Acts 16:26

Miracles and God's intervention God's power and sovereignty

²⁴ On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

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

²⁷ When 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.

²⁸ But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
KJV: 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.
WEB: 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.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: 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 the chains of all were loosed.

ÅB: Da kom det med ett et sterkt jordskjelv, så fengslets grunnvoller ristet, og straks sprang alle dører opp, og alles lenker løstes.
OTB: Plutselig var det et stort jordskjelv, slik at fengselets grunnvoller ble rystet; straks ble alle dørene åpnet, og alles lenker ble løsnet.
B1930: Da kom det med ett et sterkt jordskjelv, så fengslets grunnvoller rystet, og straks sprang alle dører op, og alles lenker løstes.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 4:31
After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Read in context
Acts 5:19
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
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Acts 12:10
They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.
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Acts 12:7
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
Read in context
Psalms 146:7
He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free,
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Matthew 28:2
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it.
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Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
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Psalms 102:20
to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
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