Acts 16:37-40

16:37 But Paul said to the police officers,¹ “They had us beaten in public² without a proper trial³ – even though we are Roman citizens⁴ – and they threw us⁵ in prison. And now they want to send us away⁶ secretly? Absolutely not! They⁷ themselves must come and escort us out!”⁸ 16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas⁹ were Roman citizens¹⁰ 16:39 and came¹¹ and apologized to them. After¹² they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly¹³ to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then¹⁴ departed.

¹tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

³tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

⁴tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

⁵tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

⁶tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

⁷tn Grk “But they.”

⁸sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.

⁹tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.

¹¹tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹²tn Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

¹³tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.

¹⁴tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.