Acts 16:38
New International Version
The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.

New Living Translation
When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

English Standard Version
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

Berean Standard Bible
So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

Berean Literal Bible
And the officers reported these words to the captains, and they were afraid, having heard that they are Romans.

King James Bible
And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

New King James Version
And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.

New American Standard Bible
The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they became fearful when they heard that they were Romans,

NASB 1995
The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

NASB 1977
And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Legacy Standard Bible
And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Amplified Bible
The officers reported this message to the chief magistrates, and when they heard that the prisoners were Romans, they were frightened;

Christian Standard Bible
The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

American Standard Version
And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Rod Bearers went and they told the Magistrates these words that were spoken to them, and when they heard that they were Romans, they were afraid.

Contemporary English Version
When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And let us out themselves. And the serjeants told these words to the magistrates. And they were afraid, hearing that they were Romans.

English Revised Version
And the serjeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The guards reported to the officials what Paul had said. When the Roman officials heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.

Good News Translation
The police officers reported these words to the Roman officials; and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.

International Standard Version
The guards reported these words to the magistrates, and they became afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

Literal Standard Version
And the rod-bearers told these sayings to the magistrates, and they were afraid, having heard that they are Romans,

Majority Standard Bible
So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

New American Bible
The lictors reported these words to the magistrates, and they became alarmed when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

NET Bible
The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens

New Revised Standard Version
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens;

New Heart English Bible
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the sergeants told these words to the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.

Weymouth New Testament
This answer the lictors took back to the praetors, who were alarmed when they were told that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

World English Bible
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Young's Literal Translation
And the rod-bearers told to the magistrates these sayings, and they were afraid, having heard that they are Romans,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Official Apology
37But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!” 38So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.…

Cross References
Luke 12:11
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.

Acts 16:35
When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: "Release those men."

Acts 22:29
Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.


Treasury of Scripture

And the sergeants told these words to the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

and they.

Acts 22:29
Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Matthew 14:5
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

Matthew 21:46
But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

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Account Afraid Alarmed Authorities Chief Citizens Fear Feared Full Heard Lictors Magistrates Officers Paul Police Policemen Praetors Reported Rod-Bearers Roman Romans Sayings Sergeants Serjeants Silas Words
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Account Afraid Alarmed Authorities Chief Citizens Fear Feared Full Heard Lictors Magistrates Officers Paul Police Policemen Praetors Reported Rod-Bearers Roman Romans Sayings Sergeants Serjeants Silas Words
Acts 16
1. Paul and Silas are Joined by Timothy,
7. and being called by the Spirit from one country to another,
14. convert Lydia,
16. and cast out a spirit of divination;
19. for which cause they are whipped and imprisoned.
25. The prison doors are opened.
31. The jailor is converted,
35. and they are delivered.














(38) They feared, when they heard that they were Romans.--It is clear that the strategi did not consider their ignorance of St. Paul's citizenship a sufficient defence. They had acted illegally, and the consequence of that illegality went further than they counted on; but they could not, therefore, shake off their responsibility. They were liable to a prosecution, such as that which Cicero, for like offences, instituted against Verres. The tables were turned; the accused had become a possible accuser, and they, instead of hushing the matter up, were compelled to make something like a formal apology. We may well believe that St. Paul's motive in insisting on this, was less the satisfaction of his own honour, than a desire to impress upon the strategi that they were not to over-ride or strain the law to gratify the passions of a mob.

Verse 38. - Reported for told, A.V.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[So]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

officers
ῥαβδοῦχοι (rhabdouchoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4465: A holder of the rods, a lictor, Roman officer, judge. From rhabdos and echo; a rod- holder, i.e. A Roman lictor.

relayed
Ἀπήγγειλαν (Apēngeilan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 518: To report (from one place to another), bring a report, announce, declare. From apo and the base of aggelos; to announce.

this
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

message
ῥήματα (rhēmata)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4487: From rheo; an utterance, ; by implication, a matter or topic; with a negative naught whatever.

to the
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

magistrates,
στρατηγοῖς (stratēgois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4755: From the base of stratia and ago or hegeomai; a general, i.e. a governor, the chief of the temple-wardens.

[who]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

were alarmed
ἐφοβήθησαν (ephobēthēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5399: From phobos; to frighten, i.e. to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. Revere.

to hear
ἀκούσαντες (akousantes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

[Paul and Silas] were
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Roman citizens.
Ῥωμαῖοί (Rhōmaioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4514: Roman; subst: a Roman citizen. From Rhome; Romaean, i.e. Roman.


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NT Apostles: Acts 16:38 The sergeants reported these words to (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 16:37
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