Acts 16:38 (KJV)

Passage

And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

Acts 16:37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

Acts 16:38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

Acts 16:39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

Acts 16:40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "serjeants", "told", "words", "magistrates", "feared", "heard", and "romans". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "serjeants" and "told", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "But Paul said unto them They have..." into verse 39's "And they came and besought them and...", so "serjeants" and "told" 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 "serjeants" and "told" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.