And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Parallel translations
- WEB When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,
- BSB They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil
- NKJV And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
- NASB and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble,
- NLT “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They accused Paul and Silas of being Jews who were stirring up trouble in the city.
Overview
The real grievance was lost profit, but the charge was dressed up as a threat to public order, with an appeal to anti-Jewish prejudice. False accusation cloaking selfish motives recurs throughout the persecution of God's people. The pattern recalls the unjust trial of Jesus Himself, whose servants are called to share in His sufferings.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Jas 4:4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
- Rom 12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
- John 15:18–20If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
- Acts 28:22But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.
- 1 Kgs 18:17–18And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
- Acts 18:2And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
- Ezra 4:12–15Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
- Matt 2:3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- Acts 19:34But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
- Esth 3:8–9And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
- Acts 17:6–8And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 16:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.