Acts 16:37

But Paul said unto them i.e. to the lictors, through the jailor. It is highly probable that the conversation of the Roman officers would be in Latin, and that the proceedings of the previous day may have been conducted in that language. In this way, if Paul and Silas were unfamiliar with the Latin speech, we might account for the non-mention or the disregard of their Roman citizenship. If either the Apostle did not comprehend all that was going on or could not, amid the confusion of such a tumultuous court, make himself understood, the message which he now sends to the magistrates might have had no chance of being heard before the scourging was inflicted.

They have beaten us openly i.e. publicly. (So R. V.) For no doubt they had been lashed to the palusor public whipping-post in the sight of the people.

uncondemned For all that had been listened to was the charge of the accusers, who, leaving out all mention of the real reason of their charge, viz., that they had lost a source of money-making, put forward the plea that the missionaries were disturbers of public law and order. The crowd shouted with the accusers, and the magistrates, forgetting their position, joined with the mob (Acts 16:22) in the assault on the Apostles.

being Romans The Greek is more full= men that are Romans, (so R. V.) and is in marked contrast with the charge of the accusers, which ran, "These men, being Jews." The laws which had been violated by this act were the Lex Valeria(b.c. 508) and the Lex Porcia(b.c. 300). On the outrage, compare Cicero's language in the Verrine orations (v. 66), -Facinus est vinciri civem Romanum, scelus verberari, prope parricidium necari."

thrust us out privily The Apostle would say: let our dismissal from prison be as widely published as was our previous punishment.