Acts 16:39 (WEB)

Passage

and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”

Acts 16:38 The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Acts 16:39 and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

Acts 16:40 They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "came", "begged", "brought", "asked", "depart", and "city". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "came" and "begged", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

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