Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 16]
B.C. 248 made it a crime to inflict blows on a Roman citizen.
Cicero says, "To fetter a Roman citizen was a crime, to scourge
him a scandal, to slay him--parricide." Claudius had "deprived
the city of Rhodes of its freedom for having crucified some
citizen of Rome" (Rackham). {Publicly} (\d•mosi•i\). This added
insult to injury. Common adverb (\hod•i\) supplied with
adjective, associative instrumental case, opposed to \idi•i\ or
\kat' oikous\, Ac 20:20) {Uncondemned} (\akatakritous\). This
same verbal adjective from \kata-krin•\ with \a\ privative is
used by Paul in 22:25 and nowhere else in the N.T. Rare in late
Greek like \akatagn•stos\, but in late _Koin•_ (papyri,
inscriptions). The meaning is clearly "without being tried." Paul
and Silas were not given a chance to make a defence. They were
sentenced unheard (25:16). Even slaves in Roman law had a right
to be heard. {Men that are Romans} (\anthr•pous Romaious
huparchontas\). The praetors did not know, of course, that Paul
and Silas were Roman citizens any more than Lysias knew it in Ac
22:27. Paul's claim is not challenged in either instance. It was
a capital offence to make a false claim to Roman citizenship.
{Have cast us into prison} (\ebalan eis phulak•n\). Second aorist
active indicative of \ball•\, old verb, with first aorist ending
as often in the _Koin•_ (\-an\, not \-on\). This was the climax,
treating them as criminals. {And now privily} (\kai nun
lathr•i\). Paul balances their recent conduct with the former.
{Nay verily, but} (\ou gar, alla\). No indeed! It is the use of
\gar\ so common in answers (\ge+ara\) as in Mt 27:23. \Alla\
gives the sharp alternative. {Themselves} (\autoi\). As a public
acknowledgment that they had wronged and mistreated Paul and
Silas. Let them come themselves and lead us out (\exagaget•san\,
third person plural second aorist active imperative of \exag•\).
It was a bitter pill to the proud praetors.
16:39 {They feared} (\ephob•th•san\). This is the explanation.
They became frightened for their own lives when they saw what
they had done to Roman citizens. {They asked} (\•r•t•n\).
Imperfect active of \er•ta•\. They kept on begging them to leave
for fear of further trouble. The colonists in Philippi would turn
against the praetors if they learned the facts, proud as they
were of being citizens. This verb in the _Koin•_ is often used as
here to make a request and not just to ask a question.
16:40 {Into the house of Lydia} (\pros t•n Ludian\). No word in
the Greek for "house," but it means the house of Lydia. Note "the
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