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 kept doing this for many days. But Paul was irritated and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Messiah Yeshua to come out of her!” And it came out of her that very moment. 19But when her masters saw that the hope of profit was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. And when they brought them to the chief authorities, they said, “These men are throwing our city into an uproar! Being Jewish, 21they advocate customs which are not permitted for us to accept or practice, being Romans.” 22Then the crowd joined in the attack on them. So the chief authorities ripped their clothes off them 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 18:2There he found a Jewish man named Aquila—a native of Pontus having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all Jewish people to leave Rome. Paul went to see them;
• Acts 19:34But recognizing that he was Jewish, for about two hours they all with one voice cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
• Ezra 4:12let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding the rebellious and wicked city. They are completing the walls and repairing the foundations.
• Esther 3:8Haman then said to King Ahasuerus: “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of every other people and who do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s interest to tolerate them.
• Acts 17:6When they did not find them, they instead began dragging Jason and some of the brethren before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here too,
• Acts 28:22But we think it appropriate to hear from you about what you think. For indeed, it is known to us that regarding this sect, it is spoken against everywhere.”
• 1 Kings 18:17Now when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, the one who causes trouble for Israel?”
• Matthew 2:3When King Herod heard, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
• John 15:18“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before you.
• Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• James 4:4You adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes 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