Acts 16:39 kjv
And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
Acts 16:39 nkjv
Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.
Acts 16:39 niv
They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
Acts 16:39 esv
So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.
Acts 16:39 nlt
So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
Acts 16 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 16:37 | But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly... though we are Romans." | Paul asserts Roman citizenship, triggering events. |
| Acts 22:25 | As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion... | Paul's Roman citizenship provides legal protection. |
| Acts 23:27 | This man was seized by the Jews... I learned that he was a Roman citizen. | Claudius Lysias protecting Paul due to citizenship. |
| Rom 13:3 | For rulers hold no terror for those who do right... | Rulers' fear of violating justice (here, Roman law). |
| 1 Pet 2:13-14 | Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority... | Believers navigating interaction with governing authorities. |
| Matt 5:11-12 | Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you... | Encouragement in persecution, often by authorities. |
| Luke 6:22-23 | Blessed are you when people hate you... | Persecution as a mark of discipleship. |
| Matt 10:16 | ...be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. | Wisdom in dealing with opposition. |
| Acts 5:40 | They called the apostles in and had them flogged... | Disciples often suffered at the hands of authorities. |
| Acts 4:29-31 | Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak... | Prayer for boldness in face of official threats. |
| Ps 76:10 | Surely the wrath of human beings praises you; you gird yourself... | God using human hostility for His purposes. |
| Est 7:10 | So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. | Reversal of fortune for those who oppose God's people. |
| Ps 34:19 | The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers... | Divine deliverance from oppressive situations. |
| Ps 105:14-15 | He did not let anyone oppress them... "Do not touch my anointed ones..." | God's protection over His chosen messengers. |
| Dan 3:28-29 | Nebuchadnezzar then said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach..." | Recognition of God's power by worldly rulers. |
| Gen 12:3 | I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse... | God's protection over those He calls. |
| 2 Cor 4:8-9 | We are hard pressed on every side... but not abandoned... | Apostles' experiences of suffering and resilience. |
| Phil 1:12 | What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. | Adverse circumstances contributing to gospel spread. |
| Acts 8:1 | And on that day a great persecution arose... scattered throughout... Judea | Persecution leading to expansion of Christianity. |
| Isa 60:14 | The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you... | Future triumph of God's people over their foes. |
| Luke 10:3 | Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. | Missionaries often face hostile environments. |
| 2 Tim 3:12 | Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. | Persecution as a general expectation for believers. |
Acts 16 verses
Acts 16 39 Meaning
Acts 16:39 describes the Philoppian magistrates' swift and abject reversal of their previous actions against Paul and Silas. Having realized their severe legal error in unlawfully beating and imprisoning Roman citizens without trial, they personally went to the prison. There, they earnestly apologized to Paul and Silas, brought them out of the jail, and then requested, essentially begging them, to leave the city of Philippi. This was an act of damage control, motivated by fear of repercussions from higher Roman authorities.
Acts 16 39 Context
Acts chapter 16 focuses on Paul's second missionary journey. Arriving in Philippi, a Roman colony and leading city of Macedonia, Paul and Silas evangelize, resulting in the conversion of Lydia and a demon-possessed servant girl. Their ministry to the girl disrupts the economic interests of her owners, who incited a crowd and brought Paul and Silas before the city magistrates. The magistrates, without investigation or trial, ordered them to be stripped, severely beaten with rods, and imprisoned with their feet in stocks. Paul's declaration of his Roman citizenship in verse 37, after a miraculous earthquake and the jailer's conversion, reveals a grave legal error by the magistrates. Roman law strictly forbade the scourging and imprisonment of Roman citizens without trial, under penalty of death for the official. Verse 39 follows this revelation, depicting the magistrates' frantic attempt to mitigate their severe transgression.
Acts 16 39 Word analysis
So: (οὖν, oun) - An emphatic conjunction indicating a direct consequence or result of Paul's declaration of Roman citizenship in the previous verse. It signals a shift.
they came: (ἦλθον, ēlthon) - Refers to the magistrates themselves. This indicates a humbling of their authority; instead of summoning the prisoners, they personally sought them out in the jail, a sign of their urgency and fear.
and pleaded with them: (καὶ παρεκάλεσαν αὐτούς, kai parekalesan autoús) - The verb parakaleō (from which "pleaded" is derived) here means to "beseech," "exhort," "comfort," or "apologize to." In this context, it conveys an earnest request or even an apology, a marked contrast to their previous brutal treatment. Their tone had shifted dramatically from arrogant authority to desperate appeasement.
and brought them out: (καὶ ἐξαγαγόντες, kai exagagóntes) - Signifies leading or escorting out. This act further demonstrated their active involvement and urgency in rectifying the situation. They weren't merely issuing an order but personally overseeing their release.
asking them to leave the city: (ἠρώτων ἐξελθεῖν τῆς πόλεως, ērōtōn exelthein tēs poleōs) - Ērōtōn implies a respectful request, not a command. They could not force a Roman citizen to leave without proper legal proceedings, which they had clearly avoided. The request was an attempt to make the problem (Paul and Silas) disappear quietly, to avoid potential exposure and punishment from higher Roman authorities. This "request" for them to leave, while an act of injustice in itself (sending away innocent men), served as the magistrates' face-saving exit strategy.
"they came and pleaded with them": This phrase dramatically illustrates the shift in power. From inflicting pain and injustice, the magistrates are now humbling themselves before the very ones they mistreated. This public display would have been shameful for Roman officials.
"brought them out, asking them to leave the city": This phrase shows their dual goal: rectifying the legal error (releasing citizens) and mitigating potential further consequences by requesting their discreet departure. It's a pragmatic move to protect themselves rather than a full admission of their sin against God.
Acts 16 39 Bonus section
- The Roman legal principle Paul invoked was Provocatio ad populum, which allowed Roman citizens to appeal summary judgments to the popular assembly, specifically forbidding immediate scourging or execution. Additionally, the Valerian and Porcian Laws reinforced these protections.
- Philippi was a Roman colony (colonia), meaning its citizens enjoyed full Roman rights, making the magistrates' transgression even more severe than if it were a typical provincial city.
- The personal presence of the magistrates (οὖν ēlthon) and their humble "pleading" (parakaleō) was a significant public acknowledgment of their error. Their primary concern was reputation and avoiding formal charges from Rome, which could lead to severe penalties, including dismissal or even execution for negligence in office.
- This incident allowed Paul and Silas to leave Philippi, but not without first returning to Lydia's house (Acts 16:40) to encourage the new believers, ensuring the stability of the nascent church there before their departure. This demonstrates a balance of asserting rights and shepherding the flock.
Acts 16 39 Commentary
Acts 16:39 encapsulates the profound and often immediate reversal of fortune that can occur in the lives of God's servants. The proud and powerful magistrates of Philippi, who so recently scourged and imprisoned Paul and Silas, are now forced to humble themselves. This is not out of true repentance or a change of heart, but born of fear for their own political and legal standing. Paul's quiet assertion of Roman citizenship revealed their grave violation of Roman law, a matter with serious consequences for them if it reached higher Imperial courts. Their "pleading" and "asking them to leave" is a thinly veiled act of desperation to avoid exposure.
This incident underscores several spiritual truths: God protects His messengers, even through legal means and human error. He orchestrates events to bring down the proud and lift up the humble. While Paul and Silas were physically hurt and unjustly treated, their ultimate protection lay in their legal status as Roman citizens, divinely utilized for their temporary safety. It also illustrates the principle that despite injustice, believers are called to peaceful conduct, eventually leaving when circumstances or God's leading direct them. This passage serves as a testament to God's sovereignty over earthly powers, compelling even those who oppose Him to facilitate His purposes, however unwillingly. It sets a pattern for how the early church sometimes had to navigate official opposition, leveraging legal rights where available, yet always prioritizing the spread of the Gospel.