Acts 16:35

At daybreak ¹  the magistrates ²  sent their police officers, ³  saying, “Release those men.”

When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men."

Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men."

The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!"

At daybreak, the court judges sent officers with the instructions, "Release these men."

But when it was day, the authorities sent the police, saying, Let these men go.

When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go."

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, "Let those men go."

At daybreak ¹  the magistrates ²  sent their police officers, ³  saying, “Release those men.”

¹ tn The translation “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.

² tn On the term translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, strathgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.

³ tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rJabdouco") see BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”