Bible Strands
Acts 5:19
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — An angel of the Lord addresses the imprisoned apostles during the night after they were arrested and placed in the public jail. The angel opens the jail doors and instructs them to proceed to the temple courts.
The words — ἀνοίξας (anoixas) translates literally as "having opened," describing the completed action of releasing the prisoners. Ἄγγελος (Angelos) identifies the divine agent who executes this deliverance.
The thread — This event mirrors the angelic prison breaks recorded in Acts 16:26 and Acts 12:7, while fulfilling the protective promise of Psalms 34:7.
Why it lands — The text states that divine intervention overrode human confinement to free the apostles. It requires the reader to acknowledge that obedience to the subsequent command to preach takes precedence over fear of imprisonment.
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
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Cross-references
- Acts 16:26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
- Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
- Acts 12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
- Psalms 105:17 He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave.
- Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
- Acts 27:23 For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me
- Psalms 146:7 He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free,
- Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
- Matthew 1:20 But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
- Luke 1:11 Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.