Acts 16:39 (ASV)

Passage

and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.

Acts 16:38 And the sergeants reported 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 when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from 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 "came", "besought", "brought", "asked", "away", and "city". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "came" and "besought", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "And the sergeants reported these words unto..." into verse 40's "And they went out of the prison...", so "came" and "besought" 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 "came" and "besought" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.