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

18And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

Acts 16:20 word by word

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

• 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 found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
• Acts 19:34But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
• Ezra 4:12Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
• Esther 3:8And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
• Acts 17:6And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
• Acts 28:22But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.
• 1 Kings 18:17And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
• Matthew 2:3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
• John 15:18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
• Romans 12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
• James 4:4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is 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