Acts 16:19 (KJV)

Passage

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

Nearby Context

Acts 16:17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

Acts 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Acts 16:19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

Acts 16:20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

Acts 16:21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "masters", "hope", "gains", "gone", "caught", "paul", "silas", and "drew". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "masters" and "hope", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And this did she many days But..." into verse 20's "And brought them to the magistrates saying...", so "masters" and "hope" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "masters" and "hope" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.