Acts 16:39
in Acts 16They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city.
KJV
And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
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This verse in Acts 16
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And they came and besought them - A most humiliating act for Roman magistrates, but in this case it was unavoidable. The apostles had them completely in their power, and could easily effect their disgrace and ruin. Probably they besought them by declaring them innocent; by affirming that they were ignorant that they were Roman citizens, etc. And desired them to depart ... - Probably: (1) To save their own character, and be secure from their taking any further steps to convict the magistrates of violating the laws; and, (2) To evade any further popular tumult on their account.
This site's exposition
They came to appease them
on Acts 16:39-40
The magistrates who had ordered the beating came to appease them and led them out, a reversal from mob violence to apology. Paul and Silas then went to Lydia’s house to encourage the brothers, returning to the home where the church in Philippi began.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. They feared, it says: because the men were Romans, not because they had unjustly cast them into prison. And besought them to depart out of the city: begged them as a favor. Observe how diversely grace manages things: how Peter went out, how Paul, though both were Apostles.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Paul's Adoption of Timothy. 1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v1-3
And they came,....
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐλθόντες | elthontes | having come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| παρεκάλεσαν | parekalesan | they appealed to | G3870 → | 108 times |
| αὐτούς, | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐξαγαγόντες | exagagontes | having brought [them] out | G1806 → | 12 times |
| ἠρώτων | eroton | they were asking [them] | G2065 → | 62 times |
| ἀπελθεῖν | apelthein | to go out | G565 → | 115 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | of | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόλεως.¶ | poleos | city. | G4172 → | 163 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐλθόντεςhaving come
elthontesG2064 →628 times
παρεκάλεσανthey appealed to
parekalesanG3870 →108 times
αὐτούς,them
autousG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξαγαγόντεςhaving brought [them] out
exagagontesG1806 →12 times
ἠρώτωνthey were asking [them]
erotonG2065 →62 times
ἀπελθεῖνto go out
apeltheinG565 →115 times
ἀπὸof
apoG575 →640 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
πόλεως.¶city.
poleosG4172 →163 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 45:14This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
it leads to
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
- 1 Corinthians 14:25
and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!”
- Jeremiah 16:19
O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing…
- Isaiah 61:5–6
Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
- Isaiah 49:23
Through
Daniel 6:23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 5:20
And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God,…
- Mark 9:23
“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”
- 1 Chronicles 5:20
Through
Mark 5:17And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.
it leads to
- Matthew 8:34
Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.
- Matthew 8:34
Through
Matthew 8:34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.
it leads to
- Luke 8:37–39
Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.
- Luke 8:37–39
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
About Acts
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 36; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.