Acts 16:23

Acts 16:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
• New International Version (NIV)After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

Context of Acts 16:23

21and they’re advocating customs that we can’t accept or practice as Roman citizens.” 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered ⌞the guards⌟ to beat them with sticks. After they had hit Paul and Silas many times, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security. 24So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons. 25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:23 word by word

πολλάς τε ἐπιθέντες αὐτοῖς πληγὰς ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακὴν παραγγείλαντες τῷ δεσμοφύλακι ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν αὐτούς·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andτεte · and/bothG5037
• when they had laidἐπιτίθημιepitithēmi · to put/lay onG2007
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• stripesπληγήplēgē · plague/blow/woundG4127
• upon themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• they castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• prisonφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438
• chargingπαραγγέλλωparaggellō · to orderG3853
• the jailorὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the jailorδεσμοφύλαξdesmophulax · jailerG1200
• to keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: guardG5083
• safelyἀσφαλῶςasphalōs · securelyG806

Cross-references for Acts 16:23

• Acts 5:18by arresting the apostles and putting them in the city jail.
• Acts 8:3Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.
• Acts 9:2and asked him to write letters of authorization to the synagogue leaders in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted to arrest any man or woman who followed the way ⌞of Christ⌟ and imprison them in Jerusalem.
• Acts 12:4After capturing Peter, Herod had him thrown into prison with sixteen soldiers in squads of four to guard him. Herod wanted to bring Peter to trial in front of the people after Passover.
• Luke 21:12“Before all these things happen, people will arrest and persecute you. They will hand you over to their synagogues and put you into their prisons. They will drag you in front of kings and governors because of my name.
• Ephesians 3:1This is the reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for those of you who are not Jewish.
• Ephesians 4:1I, a prisoner in the Lord, encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you.
• 2 Timothy 2:9I’m suffering disgrace for spreading this Good News. I have even been put into prison like a criminal. However, God’s word is not imprisoned.
• Philemon 1:9However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
• Revelation 1:9I am John, your brother. I share your suffering, ruling, and endurance because of Jesus. I was ⌞exiled⌟ on the island of Patmos because of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus.
• Revelation 2:10Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. Your suffering will go on for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
• Acts 5:23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors. However, when we opened the doors, we found no one inside.”
• Acts 12:18In the morning the soldiers were in an uproar over what had happened to Peter.
• 1 Samuel 23:22Please make more plans, and watch where he goes. Who has seen him there? I’m told he’s very clever.
• Matthew 26:48Now, the traitor had given them a signal. He said, “The one I kiss is the man you want. Arrest him!”
• Matthew 27:63They said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be brought back to life.’

Commentaries on Acts 16:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Laid many stripes upon them - The Jews never gave more than thirty-nine stripes to any criminal; but the Romans had no law relative to this: they gave as many as they chose; and the apostles had, undoubtedly, the fullest measure. And perhaps St. Paul refers to this, where he says, 2 Corinthians 11:23; : ̔, in stripes beyond measure or moderation.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23And when they had laid many stripes on them - The Jews were by law prohibited from inflicting more than 40 stripes, and usually inflicted but 39, 2 Corinthians 11:24. But there was no such law among the Romans. They were unrestricted in regard to the number of lashes, and probably inflicted many more. Perhaps Paul refers to this when he says 2 Corinthians 11:23, “In stripes above measure.” that is, beyond the usual measure among the Jews, or beyond…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-24Verses 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-24They took all necessary security measures. They wanted to guarantee that Paul and Silas did not escape after they stripped and beat them with wooden rods (see 22:24–26; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:23–25). However, as at Christ’s tomb, human efforts could not stop God's intervention (Matthew 27:65).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2423-24. when they had laid many stripes upon them--the bleeding wounds from which they were not washed till it was done by the converted jailer (Ac 16:33). charged the jailer ... who ... thrust them into the inner prison--"pestilential cells, damp and cold, from which the light was excluded, and where the chains rusted on the prisoners. One such place may be seen to this day on the slope of the Capitol at Rome" [Howson].Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 16:23

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Criminals
• Heresy
• Malice
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Philippi
• Prisoners
• Readings, Select
• Scourging
• Silas

In the dictionaries

• Establish
• Gather
• Gone
• Harm
• Jailer
• James
• Judge
• Light
• Macedonia
• Note

Commentaries on Acts 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings