Bible Strands
Acts 16:38
So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The city officers deliver Paul's demand to the Philippian magistrates immediately after the apostles' unjust imprisonment and beating. The magistrates receive this report at the moment they prepare to release the prisoners secretly.
The words — στρατηγοῖς (stratēgois) literally means "commanders" or "military leaders," identifying the local civil authorities. ἀπήγγειλαν (apēngeilan) denotes a formal relay or report of information from subordinates to superiors.
The thread — The magistrates' alarm parallels the commander's reaction in Acts 22:29 when confronted with Paul's citizenship, while the pattern of authorities fearing legal or public backlash mirrors Herod's fear in Matthew 14:5 and the religious leaders' fear in Matthew 21:46.
Why it lands — The text records that civic officials feared legal consequences for mistreating Roman citizens, not that they acknowledged spiritual truth. Readers are asked to recognize how civil status and public accountability can temporarily constrain unjust authority.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
Cross-references
- Acts 22:29 At once 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.
- Matthew 14:5 Although Herod wanted to kill John, he was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a prophet.
- Matthew 21:46 Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.