bible
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the serjeants reported these words to the pretors; and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.
Weymouth's New Testament
This answer the lictors took back to the praetors, who were alarmed when they were told that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the catchepollis telden these wordis to the magistratis; and thei dredden, for thei herden that thei weren Romayns.
English Revised Version
And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans;
Contemporary English Version
When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid.
Amplified Bible
The officers reported this message to the chief magistrates, and when they heard that the prisoners were Romans, they were frightened;
American Standard Version
And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans;
Bible in Basic English
And the police gave an account of these words to the authorities, and they were full of fear on hearing that they were Romans;
Complete Jewish Bible
The officers reported these words to the judges, who became frightened when they heard that Sha'ul and Sila were Roman citizens.
Darby Translation
And the lictors reported these words to the praetors. And they were afraid when they heard they were Romans.
Etheridge Translation
And the bearers of rods went and told the prefects these words which had been spoken to them. And when they heard that they were Rumoyee, they feared.
Murdock Translation
And the rod-bearers went and told to the prefects the words which were told to them: and when they heard that they were Romans, they were afraid,
King James Version (1611)
And the Sergeants tolde these words vnto the Magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romanes.
New Living Translation
When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
New Life Bible
The soldiers told this to the leaders. Then the leaders were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
New Revised Standard
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens;
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the sergeants tolde these woordes vnto the gouernours, who feared whe they heard that they were Romanes.
George Lamsa Translation
And the lictors went and told the soliers these words which were told to them: and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the constables reported unto the magistrates these words; and they were struck with fear, when they heard that they were, Romans;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And let us out themselves. And the serjeants told these words to the magistrates. And they were afraid: hearing that they were Romans.
Revised Standard Version
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the sergeaunts tolde these wordes vnto the officers, and they feared when they hearde that they were Romanes.
Good News Translation
The police officers reported these words to the Roman officials; and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.
Christian Standard Bible®
The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
King James Version
And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
Lexham English Bible
So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
Literal Translation
And the floggers reported these words to the magistrates. And hearing that they were Romans, they were afraid.
Young's Literal Translation
And the rod-bearers told to the magistrates these sayings, and they were afraid, having heard that they are Romans,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The mynisters tolde these wordes vnto the officers. And they feared, whan they herde that they were Romaynes,
Mace New Testament (1729)
the serjeants having reported what he said, to their officers, they began to be apprehensive upon hearing they were Romans.
THE MESSAGE
When the officers reported this, the judges panicked. They had no idea that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They hurried over and apologized, personally escorted them from the jail, and then asked them if they wouldn't please leave the city. Walking out of the jail, Paul and Silas went straight to Lydia's house, saw their friends again, encouraged them in the faith, and only then went on their way.
New English Translation
The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens
New King James Version
And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.
Simplified Cowboy Version
When this message was taken to the city officials, they got scared. They had no idea Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
Legacy Standard Bible
And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Contextual Overview

35When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: "Release those men." 36The jailer informed Paul: "The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace." 37But Paul said to the officers, "They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!" 38So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.39They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and they: Acts 22:29, Matthew 14:5, Matthew 21:46

Reciprocal: Acts 25:10 - I stand

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates,.... They returned to them, and acquainted them with what the prisoners said:

and they feared when they heard that they were Romans; they were not concerned for the injury they had done them; nor for the injustice and cruelty they had been guilty of; nor did they fear the wrath of God, and a future judgment; but they were put into a panic, when they found the men they had so ill used were Romans; lest they should be called to an account by the Roman senate, and be found guilty, and have their places taken away from them, and their persons punished.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They feared when they heard ... - They were apprehensive of punishment for having imprisoned them in violation of the laws of the empire. To punish unjustly a Roman citizen was deemed an offence to the majesty of the Roman people, and was severely punished by the laws. Dionysius Hal. (Ant. Rom., ii.) says, “The punishment appointed for those who abrogated or transgressed the Valerian law was death, and the confiscation of his property.” The emperor Claudius deprived the inhabitants of Rhodes of freedom for having crucified some Roman citizens (Dio Cass., lib. 60). See Kuinoel and Grotius.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. They feared when they heard - they were Romans. — They feared, because the Roman law was so constituted that an insult offered to a citizen was deemed an insult to the whole Roman people. There is a remarkable addition here, both in the Greek and Latin of the Codex Bezae. It is as follows: "And when they were come with many of their friends to the prison, they besought them to go out, saying: We were ignorant of your circumstances, that ye were righteous men. And, leading them out, they besought them, saying, Depart from this city, lest they again make an insurrection against you, and clamour against you."


 
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