Acts 5:23

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.

Saying {G3004},{G3754} The prison {G1201} truly {G3303} found we {G2147} shut {G2808} with {G1722} all {G3956} safety {G803}, and {G2532} the keepers {G5441} standing {G2476} without {G1854} before {G4253} the doors {G2374}: but {G1161} when we had opened {G455}, we found {G2147} no man {G3762} within {G2080}.

“We found the jail securely locked and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened it, we found no one inside!”

“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

saying, The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

Acts 5:23 KJV is a pivotal verse in the early narrative of the Church, highlighting the dramatic outcome of a divine intervention. It records the bewildered report of the temple guards and officers who were sent to retrieve the apostles from prison, only to find an impossible situation.

Context

This verse follows the miraculous release of the apostles from a heavily guarded prison. After being arrested by the High Priest and the Sadducees for their bold preaching and healing in the name of Jesus, an angel of the Lord had supernaturally opened the prison doors and led them out (Acts 5:19-20). The angel instructed them to continue preaching in the temple. When the Sanhedrin convened, they sent officers to bring the apostles before them, leading to the scene described in this verse. The officers' report underscores the inexplicable nature of the apostles' disappearance.

Key Themes

  • Divine Intervention: The most prominent theme is God's direct and powerful involvement in human affairs. Despite the prison being "shut with all safety" and guards standing watch, God's plan for His apostles prevailed over all human efforts.
  • God's Sovereignty: This event powerfully demonstrates that no human authority, security measure, or opposition can thwart the will and purpose of God. What appears impossible to man is entirely possible for God.
  • Frustration of Opponents: The religious leaders, who sought to silence the apostles and stop the spread of the Gospel, were repeatedly met with baffling and undeniable evidence of God's hand at work, leading to their profound frustration and confusion.
  • Apostolic Boldness: Even after being imprisoned, the apostles immediately resumed their ministry, underscoring their unwavering commitment to the Great Commission, a theme echoed throughout the book of Acts.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "shut with all safety" (Greek: asphaleia) emphasizes the thoroughness of the human effort to secure the prisoners. It implies a state of certainty, security, and stability. The guards were confident in their containment, making the discovery of "no man within" all the more astonishing and inexplicable from a human perspective. This contrast highlights the supernatural nature of the escape, as human security was clearly inadequate against divine power.

Practical Application

Acts 5:23 offers profound encouragement for believers today:

  • God's Deliverance: It reminds us that God is capable of delivering us from seemingly impossible situations and insurmountable obstacles. When human efforts fail, divine power can intervene in ways we cannot comprehend.
  • Unstoppable Gospel: Just as the early apostles could not be silenced, the message of the Gospel cannot be ultimately contained or defeated by human opposition. God's truth will prevail regardless of the barriers.
  • Trust in Divine Protection: In times of difficulty or opposition, this verse calls us to place our trust in God's protective hand, knowing that His purposes will be accomplished. For other examples of miraculous prison releases, consider Peter's later release in Acts 12:7-11 or Paul and Silas's experience in Acts 16:26.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 2:4

    He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

  • Psalms 33:10

    The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

  • Proverbs 21:30

    ¶ [There is] no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

  • Daniel 6:22

    My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

  • Daniel 6:24

    And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast [them] into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

  • Acts 5:19

    But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,

  • Lamentations 3:55

    ¶ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

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