Acts 16:27

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prison guard wakes after an earthquake has swung open every cell door and loosened every chain, and he draws his sword intending to take his own life.

The words — δεσμοφύλαξ (desmophulax) literally means “prison guard,” and ἀνεῳγμένας (aneōgmenas) denotes the completed state of the doors as “having been opened.”

The thread — This panic-driven preparation for suicide parallels the executed guards in Acts 12:19 and the fallen rulers in Judges 9:54 and 1 Samuel 31:4.

Why it lands — The text states the jailer drew his sword and prepared to die, assuming the prisoners had fled. It requires the reader to acknowledge that sudden deliverance does not instantly erase fear, and that rescue depends on deliberate intervention rather than automatic relief.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

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.

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.
Judges 9:54 He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.
1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
2 Samuel 17:23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
1 Kings 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died
Matthew 27:5 So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Acts 16:23 And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.