“The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
Parallel translations
- WEB “We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
- KJV Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
- BSB “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
- NKJV saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
- NASB saying, “We found the prison locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The guards confirm the prison was securely locked yet empty. The miracle is verified by careful, baffled witnesses.
Overview
Every security measure had been intact, ruling out a natural escape and underscoring the supernatural release. The officers' precise testimony heightens the wonder of God's intervention. Their bewilderment foreshadows the leaders' growing inability to stop the movement they oppose.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 2:4He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.
- Ps 33:10Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
- Acts 5:19But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said,
- Lam 3:37Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
- Prov 21:30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.
- Lam 3:55–58I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
- John 8:59Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.
- Matt 27:63–66saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’
- Dan 3:11–25and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.
- Dan 6:22–24My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; because as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no hurt.
- Matt 28:12–15When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 5:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.