Acts 16:20

Magistrates. Gr. strategoi, “civic commanders,” or “governors.” The Roman title for such officials was duumviri, or praetores. They were the chief civil magistrates in a Roman colony. There were usually two such officers. They had power to inflict punishment on offenders. Inscriptions from Philippi show that the people of that city incorrectly used the term strategoi for duumviri. This incidentally confirms Luke’s accuracy in using the term here.

Being Jews. The situation is characteristic of many of the early persecutions endured by the Christians. While they were exposed to the enmity of the Jews, they were, at the same time, often identified by the heathen as Jews. Thus they came in for twofold suffering, as Christians and as Jews. If the emperor Claudius had already decreed the expulsion of Jews from the city of Rome (see on ch. 18:2; see p. 98), his edict was doubtless known in the Roman colony of Philippi (see on ch. 16:12, 13), and would intensify the present accusation.

Exceedingly trouble. Gr. ektarasso, an intensive form of the verb translated “to trouble” in ch. 17:8. The kind of trouble and disturbance is indicated in v. 6, where the Christian missionaries are accused of turning “the world upside down.”