Acts 16:20

Acts 16:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
• New International Version (NIV)They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;

Context of Acts 16:20

18She did this for many days. Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. 19When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” 22The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

Acts 16:20 word by word

καὶ προσαγαγόντες αὐτοὺς τοῖς στρατηγοῖς εἶπαν· οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκταράσσουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν Ἰουδαῖοι ὑπάρχοντες·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• broughtπροσάγωprosagō · to bring nearG4317
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• to the magistratesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• to the magistratesστρατηγόςstratēgos · officer/magistrateG4755
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• beingὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
• JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• do exceedingly troubleἐκταράσσωektarassō · to disturb greatlyG1613
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172

Cross-references for Acts 16:20

• Acts 18:2where he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them,
• Acts 19:34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
• Ezra 4:12Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you have returned to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city, finishing its walls, and repairing its foundations.
• Esther 3:8Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus, “There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom, keeping themselves separate. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.
• Acts 17:6When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too,
• Acts 28:22But we want to hear what your views are, since we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
• 1 Kings 18:17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one ruining Israel?”
• Matthew 2:3When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
• John 15:18“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.
• Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
• James 4:4You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

Commentaries on Acts 16:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Brought them to the magistrates - , 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And brought them to the magistrates - To the military rulers ͂ stratēgoisor 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-24Verses 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-21As in the ministry of Jesus, the gospel sometimes threatened existing business interests (see also 19:25–27; Mark 5:1–20). Those who were exploiting the slave girl attacked the Christian missionaries and dragged them to the authorities as criminals. They blamed them for causing trouble, used racial bias ("These men are Jews"), and appealed to the Philippians’ pride ("us Romans"). The Philippians were proud Roman citizens of a Roman colony. customs that…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. These men, being Jews--objects of dislike, contempt, and suspicion by the Romans, and at this time of more than usual prejudice. do exceedingly trouble our city--See similar charges, Ac 17:6; 24:5; 1Ki 18:17. There is some color of truth in all such accusations, in so far as the Gospel, and generally the fear of God, as a reigning principle of human action, is in a godless world a thoroughly revolutionary principle ... How far external commotion and…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 16:20

• Accusation, False
• Criminals
• False Teachers
• Falsehood
• Heresy
• Indictments
• Magistrate
• Malice
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Philippi
• Prisoners
• Readings, Select
• Silas

In the dictionaries

• Antioch
• Establish
• Gather
• Gone
• Harm
• James
• Judge
• Light
• Macedonia
• Magistrate

Commentaries on Acts 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings