Discovery BoxActs 16:23
Context16:23 After they had beaten them severely, 1 they threw them into prison and commanded 2 the jailer to guard them securely.
Acts 16:36
Context16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 3 “The magistrates have sent orders 4 to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” 5
Acts 16:27
Context16:27 When the jailer woke up 6 and saw the doors of the prison standing open, 7 he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, 8 because he assumed 9 the prisoners had escaped.
[16:23] 1 tn 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] 2 tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[16:36] 3 tn The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.
[16:36] 4 tn The word “orders” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[16:36] 5 tn Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[16:27] 5 tn L&N 23.75 has “had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style, however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to the first.
[16:27] 6 tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.
[16:27] 7 sn Was about to kill himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).
