Discovery BoxActs 16:38-40 
Context16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas 1 were Roman citizens 2 16:39 and came 3 and apologized to them. After 4 they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly 5 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 then 6 departed.
1 tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn 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.
3 tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
4 tn 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.
5 tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.
6 tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.
