Acts 16:27
in Acts 16When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
KJV
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
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This verse in Acts 16
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"The jailer, becoming wise." This is Stephanus, whom Paul mentions in his First Letter to the Corinthians. (1 Cor. 1:16)
This site's exposition
he drew his sword
on Acts 16:27-28
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since Roman law made a guard answer with his life for an escaped prisoner. Paul called out in a loud voice that all were there, so the men he had confined saved his life by staying in an opened prison. This mercy is the hinge of the scene, and it converts a man who had shown them none.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. The keeper was not an evil-disposed man that he thrust them into the inner prison, was because of his having received such a command, not of himself. The man was all in a tumult of perturbation.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Would have killed himself - This was done in the midst of agitation and alarm. He supposed that the prisoners had fled. He presumed that their escape would be charged on him. It was customary to hold a jailor responsible for the safe keeping of prisoners, and to subject him to the punishment due them if he suffered them to escape. See Act 12:19. It should be added that it was common and approved among the Greeks and Romans for a man to commit suicide when he was encompassed with dangers from which he could not escape.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And suddenly there was a great earthquake--in answer, doubtless, to the prayers and expectations of the sufferers that, for the truth's sake and the honor of their Lord, some interposition would take place. every one's bands--that is, the bands of all the prisoners. were loosed--not by the earthquake, of course, but by a miraculous energy accompanying it.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the keeper . . . awaking . . . drew . . . his sword, and would have killed himself, &c.--knowing that his life was forfeited in that case (Ac 12:19; and compare Ac 27:42).
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3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3372: “Conversion and Character” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE work of God at Philippi went on very quietly and successfully in the hands of Paul and Silas. It was the commencement of the Gospel in Europe and very auspicious were its circumstances. The good work was intimately connected with Prayer Meetings, which for this reason should always wear a charm for Europeans. Godly women met together for devotion. Paul spoke to them and households were converted and baptized. The work went on delightfully, but the devil, as usual, must put in his foot!
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3372: “Conversion and Character” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE work of God at Philippi went on very quietly and successfully in the hands of Paul and Silas. It was the commencement of the Gospel in Europe and very auspicious were its circumstances. The good work was intimately connected with Prayer Meetings, which for this reason should always wear a charm for Europeans. Godly women met together for devotion. Paul spoke to them and households were converted and baptized. The work went on delightfully, but the devil, as usual, must put in his foot! To any who judged according to the sight of the eyes, it must have seemed a most unfortunate circumstance that a poor woman having a spirit of divination came in Paul's way. It was a sad ruffling of the gentle stream of prosperity when, on account of his casting the demon out of her, the Apostle and his companion were dragged by the mob before the magistrates, shamefully beaten and thrown into prison. Now the preacher's mouth would be stopped, as far as the people of Philippi outside the jail gates were concerned. No more of those delightful Prayer Meetings and Bible readings and opening up of the Scriptures. Surely there was cause for the deepest regret. It might have appeared so, but like a great many other incidents connected with Christian work, the matter could not be judged by the outward appearance, for the Lord had a secret and blessed design which was being answered by the apparent disaster! Servants of Jesus Christ, never be discouraged when you are opposed, but when things run counter to your wishes, expect that the Lord has provided some better thing for you! He is driving you away from shallow waters and bringing you into deeper seas where your nets shall bring you larger draughts.
The keeper of the prison - would have killed himself - Every jailor was made responsible for his prisoner, under the same penalty to which the prisoner himself was exposed. The jailor, awaking, and finding the prison-doors open, taking it for granted that all the prisoners had made their escape, and that he must lose his life on the account, chose rather to die by his own hand than by that of others. For it was customary among the heathens, when they found death inevitable, to take away their own lives. This custom was applauded by their philosophers, and sanctioned by some of their greatest men.
The words behind it
22 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔξυπνος | exupnos | Awoken | G1853 → | |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| γενόμενος | genomenos | having been | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δεσμοφύλαξ | desmophulax | jailer | G1200 → | 3 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰδὼν | idon | was seeing | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ἀνεῳγμένας | aneogmenas | having opened | G455 → | 77 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θύρας | thuras | doors | G2374 → | 39 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φυλακῆς, | phulakes | prison, | G5438 → | 47 times |
| σπασάμενος | spasamenos | having drawn | G4685 → | |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μάχαιραν | machairan | [his] sword | G3162 → | |
| ἤμελλεν | emellen | he was about | G3195 → | 109 times |
| ἑαυτὸν | he'auton | himself | G1438 → | 322 times |
| ἀναιρεῖν | anairein | to execute | G337 → | 24 times |
| νομίζων | nomizon | supposing | G3543 → | 15 times |
| ἐκπεφευγέναι | ekpepheugenai | to have escaped | G1628 → | |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δεσμίους.¶ | desmious | prisoners. | G1198 → | 16 times |
ἔξυπνοςAwoken
exupnosG1853 →
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
γενόμενοςhaving been
genomenosG1096 →667 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
δεσμοφύλαξjailer
desmophulaxG1200 →3 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδὼνwas seeing
idonG1492 →374 times
ἀνεῳγμέναςhaving opened
aneogmenasG455 →77 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
θύραςdoors
thurasG2374 →39 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
φυλακῆς,prison,
phulakesG5438 →47 times
σπασάμενοςhaving drawn
spasamenosG4685 →
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
μάχαιραν[his] sword
machairanG3162 →
ἤμελλενhe was about
emellenG3195 →109 times
ἑαυτὸνhimself
he'autonG1438 →322 times
ἀναιρεῖνto execute
anaireinG337 →24 times
νομίζωνsupposing
nomizonG3543 →15 times
ἐκπεφευγέναιto have escaped
ekpepheugenaiG1628 →
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
δεσμίους.¶prisoners.
desmiousG1198 →16 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Samuel 17:23When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he…
it leads to
- Matthew 27:5
So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
- 2 Samuel 15:12
While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
- 2 Kings 20:1
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your house in order, for you are about to…
- 1 Kings 16:18
When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died
- Psalms 5:10
Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own devices. Drive them out for their many transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.
- Matthew 27:5
Through
Judges 9:54He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 31:4–5
Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 31:4–5
Through
Matthew 27:5So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
it leads to
- Acts 1:18–19
(Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out.
- Acts 1:18–19
Through
Acts 12:19After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.
it leads to
- John 12:10–11
So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
- John 12:10–11
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3372: “Conversion and Character” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 36; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts.