Acts 16:37 - Exposition

Publicly for openly A.V. δημοσίᾳ , Acts 18:28 ; Acts 20:20 ); men that are for being, A.V.; do they now cast for now do they thrust, A.V.; bring for fetch, A.V. Men that are Romans . We have exactly the same phrase in Acts 22:25 , on a similar occasion, where also is the only other example of the word ἀκατάκριτος , uncondemned. ἄκριτος with a like meaning ("untried," "without trial"), is common in classical Greek. The Latin phrase is indicta causa. By the Lex Valeria, "No quis magistratus civem Romanum adversus provocationem necaret neve verberaret," every Roman citizen had a right to appeal ( provocare ) to the populace against any sentence of death or stripes pronounced by the consuls or any other magistrate; and by the Lex Porcia, no Roman citizen could be scourged. Silas, it appears from the phrase, "us … men that are Romans," was also a civis Romanus. But nothing more is known about it. It does not appear why their exemption as Roman citizens was not made good before; but probably the magistrates refused to listen to any plea in their haste and violence.