Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Acts 16:38

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.

Continues after advertising

See also Acts 16:38 in other biblical comments:

  • A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger

    ACTS 16:36-38 Leaving nothing to the imagination of the reader, in ver. Acts 16:36 codex Bezae reads kai. eivselqw.n o` desmofu,lax avph,ggeilen, while syrp, still more circumstantial, reads...

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    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....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 16 _ 1. In Derbe and Lystra again. Timotheus (Acts 16:1)._ 2. The Preaching forbidden in Asia (Acts 16:6). 3. The Vision of the Man from Macedonia (Acts 16:9). 4. The Gospel in Europe ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    RECKONING WITH THE MAGISTRATES. The legal proceedings are to go no further. But Paul has two grievances to clear up with the magistrates before he will leave the prison. The proceedings of the former...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    A SON IN THE FAITH (Acts 16:1-5)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. I...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    'WORDS. Greek. _rhema._ See note on Mark 9:32. FEARED. were alarmed. Compare Acts 22:29. They had violated the Roman law by which no Roman citizen could be scourged, or put to death, by any provincial...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _and they feared_ Because each Roman citizen had the right of appeal to the Emperor, and the penalty for outraging the rights of such a man was severe....

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ἘΦΟΒΉΘΗΣΑΝ ΔΈ, _and they were afraid_, because a Roman citizen had a right of appeal to the emperor, and outrage on such a man was visited with severe penalties. ῬΩΜΑΙ͂ΟΊ ΕἸΣΙΝ, _they are Romans_. Th...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    THE MAGISTRATES WOULD SEND THEM AWAY, BUT PAUL REFUSES TO BE THUS DISMISSED. HE ANNOUNCES THAT THEY ARE ROMANS, AND THE MAGISTRATES IN FEAR BESEECH THEM TO DEPART. THEY TAKE LEAVE OF LYDIA AND THE BRE...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER IN PHILIPPI ACTS 16:16-40:_ At a place of prayer in Philippi Paul and Silas came across a girl that had a spirit of divination. Her masters made a lot of money from her p...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΈΦΟΒΉΘΗΣΑΝ _aor. ind. pass. (dep.) от_ ΟΟΒΈΟΜΑΙ (G5399) пугаться. Inch, _aor._, "они испугались" ΆΚΟΎΣΑΝΤΕΣ _aor. act. part. (temp.) от_ ΆΚΟΎΩ (G191) слышать....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THE SERJEANTS, &C.— St. Paul seems, in his own conduct here, to have had a regard to the honour and interests of Christianity in this place, as well as to their own civil rights as men and Romans;...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    AT PHILLIPPI. Acts 16:12-40 a. A description of Philippi. Acts 16:12. Acts 16:12 and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in...

  • Combined Bible Commentary

    See notes on verse 37...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. AND THE SERJEANTS TOLD THESE WORDS UNTO THE MAGISTRATES: AND THEY FEARED, WHEN THEY...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    19 This is the first occasion in which the evangel comes into conflict with the religion of the nations and with the spirit powers back of it. Hitherto the Jews and Judaism opposed the evangel. At Lys...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ST. PAUL IN EUROPE 1. Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. His mother Eunice was perhaps a widow, and she, together with his grandmother Lois, educated the lad in the religion of Israel, tho...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Journey into Europe, Philippi. 6. RV 'And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia.' At Lystra (Acts 16:6) they received a...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE ACTS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 16 TIMOTHY WORKS WITH PAUL AND SILAS, 16:1-5 V1 Paul went to Derbe and then he went to Lystra. A *Christian called Timothy lived there. Timothy...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEY FEARED, WHEN THEY HEARD THAT THEY WERE ROMANS. — It is clear that the _strategi_ did not consider their ignorance of St. Paul’s citizenship a sufficient defence. They had acted illegally, and the...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ἀνήγγειλαν, see critical notes. ἐφοβήθησαν, so the chief captain, Acts 22:29; and no wonder, for the illegal punishment of Roman citizens was a serious offence. If convicted, the magistrates would hav...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SALVATION IN THE JAIL Acts 16:25 Some, as we have seen, are converted by the gentle opening of the heart; others amid the convulsions of the storm. The first knowledge of salvation may have reached t...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here begins the account of Pads second journey. At Lystra he found Timothy. His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in view of the recent decision of the council. Some charge him with i...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Paul's Refusal to Depart Secretly The next morning, the magistrates sent to the prison to quietly release Paul and Silas. The apostle refused to go quietly, likely because he wanted the authorities to...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (21) And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. (21) The wicked are not moved with the fear of God, but with the fear of men: and...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. (36) And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore de...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We now enter on the missionary journeys, as they are called, of the apostle Paul. The work, under the Spirit, opens to the glory of the Lord. Not merely are Gentiles met in grace and brought into the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    There is perhaps no example of this more remarkable than that which Paul does with regard to Timothy. He uses circumcision in all liberty to set aside Jewish prejudice. It is very doubtful whether, ac...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole 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...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. Ver. 38. _And they feared when they heard, &c._] Their sin troubled them not, but thei...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _When it was day, the magistrates_ Or pretors, being terrified, probably, by the earthquake, which had been felt all over the city, and having been informed of the miraculous opening of the prison-doo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AND THE SERGEANTS TOLD THESE WORDS UNTO THE MAGISTRATES; AND THEY FEARED WHEN THEY HEARD THAT THEY WERE ROMANS....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The release of the prisoners:...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Coming to Derbe and Lystra, where he and Barnabas had been persecuted before, Paul was favorably impressed with the young man, Timothy, who had evidently been converted through Paul on his first visit...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    AND THE OFFICERS TOLD THESE WORDS TO THE MAGISTRATES, AND THEY WERE AFRAID WHEN THEY HEARD THAT THEY WERE ROMANS. 1. Learning that Paul was a Roman citizen was a shock. 2. They were afraid of the re...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "And the sergeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans" They feared because they had been guilty of doing something illegal. "The colonists...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    35-40 Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment, and therefore...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    For the Romans (under whom these magistrates were) made it by their laws to be treason thus to abuse any of their citizens. God overruled their fear of man for the deliverance of his servants....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Acts 16:38 And G1161 officers G4465 told G312 (G5656) these G5023 words G4487 magistrates G4755 and G2532 afraid...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And the lictors reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and besought them, and when they had brought them out, they asked th...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    MINISTRY IN PHILIPPI FROM THE HOUSE OF LYDIA (16:12B-40). The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. He illustrates the successful ministry there by a threefold description of P...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Acts 16:38. AND THE SERJEANTS. Here, as in Acts 16:35, literally, rod-bearers, lictors, officials who attended upon the magistrates and carried out their orders. In a ‘colony' these officers carried s...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Paul finds Timothy. Paul's Macedonian vision. The first convert in Europe. Demons cast out of a damsel. Paul and Silas beaten. Conversion of the Philippian jailer. CHARACTERS: Jesus, Holy S...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Acts 16:1. _Then came he to Lystra,_ as in Acts 14:6. In their former labours in that city, Lois a jewess, her daughter Eunice, and Timothy her son, had embraced the faith. Now, they found Timothy gro...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    THE ROMAN AUTHORITIES. It may have been fear of the earthquake, or "second-thoughts" about their cruel treatment of "holy men" which influenced them to order the release. BUT PAUL SAID. Roman law said...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And they spake unto him the Word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house._ HOUSEHOLD SALVATION It sometimes happens that a good man has to go alone to heaven: God’s election has separated him...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ACTS—NOTE ON ACTS 16:11 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in which Paul witnessed. ⇐ ⇔...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:19. THE RULERS, ἄρχοντες, were the town magistrates (Luke 12:58). Acts 16:20. The MAGISTRATES, στρατηγοί, were the two chief civic authorities (dunmviri) in a Roman colony...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ACTS 16:1 _And he came also _for _then came he, _A.V._ _and T.R.; _to Lystra _for _Lystra, _A.V._; Timothy _for _Timotheus, _A.V._; of a Jewess _for _of a certain woman which was a Jewess,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    We remember at the end of our study last week there arose a contention between Paul and Barnabas who had been close companions on the first missionary venture of the church. But because Barnabas was i...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Acts 22:29; Matthew 14:5; Matthew 21:46...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Observe here, 1. What an awe God has over the consciences of men in general, and of magistrates in particular: they stoop to their prisoners, and beseech them to come out of prison, and to depart from...

Continues after advertising