The Meaning of Acts 16:15 Explained

Acts 16:15

KJV: And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

YLT: and when she was baptized, and her household, she did call upon us, saying, 'If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, having entered into my house, remain;' and she constrained us.

Darby: And when she had been baptised and her house, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.

ASV: And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there . And she constrained us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when  she was baptized,  and  her  household,  she besought  [us], saying,  If  ye have judged  me  to be  faithful  to the Lord,  come  into  my  house,  and abide  [there]. And  she constrained  us. 

What does Acts 16:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 16:14-24 - Welcomed Attested Imprisoned
This was an epoch-making moment, but how quietly it is recorded. There was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. The need for it was unspoken and unfelt. It stole in like the dawn.
Paul's first experiences in Europe were not promising. In most cities there was a Jewish synagogue; but here only a small group of pious women in an arbor by the riverside. Let none despise the day of small things. What a contrast between Lydia, who had come over from Asia Minor, and employed a number of hands in the dyeing trade, and the poor girl who was possessed by the demon! Yet each of them recognized the divine ministry of the newly arrived messengers. What a contrast, also, between the gradual response of Lydia's heart in the revelation of the risen Christ, to whom it opened as a flower to the sun, and the sudden awakening of the jailor!
When Christ touches the pockets of worldly men, He arouses their direct opposition. The world is troubled when it loses its gains; the saints are troubled when they see Christ's property being injured! See Acts 16:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 16

1  Paul and Silas are Joined by Timothy,
7  and being called by the Spirit from one country to another,
14  convert Lydia,
16  and cast out a spirit of divination;
19  for which cause they are whipped and imprisoned
25  The prison doors are opened
31  The jailor is converted,
35  and they are delivered

Greek Commentary for Acts 16:15

And when she was baptized [ως δε εβαπτιστη]
First aorist passive indicative of βαπτιζω — baptizō The river Gangites was handy for the ordinance and she had now been converted and was ready to make this public declaration of her faith in Jesus Christ. [source]
And her household [και ο οικος αυτης]
Who constituted her “household”? The term οικος — oikos originally means the building as below, “into my house” and then it includes the inmates of a house. There is nothing here to show whether Lydia‘s “household” went beyond “the women” employed by her who like her had heard the preaching of Paul and had believed. “Possibly Euodia and Syntyche and the other women, Philemon 4:2, Philemon 4:3, may have been included in the family of Lydia, who may have employed many slaves and freed women in her trade” (Knowling). “This statement cannot be claimed as any argument for infant baptism, since the Greek word may mean her servants or her work-people” (Furneaux). In the household baptisms (Cornelius, Lydia, the jailor, Crispus) one sees “infants” or not according to his predilections or preferences. If ye have judged me (ει κεκρικατε με — ei kekrikate me). Condition of the first class, assumed to be true (ει — ei and the indicative, here perfect active of κρινω — krinō). She had confessed her faith and submitted to baptism as proof that she was “faithful to the Lord” (πιστην τωι κυριωι — pistēn tōi kuriōi), believing on the Lord. “If she was fit for that, surely she was fit to be their hostess” (Furneaux). And Paul and his party had clearly no comfortable place to stay while in Philippi. The ancient hotels or inns were abominable. Evidently Paul demurred for there were four of them and he did not wish to sacrifice his independence or be a burden even to a woman of wealth. And she constrained us Effective first aorist middle of παραβιαζομαι — parabiazomai late word, in the N.T. only here and Luke 24:29. Some moral force So far only women have been won to Christ in Philippi. The use of “us” shows that Luke was not a householder in Philippi. [source]
If ye have judged me [ει κεκρικατε με]
Condition of the first class, assumed to be true She had confessed her faith and submitted to baptism as proof that she was “faithful to the Lord” And Paul and his party had clearly no comfortable place to stay while in Philippi. The ancient hotels or inns were abominable. Evidently Paul demurred for there were four of them and he did not wish to sacrifice his independence or be a burden even to a woman of wealth. [source]
And she constrained us [και παρεβιασατο ημας]
Effective first aorist middle of παραβιαζομαι — parabiazomai late word, in the N.T. only here and Luke 24:29. Some moral force So far only women have been won to Christ in Philippi. The use of “us” shows that Luke was not a householder in Philippi. [source]
Constrained [παρεβιάσατο]
Only here and Luke 24:29, on which see note. The constraint was from ardent gratitude. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 16:15

Luke 24:29 They constrained [παρεβιάσαντο]
Contrary to ( παρά ) his apparent intention of going on. Only here and Acts 16:15. [source]
Luke 24:29 Constrained [παρεβιασαντο]
Strong verb παραβιαζομαι — parabiazomai to compel by use of force (Polybius and lxx). In the N.T. only here and Acts 16:15. It was here compulsion of courteous words. [source]
Acts 16:40 Into the house of Lydia [προς την Λυδιαν]
No word in the Greek for “house,” but it means the house of Lydia. Note “the brethren” here, not merely Luke and Timothy, but other brethren now converted besides those in the house of the jailor. The four missionaries were guests of Lydia (Acts 16:15) and probably the church now met in her home. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 16:15 mean?

When then she was baptized and the house of her she begged saying If you have judged me faithful to the Lord to be having entered into the house of me abide she persuaded us
ὡς δὲ ἐβαπτίσθη καὶ οἶκος αὐτῆς παρεκάλεσεν λέγουσα Εἰ κεκρίκατέ με πιστὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ εἶναι εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου μένετε παρεβιάσατο ἡμᾶς

ἐβαπτίσθη  she  was  baptized 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: βαπτίζω  
Sense: to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk).
οἶκος  house 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
παρεκάλεσεν  she  begged 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παρακαλέω  
Sense: to call to one’s side, call for, summon.
λέγουσα  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
κεκρίκατέ  you  have  judged 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: κρίνω  
Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose.
με  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
πιστὴν  faithful 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πιστός  
Sense: trusty, faithful.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κυρίῳ  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
εἰσελθόντες  having  entered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
οἶκόν  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
μένετε  abide 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: μένω  
Sense: to remain, abide.
παρεβιάσατο  she  persuaded 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παραβιάζομαι  
Sense: to employ force contrary to nature and right.
ἡμᾶς  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.