Acts 16 23

Acts 16:23 kjv

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

Acts 16:23 nkjv

And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

Acts 16:23 niv

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.

Acts 16:23 esv

And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

Acts 16:23 nlt

They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.

Acts 16 verses

Acts 16 23 Meaning

Acts 16:23 describes the immediate consequences Paul and Silas faced after delivering the slave girl from a demon. It details their brutal physical punishment ("many stripes") and subsequent harsh imprisonment, indicating the severity with which the Philippian magistrates viewed their actions. The verse underscores the official command for the jailer to ensure no escape, highlighting the perceived threat of the missionaries and the authorities' determination to contain them.

Acts 16 23 Context

Acts chapter 16 describes Paul's second missionary journey. Arriving in Philippi, a significant Roman colony, Paul and Silas encountered a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination, who brought much profit to her owners through fortune-telling. Paul, grieved by her plight, cast out the demon. This act led to their immediate arrest and public condemnation. Her owners, enraged by the loss of their income, incited a mob against Paul and Silas, accusing them before the magistrates of "disturbing our city" and "advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice." Reacting to the crowd's clamor, and without a formal trial or proper investigation, the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods (Acts 16:22). Verse 23 details the severity of this unjust punishment and the subsequent, highly secure, imprisonment. This reflects the deep cultural and religious clashes that characterized the spread of the Gospel in a pagan, Roman-controlled world.

Acts 16 23 Word analysis

• And when they had laid many stripes upon them,
  • "many stripes": (Greek: pollas plēgas - πολλὰς πληγάς) "Stripes" here refers to severe blows or lashings. In the Roman context, this was likely administered with virgae (rods) by lictors, an official form of corporal punishment in Roman colonies like Philippi. This was not a minor incident; such beatings were notoriously brutal, designed to inflict pain, humiliation, and often left lasting wounds, sometimes even resulting in death. It reflects an immediate, unceremonious, and severe punishment meted out by magistrates reacting to public pressure, rather than through due process.
  • "laid... upon them": The action implies an act of authority and force. The "they" refers to the magistrates and their accompanying officials, executing the crowd's demand and their own biased judgment. The choice to inflict "many" stripes emphasizes the excessive and cruel nature of the punishment beyond what might be considered merely symbolic.
• they cast them into prison,
  • "cast... into prison": (Greek: eis phylakēn - εἰς φυλακὴν) This term for prison generally referred to a place of detention, primarily for those awaiting trial or sentence, rather than as a long-term correctional facility in the Roman legal system. The act of "casting" suggests an abrupt, forceful, and dismissive action. Their physical injuries would have made the confinement even more agonizing.
  • "they": Refers to the same authorities—the Philippian magistrates—who ordered the beating, demonstrating their resolve to contain Paul and Silas and remove them from public influence.
• charging the jailer to keep them safely.
  • "charging the jailer": (Greek: parēggeilan tō desmophylaki - παρήγγειλαν τῷ δεσμοφύλακι) The verb parēggeilan signifies giving a strict command or formal instruction. The "jailer" (desmophylax) was the official responsible for the security of prisoners. This was a direct, clear order from the highest local authority, underscoring the serious view they held of Paul and Silas.
  • "to keep them safely": (Greek: asphalōs tērein - ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν) Asphalōs means securely, certainly, or without danger. Tērein means to guard or keep. This emphasis indicates that the magistrates considered Paul and Silas to be either a significant escape risk, dangerous, or important to keep for further proceedings, potentially for legal investigation, though an unlawful trial already occurred. The command demanded extra vigilance, foreshadowing the extreme measures taken in the next verse, such as putting them in the inner prison and securing their feet in stocks. It points to a fear that Paul and Silas, through divine or spiritual power, might escape.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison,": This sequence highlights an escalating abuse of power. First, the violent, unlawful beating, then immediate incarceration. It demonstrates a judicial system acting impulsively and without due process, driven by fear, prejudice, and economic interests. This progression showcases the swift, severe, and illegal punishment endured by the apostles, painting a picture of brutal authoritarian action.
  • "charging the jailer to keep them safely.": This specific instruction elevates the security level beyond standard imprisonment. It reveals the magistrates' determination to prevent Paul and Silas from escaping or having any further impact on the city, signifying how seriously they perceived the threat these missionaries posed to the existing social, economic, and religious order.

Acts 16 23 Bonus section

This incident in Philippi sets the stage for a dramatic divine intervention, as seen in the following verses (Acts 16:25-34) with the earthquake and the conversion of the jailer and his household. The suffering of Paul and Silas here is not an end but a crucial part of God's redemptive plan. The very "safeguarding" measures enforced by the authorities paradoxically ensured the presence of Paul and Silas for the divine appointment with the jailer. Paul’s subsequent declaration of his Roman citizenship (Acts 16:37) retrospectively exposes the grave illegality of this particular beating and imprisonment, revealing a legal vindication that further underlines the initial injustice. This event serves as an example of how adversity, though painful, can be a pathway to profound spiritual impact and the expansion of God's kingdom.

Acts 16 23 Commentary

Acts 16:23 succinctly encapsulates the injustice and suffering inflicted upon Paul and Silas for preaching the Gospel. The severe flogging, administered without a legal trial, was a blatant violation of Roman law, especially as Paul was a Roman citizen—a fact not yet disclosed. Following this brutal punishment, their imprisonment under explicit orders for maximum security reveals the depth of the authorities' anxiety and the perceived threat the apostles represented to their established social and economic order. This verse highlights the profound opposition early Christianity faced, not just from religious establishments, but also from civil authorities whose interests (both financial and social) were challenged by the gospel message. Yet, in their suffering, the apostles became a powerful testament to unyielding faith.