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Wednesday, November 6th, 2024
the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Acts 16:26

Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Criminals;   Earthquakes;   Family;   Minister, Christian;   Miracles;   Paul;   Philippi;   Prisoners;   Readings, Select;   Silas;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Bondage, Physical;   Children;   Deliverance;   Earthquakes;   Events, Sudden;   Home;   Liberty-Bondage;   Missions, World-Wide;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Power;   Prayer;   Prisons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Sudden Events;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Earthquakes;   Foundation;   Prayer, Answers to;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Miracle;   Philippi;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Earthquake;   Macedonia;   Paul;   Philippians, letter to the;   Silas;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prayer;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Earthquake;   Philippi;   Scourging;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Thessalonica;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Colony;   Earthquake;   Macedonia;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Earthquake;   Galatians, Epistle to the;   Lydia;   Magistrate;   Miracles;   Philippians, Epistle to;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Chain, Bonds;   Door;   Jailor;   Key;   Miracles;   Philippians Epistle to the;   Prison;   Prisoner;   Silas or Silyanus;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Earthquake;   Philippi ;   Prison;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Lydia;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Lystra;   Philippi;   Philippians;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Earthquake;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Band;   Earthquake;   Foundation;   Persecution;   Philippi;   Prison;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And sodenly ther was a greate erth quake so that ye fonndacion of the preson was shaken and by and by all the dores opened and every mannes bondes were lowsed.
Hebrew Names Version
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened.
International Standard Version
Suddenly, there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken. All the doors immediately flew open, and everyone's chains were unfastened.Acts 4:31; 5:19;">[xr]
New American Standard Bible
and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were unfastened.
New Century Version
Suddenly, there was a strong earthquake that shook the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open, and all the prisoners were freed from their chains.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
English Standard 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 everyone's bonds were unfastened.
World English Bible
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
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.
Weymouth's New Testament
when suddenly there was such a violent shock of earthquake that the prison shook to its foundations. Instantly the doors all flew open, and the chains fell off from every prisoner.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sudenli a greet erthe mouyng was maad, so that the foundementis of the prisoun weren moued. And anoon alle the doris weren openyd, and the boondis of alle weren lousid.
English Revised Version
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.
Contemporary English Version
Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
Amplified Bible
suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved: and all the doors came open, and everyone's chains came off.
Complete Jewish Bible
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose.
Darby Translation
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook, and all the doors were immediately opened, and the bonds of all loosed.
Etheridge Translation
And suddenly there was a great trembling, and the foundations of the house of the bound trembled, and at once the doors of all were opened, and the chains of all were loosened.
Murdock Translation
And suddenly there was a great shaking, and the foundations of the prison were moved; and at once all the doors opened, and the bands of all were loosed.
King James Version (1611)
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doores were opened, and euery ones bands were loosed.
New Living Translation
Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
New Life Bible
All at once the earth started to shake. The stones under the prison shook and the doors opened. The chains fell off from everyone.
New Revised Standard
Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken: and by and by all the doores opened, and euery mans bands were loosed.
George Lamsa Translation
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and the bands of all were loosed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, suddenly, a great earthquake took place, - so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors were instantlyset open, and the bonds of all were unfastened.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and the bands of all were loosed.
Revised Standard 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 fetters were unfastened.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And sodenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the pryson was shaken, and immediatly all the doores opened, and euery mans bandes were loosed.
Good News Translation
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, which shook the prison to its foundations. At once all the doors opened, and the chains fell off all the prisoners.
Christian Standard Bible®
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.
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.
Lexham English Bible
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were unfastened.
Literal Translation
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jail were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and all of the bonds were loosened.
Young's Literal Translation
and suddenly a great earthquake came, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, opened also presently were all the doors, and of all -- the bands were loosed;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sodenly was there a greate earth quake, so that the foundacions of the preson were shaken. And immediatly were all the dores open, & all their bondes lowsed
Mace New Testament (1729)
when all of a sudden there was such a great earthquake, that the foundations of the prison were shaken: immediately all the doors opened, and the setters dropp'd from the prisoners.
New English Translation
Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose.
New King James Version
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Suddenly, the ground started shaking something fierce, and the whole jail seemed to be coming apart. But the only things that came apart were every prisoner's chains and all the doors to the cells.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.
Legacy Standard Bible
And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.

Contextual Overview

25About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.27When 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. 28But Paul called out in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself! We are all here!" 29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household." 32Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. 33At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized. 34Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

suddenly: Acts 4:31, Acts 5:19, Acts 12:7, Acts 12:10, Matthew 28:2, Revelation 6:12, Revelation 11:13

and every: Psalms 79:11, Psalms 102:20, Psalms 146:7, Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 61:1, Zechariah 9:11, Zechariah 9:12

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 13:28 - the lion had 2 Chronicles 7:1 - when Solomon Job 37:1 - General Psalms 18:7 - earth Psalms 107:14 - brake Ezekiel 37:7 - there Acts 2:2 - suddenly Acts 26:22 - obtained Hebrews 1:14 - minister Revelation 8:5 - an

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And suddenly there was a great earthquake,.... An extraordinary and unusual one; which did not arise from natural causes, from wind being pent up in the earth, but from the prayers and praises of the saints, going up to heaven; when God was pleased to testify his presence and power this way; and the effects which followed upon this earthquake, show it to be a supernatural one:

so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; not the roof and walls only, as is common in earthquakes, but the very foundation also; and yet the edifice was not thrown down, as is usual when the foundation is shaken:

and immediately all the doors were opened; both of the outer and inner prisons, which is another unusual effect of earthquakes:

and everyone's bands were loosed; not only the bands of Paul and Silas, but of the rest of the prisoners; though the Arabic version reads, "all the fetters and bands of both were loosed", referring it only to Paul and Silas; this circumstance shows also, that the earthquake was miraculous, for when was it ever known that such an effect ever followed one?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And suddenly - While they were praying and singing.

A great earthquake - Matthew 28:2. An earthquake, in such circumstances, was regarded as a symbol of the presence of God, and as an answer to prayer. See the notes on Acts 4:31. The design of this was, doubtless, to furnish them proof of the presence and protection of God, and to provide a way for them to escape. It was one among the series of wonders by which the gospel was established, and the early Christians protected amidst their dangers.

And immediately all the doors were opened - An effect that would naturally follow from the violent concussion of the earthquake. Compare Acts 5:19.

Everyone’s bands were loosed - This was evidently a miracle. Some have supposed that their chains were dissolved by electric fluid; but the narrative gives no account of any such fluid, even supposing such an effect to be possible. It was evidently a direct interposition of divine power. But for what purpose it was done is not recorded. Grotius supposes that it was that they might know that the apostles might be useful to them and to others, and that by them their spiritual bonds might be loosed. Probably the design was to impress all the prisoners with the conviction of the presence and power of God, and thus to prepare them to receive the message of life from the lips of his servants Paul and Silas. They had just before heard them singing and praying; they were aware, doubtless, of the cause for which they were imprisoned; they saw evident tokens that they were the servants of the Most High, and under his protection; and their own minds were impressed and awed by the terrors of the earthquake, and by the fact of their own liberation. It renders this scene the more remarkable, that though the doors were opened, and the prisoners loosed, yet no one made any attempt to escape.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 16:26. There was a great earthquake — Thus God bore a miraculous testimony of approbation to his servants; and, by the earthquake, and loosing the bonds of the prisoners, showed, in a symbolical way, the nature of that religion which they preached: while it shakes and terrifies the guilty, it proclaims deliverance to the captives, and the opening of the prison-doors to them that are bound; and sets at liberty them that are bruised.

Every one's bands were loosed. — And yet so eminently did God's providence conduct every thing, that not one of the prisoners made his escape, though the doors were open, and his bolts off!


 
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