And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

ACTS 16:20KJV
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Acts 16:20 (KJV)

What does Acts 16:20 mean?

Acts 16:20 describes how Paul and Silas were brought before the city officials, called magistrates, and accused of causing serious trouble in the city simply because they were Jews. The accusers claimed that Paul and Silas were disturbing the peace and order of their community.

In this scene, local people who were upset with Paul and Silas dragged them to the authorities after Paul cast a spirit out of a slave girl, which angered her owners. The accusation was not just about their actions, but also highlighted their identity as Jews, showing a mix of prejudice and concern about outsiders disrupting local customs. This sets the stage for the officials’ harsh treatment of Paul and Silas in the following verses.

The Greek behind Acts 16:20

  • "Magistrates" (στρατηγούς, stratēgous): This Greek word refers to the chief officials or city leaders in Philippi, who had authority to judge and punish. Knowing this helps us see that Paul and Silas were brought before the highest local authority, not just any official.
  • "Trouble" (ἐκταράσσουσιν, ektarassousin): This word carries the sense of stirring up or deeply disturbing the city, not just causing a minor annoyance. The accusation paints Paul and Silas as a serious threat to public order.
  • "Jews" (Ἰουδαῖοι, Ioudaioi): The mention of their Jewish identity shows that ethnic and religious prejudice played a role in the charges, suggesting the accusation was not only about their behavior but also about suspicion toward outsiders.

Why Acts 16:20 matters

  • This verse highlights how accusations against Paul and Silas were rooted in both their actions and their identity as Jews, showing how prejudice could be used to stir up trouble against early Christians.
  • The charge of "troubling the city" sets up the legal and social context for the harsh treatment Paul and Silas would soon face, helping readers understand the seriousness of the situation.
  • By naming the magistrates and the public accusation, the verse connects the story to the broader theme in Acts of how the gospel often met resistance from both local authorities and the general population.

Where else these words appear

“brought” Greek G4317 · used in 4 verses

  • Luke 9:41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
  • Acts 27:27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
  • 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

“magistrates” Greek G4755 · used in 10 verses

  • Luke 22:4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
  • Acts 5:24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
  • Acts 16:35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

“being” Greek G5225 · used in 47 verses

  • Luke 7:25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
  • Acts 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
  • Acts 28:18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.