Acts 16:39

39 And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city.

Acts 16:39 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 16:39

And they came
To the prison in person, as Paul had insisted on they should:

and besought them;
that they would put up the injury that had been done them, and quietly depart out of prison:

and brought them out;
that is, out of prison; took them by the arms, and led them out, as they had put them in, which was what the apostle required:

and desired them to depart out of the city;
lest there should be any further disturbance about them: in Beza's most ancient copy, and in another manuscript copy, this verse is read thus, and which more clearly explains the passage;

``and they came with many friends unto the prison, and desired them to go out, saying, we are not ignorant of your case, that you are righteous men; and bringing them out they besought them, saying, go out of this city, lest they (the people) should turn again upon you, crying against you;''

which looks as if they took along with them some persons, who were friends to the apostles as well as to them, to prevail upon them to depart quietly; and they excuse themselves by attributing what had passed to popular rage and fury, and pretend they consulted the safety of the apostles, by desiring them to go out of the city.

Acts 16:39 In-Context

37 But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without due process--men who are Roman citizens--[and] threw [us] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves [and] bring us out!"
38 So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid [when they] heard that they were Roman citizens.
39 And they came [and] apologized to them, and [after they] brought [them] out they asked [them] to depart from the city.
40 And [when they] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and [when they] saw [them], they encouraged the brothers and departed.

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("came") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [b]. Or "reassured"; or "conciliated"
  • [c]. *Here "[after]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("brought ... out") which is understood as temporal
  • [d]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  • [e]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
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