Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 16:39
And they came and besought them, and brought [them] out, and desired [them] to depart out of the city.
39. And so finding they had offended in this way, they come in the humblest wise, beseeching that the disciples by departing from Philippi will relieve them of their anxiety.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 advice Paul and Silas saw fit to comply with, after they had seen and comforted the brethren, Act 16:40. They had accomplished their main purpose in going to Philippi; they had preached the gospel; they had laid the foundation of a flourishing church (compare the Epistle to the Philippians); and they were now prepared to prosecute the purpose of their agency into surrounding regions. Thus, the opposition of the people and the magistrates at Philippi was the occasion of the founding of the church there, and thus their unkind and inhospitable request that they should leave them was the means of the extension of the gospel into adjacent regions.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Two things the magistrates had to desire of them:
1. That they would excuse the wrong done unto them, which they feared lest the Romans might revenge.
2. That, to avoid further mischiefs, (as they thought), they would leave the city. But the words here used do signify, also, that they comforted them, as well as besought, or exhorted them: both by word and deed they sought to make amends for the injury they had offered unto them; and desired them to depart for their own safety, lest the people should express their rage and madness against them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
39, 40. And they cameinperson.
and besought themnot to complain of them. What a contrast this suppliantattitude of the preachers of Philippi to the tyrannical air withwhich they had the day before treated the preachers! (See Isa 60:14;Rev 3:9).
brought themoutconducted them forth from the prison into the street, asinsisted on.
and desired“requested.”
them to departout of the cityperhaps fearing again to excite the populace.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They feared (). This is the explanation. They became frightened for their own lives when they saw what they had done to Roman citizens.
They asked (). Imperfect active of . They kept on begging them to leave for fear of further trouble. The colonists in Philippi would turn against the praetors if they learned the facts, proud as they were of being citizens. This verb in the Koine is often used as here to make a request and not just to ask a question.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And they came and besought them “ (kai elthontes parekalesan autos) “And they came and appealed to them repeatedly,” in person, not sending the “lictors” or sergeants, they besought them to forgive them for their wrong to them, and not to inform Rome against them. This was quite different from their tyrannical, brutal, blood-thirsting attitude of the day before, Rev 3:9.
2) “And brought them out,” (kai eksagagontes) “And bringing them out,” leading them out, or going out before them,” leading them out of the prison themselves, personally, not leaving it to the jailer or sergeants. They cared not for the apostles, any more than the day before, but chiefly for their own safety, they treated them respectfully.
3) “And desired them to depart out of the city.” (eroton apelthein apo tes poleos) “They, the magistrates, asked them to go away from the City,” just anywhere they pleased, Mat 8:34. The presence of God’s people among the wicked is usually unappreciated, unwanted, and feared because of their own disharmony with God, Isa 48:22; Isa 57:20-21; Isa 59:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
39. Came and besought They are now at the feet of the men whose backs they had scourged without law. And the merciful conduct of these two holy men is full proof that personal revenge or pride has no share in this firm claim of their civic rights. It is the holy cause embodied in their person which prompts them to assert their own dignity.
To depart Much as the Gadarenes prayed Jesus to quit their coasts. A sense of their own disgrace prompts them to desire the departure of those who are its authors and reminders.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 16:39. And besought them The word , here rendered besought, is in the very next verse, as well as in many other places, rendered comforted; and so it should have been rendered here, as it gives us the idea of a more respectful treatment. Some manuscripts have an addition here, importing that the magistrates, in a respectful manner, conducted them out of the prison, and humbly begged of them to leave the city.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
Ver. 39. And they came and besought them ] The matter is well amended since yesterday. How suddenly crest fallen are these grandees of Philippi, how bladder like do they shrivel to nothing, that erst swelled with the wind of pride and passion! So did the king of Sodom, Manasseh, Saul, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
39. ] Not ‘ comforted: ’ but, as E. V., besought them : viz. not to make their treatment matter of legal complaint. In the request to depart from the city, the prtors seem to shew fear of a change in the temper of the mob. See the curious addition in the var. readd.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 16:39 . See addition in , critical note. The fear of a further riot expressed by the magistrates is exactly what we should expect in the cities of the gean lands, which were always weak in their municipal government. [300] also expresses the nave way in which the magistrates not only try to throw the blame upon the people, but wanted to get out of a difficulty by procuring the withdrawal from the city of the injured parties, Ramsay, u. s. , p. 224. The Greek pointedly and dramatically expresses the change in the whole situation: ! (Wendt).
[300] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
brought. Same word as “fetch” (Act 16:37).
desired = were praying. Greek. erotao. App-134.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
39. ] Not comforted: but, as E. V., besought them: viz. not to make their treatment matter of legal complaint. In the request to depart from the city, the prtors seem to shew fear of a change in the temper of the mob. See the curious addition in the var. readd.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
came: Exo 11:8, Isa 45:14, Isa 49:23, Isa 60:14, Mic 7:9, Mic 7:10, Rev 3:9
and brought: Dan 6:16, Dan 6:23
and desired: Mat 8:34, Mar 5:17
Reciprocal: Pro 14:19 – General Isa 41:11 – all they Amo 7:12 – go Luk 4:34 – Let us alone Luk 8:37 – besought Act 22:29 – the chief Act 26:17 – Delivering 2Co 6:8 – honour
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
Act 16:39. In their anxiety over the unlawful treatment of the prisoners, the officers came in person and very respectfully requested them to leave.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
See notes on verse 37