en_tn/act/16/37.md

# General Information:

All of the times the word "they" is used and the first time "them" is used, the words refer to the magistrates. The word "themselves" refers to the magistrates. The second time the word "them" is used, it refers to Paul and Silas.

# General Information:

The word "us" refers only to Paul and Silas. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]])

# said to them

Probably Paul is speaking to the jailer, but he intends for the jailer to tell the magistrates what he says. AT: "said to the jailer" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# They have publicly beaten us

Here "They" refers to the magistrates who commanded their soldiers to beat them. AT: "The magistrates ordered their soldiers to beat us in public" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# without a trial, even through we are Romans citizens—and they threw us into prison

"men who are Roman citizens, and they had their soldiers put us in jail though they had not proven in court that we were guilty"

# Do they now want to send us away secretly? No!

Paul uses a question to emphasize that he will not allow the magistrates to send them out the city in secret after they had mistreated Paul and Silas. AT: "I will certainly not let them send us out of the city in secret!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# Let them come themselves

Here "themselves" is used for emphasis. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rpronouns]])

# when they heard that Paul and Silas were Romans, they were afraid

To be a Roman meant to be a legal citizens of the Empire. Citizenship provided freedom from torture and the right to a fair trial. The city leaders were afraid that more important Roman authorities might learn how the city leaders had mistreated Paul and Silas. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])