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 Living Translation (NLT)“The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.

Context of Acts 16:20

18And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded 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 18:2And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
• Acts 19:34But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
• Ezra 4:12Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.
• Esther 3:8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.
• Acts 17:6But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
• Acts 28:22But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”
• 1 Kings 18:17Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
• Matthew 2:3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
• John 15:18“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
• Romans 12:2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
• James 4:4Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an 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