Acts 16:27
New International Version
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

New Living Translation
The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.

English Standard Version
When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Berean Literal Bible
And the jailer having been awoken and having seen the doors of the prison open, having drawn his sword was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have escaped.

King James Bible
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 been fled.

New King James Version
And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

New American Standard Bible
When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

NASB 1995
When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

NASB 1977
And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Legacy Standard Bible
And when the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Amplified Bible
When the jailer, shaken out of sleep, saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

Christian Standard Bible
When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

American Standard Version
And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when the Keeper of the prison was awakened and he saw that the doors of the prison were open, he took a sword and sought to kill himself because he thought that the prisoners had escaped.

Contemporary English Version
When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing his sword, would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

English Revised Version
And the jailor being roused out of sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword, and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

Good News Translation
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped; so he pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself.

International Standard Version
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

Literal Standard Version
and the jailor having come out of sleep, and having seen the doors of the prison open, having drawn a sword, was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have fled,

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew [his] sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

NET Bible
When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped.

New Revised Standard Version
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.

New Heart English Bible
The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 fled.

Weymouth New Testament
Starting up from sleep and seeing the doors of the jail wide open, the jailer drew his sword and was on the point of killing himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

World English Bible
The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Young's Literal Translation
and the jailor having come out of sleep, and having seen the doors of the prison open, having drawn a sword, was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to be fled,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Conversion of the Jailer
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!”…

Cross References
Acts 12:19
After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

Acts 16:23
And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

Acts 16:28
But Paul called out in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself! We are all here!"

Acts 16:36
The jailer informed Paul: "The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace."


Treasury of Scripture

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 been fled.

the keeper.

Acts 16:23,24
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: …

he drew.

Judges 9:54
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

1 Samuel 31:4,5
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it…

2 Samuel 17:23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

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Awakened Awaking Awoke Death Doors Drawn Drew Escaped Fearing Fled Jail Jailer Keeper Kill Killed Killing Open Opened Point Prison Prisoners Roused Sleep Starting Supposing Sword Thought Wide Woke
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Awakened Awaking Awoke Death Doors Drawn Drew Escaped Fearing Fled Jail Jailer Keeper Kill Killed Killing Open Opened Point Prison Prisoners Roused Sleep Starting Supposing Sword Thought Wide Woke
Acts 16
1. Paul and Silas are Joined by Timothy,
7. and being called by the Spirit from one country to another,
14. convert Lydia,
16. and cast out a spirit of divination;
19. for which cause they are whipped and imprisoned.
25. The prison doors are opened.
31. The jailor is converted,
35. and they are delivered.














(27) He drew out his sword, and would have killed himself.--We have seen in Acts 12:19 what was to be expected by a gaoler who, under any circumstances, allowed a prisoner to escape. (See also Note on Acts 27:42.) Here the man sought to anticipate his fate. Suicide was a natural resource under such conditions everywhere, but here there was a local predisposing influence. Philippi, after the great battle in which Brutus and Cassius had been defeated by Antonius, had been conspicuous for the number of those who had thus preferred death to the abandonment of the Republic and the loss of freedom. This act had been looked on as heroic (Plutarch, Brutus, c. 52), and was naturally enough contagious.

Verse 27. - The jailor being roused for the keeper of the prison awaking, A.V.; sleep for his sleep, A.V.; drew for he drew out, A.V.; was about to kill for would have killed, A.V.; escaped for been fled, A.V. This readiness to kill himself rather than incur the disgrace of failure in his charge is characteristic of the Roman soldier (comp. Acts 27:43).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[When]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

jailer
δεσμοφύλαξ (desmophylax)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1200: A keeper of a prison, a jailer. From desmon and phulax; a jailer.

woke up
Ἔξυπνος (Exypnos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1853: Roused out of sleep. From ek and hupnos; awake.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

saw
ἰδὼν (idōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

the
τὰς (tas)
Article - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

prison
φυλακῆς (phylakēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5438: From phulasso; a guarding or, the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition, or, the time, literally or figuratively.

doors
θύρας (thyras)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2374: (a) a door, (b) met: an opportunity. Apparently a primary word; a portal or entrance.

open,
ἀνεῳγμένας (aneōgmenas)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 455: To open. From ana and oigo; to open up.

he drew
σπασάμενος (spasamenos)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4685: To draw (as a sword), pull. A primary verb; to draw.

his
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sword
μάχαιραν (machairan)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3162: A sword. Probably feminine of a presumed derivative of mache; a knife, i.e. Dirk; figuratively, war, judicial punishment.

[and] was about
ἤμελλεν (ēmellen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3195: A strengthened form of melo; to intend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something.

to kill
ἀναιρεῖν (anairein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 337: From ana and haireomai; to take up, i.e. Adopt; by implication, to take away, i.e. Abolish, murder.

himself,
ἑαυτὸν (heauton)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

presuming that
νομίζων (nomizōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3543: From nomos; properly, to do by law, i.e. To accustom; by extension, to deem or regard.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

prisoners
δεσμίους (desmious)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1198: One bound, a prisoner. From desmon; a captive.

had escaped.
ἐκπεφευγέναι (ekpepheugenai)
Verb - Perfect Infinitive Active
Strong's 1628: To flee out, away, escape; with an acc: I escape something. From ek and pheugo; to flee out.


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NT Apostles: Acts 16:27 The jailer being roused out of sleep (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 16:26
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