Acts 16:23

Act 16:23. Ἐπιθέντες, when they had laid upon them) They do not immediately say that they are Romans; or else in the tumult they were not heard. We are not always to use all helps (safeguards against ill-treatment) in every way: we must give ear to the Divine direction.—παραγγείλαντες, having charged) More for the sake of appeasing the crowd, as it seems probable, than that they thought Paul and Silas guilty: Act 16:35.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 16:23 . δεσμοφύλακι , Lucian, Tox. , 30; Jos., Ant. , ii., 5, 1, LXX ἀρχιδεσμοφύλαξ , Gen 39:21-23 ; Gen 40:3 A, Gen 41:10 A ( cf. the word ἀρχισωματοφύλαξ , Deissmann, Neue Bibelstudien , p. 93). Chrysostom and Oecumenius identify him with Stephanus, but he was the first-fruits of Achaia, 1Co 16:15 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (Act 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].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. Laid 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, 2Co 11:23: εν πληγαις υπερβαλλοντως, in stripes beyond measure or moderation.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. That he should keep them safe. Whereas the magistrates command that Paul and Silas should be kept so diligently, it was done to this end, that they might know more of the matter. For they had already beaten them with rods to appease the tumult. And this is that which I said of late, that the world doth rage with such blind fury against the ministers of the gospel, that it doth keep no mean in severity. But as it is very profitable for us, for example’s sake, to know how uncourteously and uncomely the witnesses of Christ were entertained in times past; so it is no less profitable to know that which Luke addeth immediately concerning their fortitude and patience. For even when they lay bound with fetters, he saith that in prayer they lauded God, whereby it appeareth that neither the reproach with they suffered, nor the stripes which made their flesh smarter, nor the stink of the deep dungeon, nor the danger of death, which was hard at hand, could hinder them from giving thanks to the Lord joyfully and with glad hearts.

We must note this general rule, that we cannot pray as we ought, but we must also praise God. For though the desire to pray arise of the feeling of our want and miseries, and therefore it is, for the most part, joined with sorrow and carefulness; yet the faithful must so bridle their affections, that they murmur not against God; so that the right form of prayer doth join two affections together, (to look too contrary,) [viz.] carefulness and sorrow, by reason of the present necessity which doth keep us down, and joyfulness, by reason of the obedience whereby we submit ourselve to God, and by reason of the hope which, showing us the haven high at hand, doth refresh us even in the midst of shipwreck. Such a form doth Paul prescribe to us. Let your prayers (saith he) be made known to God with thanksgiving, (Philippians 4:6.) But in this history we must note the circumstances. For though the pain of the stripes were grievous, though the prison were troublesome, though the danger were great, seeing that Paul and Silas cease not to praise God, we gather by this how greatly they were encouraged to bear the cross. So Luke reported before that the apostles rejoiced, because they were counted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of the Lord, (Acts 5:41.)

And those which lay bound. We must know that Paul and Silas prayed aloud, that they might make the boldness of a good conscience known to others who were shut up in the same prison; for they might have made their prayer with secret groaning and sighing of heart as they were wont, or they might have prayed unto the Lord quietly and softly. Why do they then exalt their voice? Assuredly, they do not that for any ambition; but that they may profess, that, trusting to the goodness of their cause, they fly without fear unto God. Therefore, in their prayers was included a confession of faith, which did appertain unto a common example, and prepared as well the malefactor’s as the jailer’s house to consider the miracle.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(23) And when they had laid many stripes upon them.—The words imply a punishment of more than usual severity, such as would leave their backs lacerated and bleeding. So in 1Th_2:2, St. Paul speaks of having been “shamefully entreated” at Philippi.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. cast them into prison] So that they should have no chance of teaching any longer. They appear (see Act_16:35) to have intended to keep them one night in prison and then to turn them out of the city.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them,.... Even above measure, as in Co2 11:35.

They cast them into prison; designing doubtless to inflict some greater punishment upon them, after they had further examined into their affairs:

charging the jailer to keep them safely; suggesting, that he must be answerable for them, should they escape, either through his favour or his negligence; and they might rather give this strict charge, because they perceived that they were uncommon men, possessed of a strange power, which they had exerted in the casting out of the evil spirit, which might come to their knowledge by some means or other; they might look upon them to be a sort of magicians, and therefore were to be narrowly watched, that they did not make use of their art to deliver themselves; however, they judged it necessary to use all the precautions they could, to secure them: some have thought this jailer to be the same with Stephanas, Co1 1:16 but this is not certain, nor very probable.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Ver. 23. Laid many stripes] These were those marks of the Lord Jesus which the apostles so gloried of, as an old soldier doth of his scars and wounds received in battle. Hoc sunt gemmae et pretiosa ornamenta Dei, These are the jewels and costly ornaments of God, saith Munster, concerning his ulcers whereof he died. So might Paul and Silas well say of their stripes, Τα δεσμα περιφερω τους πνευματικους μαργαριτας, saith Ignatius in his Epistle to the Ephesians: I bear my bonds as so many spiritual pearls of price. It was with sweet briar, in some sense, that these apostles were whipped.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And 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, 2Co 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 2Co 11:23, “In stripes above measure.” that is, beyond the usual measure among the Jews, or beyond moderation.

They cast them into prison - The magistrates did this partly as a punishment, and partly with a view hereafter of taking vengeance on them more according to the forms of law.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Laid many stripes upon them; partly by the lictors or executioners, and partly by the furious rabble.

The jailer; this jailer’s name (of whose conversion we read hereafter) was Stephanas, as may appear if you compare 1Co 1:16 with what follows by St. Luke in this story. Of him also we read, 1Co 16:15,17.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Many stripes… into prison—Showing how intense anger demanded cruel satisfaction. What had raised it? A quiet worship and religious teaching at the Jewish proseucha by the river side; a poor girl relieved from demoniac paroxysms.

Howson illustrates this inner prison by that “dungeon in the court of the prison,” into which Jeremiah was let down with cords, and where he “sunk in the mire.” “They were cells, damp and cold, from which the light was excluded, and where the chains rusted on the limbs of the prisoners.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They laid many stripes upon them - Either they did not immediately say they were Romans, or in the tumult it was not regarded. Charging the jailer - Perhaps rather to quiet the people than because they thought them criminal.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 22

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακήν, they cast them into prison. So that they should have no chance of teaching any longer. They appear (see Act 16:35) to have intended to keep them one night in prison and then to turn them out of the city.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Prison. See on ch. verse 21.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.