Acts 16:35

Acts 16:35 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
• New International Version (NIV)When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

Context of Acts 16:35

33In the middle of the night, the man took care of them. He washed their bodies where the soldiers had hurt them. Immediately after this, Paul and Silas baptized the man and his whole family. 34The man gave them some food to eat in his house. The guard and all his family were very happy because now they believed in God. The next morning, the important officers sent their police to the prison with a message for the guard. They told him, ‘Let those men go free.’ 36The guard went to Paul and he told him, ‘The city officers have sent a message to me. They said, “Let Paul and Silas go free.” So now you can leave the prison. Nobody will hurt you any more.’ 37But Paul spoke to the police who had brought the message. He said, ‘The city officers did not find that we had done anything wrong. But they commanded their soldiers to hit us with sticks in front of everybody. We are citizens of Rome but they still did this to us. They even put us into prison. Now they want us to leave the prison and go away. They want to send us away secretly. We will not agree! The Roman officers must come here to the prison themselves. Then they must lead us out for everyone to see.’

Acts 16:35 word by word

Ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης ἀπέστειλαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ τοὺς ῥαβδούχους λέγοντες· ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And whenδέde · thenG1161
• it wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• the magistratesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the magistratesστρατηγόςstratēgos · officer/magistrateG4755
• sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
• the serjeantsῥαβδοῦχοςrhabdouchos · policeG4465
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Letἀπολύωapoluō · to release: releaseG630
• thoseἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for Acts 16:35

• Acts 4:21The Jewish leaders were angry. They told Peter and John that they must obey them. Then they let Peter and John go free. All the people there were praising God because of the miracle. So the leaders could not decide how to punish Peter and John.
• Acts 5:40The Jewish leaders agreed with Gamaliel. They told the apostles to come back into the room. They told the police to hit them with whips. Then they said to the apostles, ‘You must not use the authority of Jesus to teach the people.’ After that, they let the apostles go free.
• Psalms 76:10Everybody will praise you, even those who are angry against you. You will show them how angry you really are.
• Jeremiah 5:22The Lord says, ‘You should respect me and obey me. You should shake with fear when you come to me. I made the sand as an edge for the sea. It is like a wall that the sea cannot cross. The sea's waves may attack the shore, but it cannot go further than that edge.

Commentaries on Acts 16:35

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 35And the magistrates sent the sergeants - The original word, ̔, means the lictors, persons who carried before the consul the fasces, which was a hatchet, round the handle of which was a bundle of rods tied. Why the magistrates should have sent an order to dismiss the apostles, whom they had so barbarously used the preceding evening, we cannot tell, unless we receive the reading of the Codex Bezae as genuine, viz. ̔ , ̔ Ϛ , , , Ϛ ̔ . . . And when it was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 35And when it was day … - It is evident from the narrative that it was not contemplated at first to release them so soon, Acts 16:22-24. But it is not known what produced this change of purpose in the magistrates. It is probable, however, that they had been brought to reflection, somewhat as the jailor had, by the earthquake, and that their consciences had been troubled by the fact, that in order to please the multitude, they had caused strangers to be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 35-40Verses 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 required to be dismissed in an honourable manner. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle stood upon, but justice, and not to himself so much as to his cause. And when proper apology is made, Christians should never express personal anger…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-36Luke’s third story in Philippi is of the Philippian jailer who, shaken by what had happened, responded in faith when challenged to accept the Lord Jesus and be saved. He was baptized with his household and rejoiced in his newfound faith as he reached out with hospitality to the preachers.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 35-3635-36. when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go--The cause of this change can only be conjectured. When the commotion ceased, reflection would soon convince them of the injustice they had done, even supposing the prisoners had been entitled to no special privileges; and if rumor reached them that the prisoners were somehow under supernatural protection, they might be the more awed into a desire to get rid of them.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 16:35

• Criminals
• Magistrate
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Philippi
• Prisoners
• Readings, Select
• Sergeant
• Silas

In the dictionaries

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

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