Acts 16:26

Suddenly there was a very strong earthquake. It shook the entire jail [SYN] and its foundation [SYN]. The earthquake caused all the doors of the jail to open suddenly, and caused all the chains that fastened the prisoners to fall off.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

And 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.

In Context

25About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying aloud and praising God by singing hymns. The other prisoners were listening attentively to them.

27The jailer woke up and saw that the doors of the jail were open. He thought that the prisoners had escaped. So he pulled out his sword in order to kill himself, because he knew that the officials would kill him if the prisoners escaped.

Read all of Acts 16

Cross References

1 Kings 13:28Then he rode on the donkey and found the prophet’s corpse on the road, and his donkey and the lion were still standing there alongside the corpse. But the lion had not eaten any of the flesh of the prophet and had not attacked the donkey.

Psalms 102:20They will know that you hear prisoners groaning and that you will set free those who have been told, “You will be executed.”

Isaiah 42:7You will enable blind [IDM] people to see, you will free those who are in prison (OR, who are bound by the guilt of their sins) [MET] and release those who are in dark dungeons.

Zechariah 9:11As for you my people of Jerusalem, because of the blood of the animals that were sacrificed to make my agreement with you, I will free your people who were forced to go to other countries where it was as though they were kept in a waterless pit.

Acts 4:31When the believers had finished praying, the place where they were meeting shook. All of them were ◄completely controlled/empowered► by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit ◄completely controlled/empowered► all of them}, with the result that they began to speak boldly the words that God told them to speak.

Acts 12:7Suddenly an angel from the Lord God stood beside Peter, and a bright light shone in his cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up and said, “Get up quickly!” While Peter was getting up, the chains fell off from his wrists. However, the soldiers were not aware of what was happening.

Matthew Henry on Acts 16:26-35

Paul and Silas in Prison; Conversion of the Philippian Jailer. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And 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. 27 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Acts 16:26