Acts 16:22The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
The setting
Philippi's town square, ~50 AD. Roman magistrates (duumviri) ordering lictors with fasces rods to strip and beat two Roman citizens without trial...
The emotion here: Luke writing with controlled anger at the injustice he witnessed
The original word
perirignymi (περιρήγνυμι) — to tear all around, completely strip away clothing
Why it matters
Beating a Roman citizen without trial was punishable by death — the magistrates were breaking imperial law
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 16:22
Paul was a Roman citizen — this beating was completely illegal, which is why the magistrates panic when they find out later
Common misconceptionPeople think this was legal Roman justice, but it was actually a serious crime. The magistrates violated imperial law by beating citizens without trial.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 16:22
Bible Genome reading
Acts 16:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 16:22 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mob violence, persecution, suffering. Notable phrases: multitude rose up; tore their clothes.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
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