Acts 16

Acts · Chapter 16

Acts 16:26

1Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:2Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.3Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.4And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.5And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.8And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.11Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;12And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.13And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.15And 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.16And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.18And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.27And 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.28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.38And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and every one’s bands were loosed.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
SuddenlyἄφνωaphnōG0869
suddenly

ἄφνω (aphnō) ἄφνω adv., [in LXX for פִּתְאוֹם ;] suddenly: Act.2:2 16:26 28:6.† (AS)

thenδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

earthquakeσεισμὸςseismosG4578
earthquake

σεισμός (seismos) σεισμός, -οῦ, ὁ (σείω), [in LXX chiefly for רַעַשׁ ;] a shaking, commotion, as a tempest at sea: Mat.8:24; esp. an earthquake: Mat.24:7 27:54 28:2, Mrk.13:8, Luk.21:11, Act.16:26, Rev.6:12 8:5 11:13, 19 16:18.† (AS)

there wasἐγένετοegenetoG1096
to be

γίνομαι (ginomai) γίνομαι, Ion. and κοινή for Att. γίγν- (M. Pr., 47; Bl., §6, 8 Mayser, 166 f.), [in LXX chiefly for היה ;] 1. of persons, things occurrences, to come into being, be born, arise, come on: Jhn.1:15 8:58, 1Co.15:37; a first appearance in public, Mrk.1:4, Jhn.1:6, al.; before ἐκ (of birth), Rom.1:3, Gal.4:4; διά, Jhn.1:3; βροντή, Jhn.12:29; σεισμός, Rev.6:12; γογγυσμός, Act.6:1; χαρά, Act.8:8, many other similar exx.; ἡμέρα, Luk.22:66, al.; ὀψέ, Mrk.11:19; πρωΐα, Mat.27:1; νύξ, Act.27:27. …

a greatμέγαςmegasG3173
great

μέγας (megas) μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα, [in LXX chiefly for גָּדוֹל, also for מַרְבֶּה ,רַב (incl. μείζων), רֹב (μέγιστος) ;] great; 1. of external form, bodily size, measure, extent: λίθος, Mat.2:60; δράκων, Rev.12:3; ἰχθῦς, Jhn.21:11; πόλις, Rev.11:8; μάχαιρα, Rev.6:4, al. 2. Of intensity and degree: δύναμις, Act.4:33; φόβος, Mrk.4:41; ἀγάπη, Jhn.15:13; ἄνεμος, 'ib. 6:18; κραυγή, Act.23:9; φῶς, Mat.4:16; πυρετός, Luk.4:38; θλίψις, Mat.24:21. 3. Of rank; …

so thatὥστεhōsteG5620
so

ὥστε (hōste) ὥσ-τε consecutive particle, 1. with infin., expressing result, so as to: Mat.8:24 12:22, Mrk.1:27, Luk.5:7, Act.1:19, Rom.7:6, 1Co.1:7, Heb.13:6, al.; of a designed result, Mat.10:1, Luk.4:29, al.; preceded by οὕτως, Act.14:1; by τοσοῦτος, Mat.15:33. 2. C. indic., (a) so that: Gal.2:13, preceded by οὕτως, Jhn.3:16; (b) so then, therefore: Mat.12:12, Mrk.2:28, Rom.7:4, 1Co.3:7, Gal.3:9, al. 3. so then, therefore: with subjc., 1Co.5:8; with imperat., 1Co.3:21 4:5, Php.2:12 1Th.4:18, 1Pe.4:19, al (AS)

shakingσαλευθῆναιsaleuthēnaiG4531
to shake

σαλεύω (saleuō) σαλεύω (σάλος), [in LXX for מוֹט, זוּעַ, etc. ;] prop., of the action of wind, storm, etc., to agitate, shake: of a reed, Mat.11:7, Luk.7:24; a house, Luk.6:48, Act.4:31 16:26; the earth, Heb.12:26; the heavenly bodies, Mat.24:29, Mrk.13:25, Luk.21:26; of a vessel shaken in filling, Luk.6:38. Metaphorical, (a) to shake, i.e. to render insecure: τὰ σαλευόμενα, τὰ μὴ., Heb.12:27; (b) with accusative of person(s), to cast down from a sense of security and happiness: Act.2:25 (LXX); (with) to unsettle or drive away: pass., before ἀπὸ τ. νοός, 2Th.2:2; (d) to stir up: τ. ὄχλους, Act.17:13.† …

foundationsθεμέλιαthemeliaG2310
foundation

θεμέλιος (themelios) θεμέλιος, -ον (τίθημι), [in LXX for אַרְמוֹן, מוֹסָד, etc. ;] of or for a foundation; as subst., ὁ θ. (sc. λίθος), a foundation stone, foundation: Luk.6:48-49 14:29 (but see Deiss., BS, 123); pl., οἰ θ. (cl.), Heb.11:10 Rev.21:14, 19; neut., τὸ θ. (Arist., Phys., vi, 6, 10, LXX and later writers), Act.16:26; metaphorically, Rom.15:20, 1Co.3:10-12 Eph.2:20, 1Ti.6:19, 2Ti.2:19, Heb.6:1.† (AS)

prison house;δεσμωτηρίου·desmōtēriouG1201
prison

δεσμωτήριον (desmōtērion) δεσμωτήριον, -ου, τό [in LXX for בֵּית סֹהַר (Ge), אָסִיר ;] a prison: Mat.11:2, Act.5:21, 23 16:26.† (AS)

were openedἠνεῴχθησανēneōchthēsanG0455
to open

ἀνοίγω (anoigō) ἀν-οίγω (ἀνά, οἴγω = οἴγνυμι) [in LXX chiefly for פָּתַח ;] to open; 1. trans., with accusative; a door or gate, Act.5:19 12:14, Rev.4:1; pass., Act.12:10 16:26-27; metaphorically of opportunity or welcome, Act.14:27, Col.4:3, Rev.3:20; pass., 1Co.16:9, 2Co.2:12, Rev.3:8; absol. (sc. θύραν), Act.5:23 12:16; with dative of person(s), Luk.12:36, Jhn.10:3; metaphorically, Mat.7:7-8 25:11, Luk.11:9-10 13:25, Rev.3:7; θησαυρούς (Sir.43:14), Mat.2:11; τ. μνημεῖα, Mat.27:52; τάφος, Rom.3:13; τ. φρέαρ, Rev.9:2; of heaven, Mat.3:16, Luk.3:21, Act.10:11, Rev.11:19 15:5 19:11; σφραγῖδα, Rev.5:9 6:1 ff. …

thenδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

immediatelyπαραχρῆμαparachrēmaG3916
instantly

παραχρῆμα (parachrēma) παραχρῆμα adv. (= παρὰ τὸ χρῆμα), [in LXX: Num.6:9 12:4, Isa.29:5 30:13 (פִּתְאוֹם), etc. ;] on the spot, forthwith, instantly: Mat.21:19-20, Luk.1:64 4:39 5:25 8:44, 47 8:55 13:13 18:43 19:11 22:60, Act.3:7 5:10 12:23 13:11 16:26, 33 (on the usage in Mt, Lk, see Dalman, Words, 28 f.).† (AS)

doorsθύραιthuraiG2374
door

θύρα (thura) θύρα, -ας, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for פֶּתַח, also for דַּל, דֶּלֶת, etc. ;] a door: κλείειν (ἀποκ-) τὴν θ., Mat.6:6, Luk.13:25; pass., Mat.25:10, Luk.11:7, Jhn.20:19, 26, Act.21:30; ἀνοίγειν, Act.5:19; pass., Act.16:26-27; κρούειν, Act.12:13; διὰ τῆς θ., Jhn.10:1-2; πρὸς τὴν θ., Mrk.1:33 11:4 (WH om. τήν), Act.3:2; τὰ πρὸς τὴν θ., the space by the door, Mrk.2:2; πρὸς τῇ θ., Jhn.18:16; ἐπὶ τῇ θ, Act.5:9; πρὸ τῆς θ., Act.12:6; ἐπὶ τῶν θ., Act.5:23; ἡ θ. τ. μνημείου, Mat.27:60, Mrk.15:46 16:3. Metaphorical, of Christ, ἡ θ. τ. προβάτων, Jhn.10:7, 9; of the Kingdom of Heaven, Luk.13:24; of opportunit …

all,πᾶσαι,pasaiG3956
all

πᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. …

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

of allπάντωνpantōnG3956
all

πᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. …

chainsδεσμὰdesmaG1199
chain

δεσμός (desmos) δεσμός, -οῦ, ὁ (δέω), [in LXX chiefly for אסר ;] a band, bond: metaphorically, Luk.13:16; ὁ δεσμὸς τ. γλώσσης, Mrk.7:35 (for this expression in π., see Deiss., LAE, 306 ff.; of actual bonds, see Ruth., Gr., 9). Pl., δεσμοί, Php.1:13; δεσμά (as also in cl.), Luk.8:29, Act.16:26 20:23; genitive, dative, Act.23:29 26:29, 31, Php.1:7, 14, 17, Col.4:18, 2Ti.2:9, Phm 10, Heb.11:36, Ju 6; ἐν τοῖς δ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Phm 13.† (AS)

were loosed.ἀνέθη.anethēG0447
to loosen/leave

ἀνίημι (aniēmi) ἀν-ίημι (ἀνά, ἵημι), [in LXX for רָפָה, נָשָׂא, etc. ;] 1. to send up, produce, to send back. 2. to let go, leave without support: Heb.13:5 (cf. Deu.31:6; Hom., Iliad., ii, 71). 3. to relax, loosen (see Field, Notes, 124 f.): Act.16:26 27:40; hence, metaphorically, to give up, desist from: Eph.6:9.† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.