Acts 16:22-23

Context

16:22 The crowd joined the attack¹ against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes² off Paul and Silas³ and ordered them to be beaten with rods.⁴ 16:23 After they had beaten them severely,⁵ they threw them into prison and commanded⁶ the jailer to guard them securely.

Acts 16:33

Context
16:33 At⁷ that hour of the night he took them⁸ and washed their wounds;⁹ then¹⁰ he and all his family¹¹ were baptized right away.¹²

Acts 16:37

Context
16:37 But Paul said to the police officers,¹³ “They had us beaten in public¹⁴ without a proper trial¹⁵ – even though we are Roman citizens¹⁶ – and they threw us¹⁷ in prison. And now they want to send us away¹⁸ secretly? Absolutely not! They¹⁹ themselves must come and escort us out!”²⁰

[16:22] ¹tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth) in this verse.

[16:22] ²tn Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).

[16:22] ³tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:22] ⁴tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rJabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists or clubs, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).

[16:23] ⁵tn Grk “Having inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") has been taken temporally. BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they had beaten them severely.”

[16:23] ⁶tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:33] ⁷tn Grk “And at.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:33] ⁸tn Grk “taking them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:33] ⁹tn On this phrase BDAG 603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”

[16:33] ¹⁰tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33] ¹¹sn All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.

[16:33] ¹²tn Or “immediately.”

[16:37] ¹³tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37] ¹⁴tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37] ¹⁵tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37] ¹⁶tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37] ¹⁷tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:37] ¹⁸tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37] ¹⁹tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37] ²⁰sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.