16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: |
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. |
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. |
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, |
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, |
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. |
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. |
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: |
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. |
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. |
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. |
27 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. |
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. |
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, |
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? |
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. |
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. |
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. |
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. |
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. |
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. |
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. |
38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. |
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. |
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. |
16
16:17 These men are - A great truth: but St. Paul did not need, nor would accept, of such testimony.
16:19 The magistrates - The supreme magistrates of the city. In the next verse they are called by a title which often signifies pretors. These officers exercised both the military and civil authority.
16:20 Being Jews - A nation peculiarly despised by the Romans.
16:21 And teach customs which it is not lawful for us to receive - The world has received all the rules and doctrines of all thephilosophers that ever were. But this is a property of Gospel truth: it has something in it peculiarly intolerable to the world.
16:23 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.
16:24 Secured their feet in the stocks - These were probably those large pieces of wood, in use among the Romans, which not only loaded the legs of the prisoner, but also kept them extended in a very painful manner.
16:25 Paul and Silas sung a hymn to God - Notwithstanding weariness, hunger stripes, and blood. And the prisoners heard - A song to which they were not accustomed.
16:28 But Paul cried - As they were all then in the dark, it is not easy to say, how Paul knew of the jailer's purpose; unless it were by some immediate notice from God, which is by no means incredible. With a loud voice - Through earnestness, and because he was at some distance. Do thyself no harm - Although the Christian faith opens the prospect into another life, yet it absolutely forbids and effectually prevents a man's discharging himself from this.
16:30 Sirs - He did not style them so the day before. What must I do to be saved? - From the guilt I feel and the vengeance I fear?Undoubtedly God then set his sins in array before him, and convinced him in the clearest and strongest manner that the wrath of God abode upon him.
16:31 Thou shalt be saved and thy household - If ye believe.They did so, and were saved.
16:33 He washed their stripes - It should not be forgot, that the apostles had not the power of working miraculous cures when they pleased, either on themselves, or their dearest friends. Nor was it expedient they should, since it would have frustrated many wise designs of God, which were answered by their sufferings.
16:34 He set a table before them and rejoiced - Faith makes a man joyful, prudent, liberal.
16:35 The pretors sent - Being probably terrified by the earthquake; saying, Let those men go - How different from the charge given a few hours before! And how great an ease of mind to the jailer!
16:37 They have beaten us publicly, being Romans - St. Paul does not always plead this privilege. But in a country where they were entire strangers, such treatment might have brought upon them a suspicion of having been guilty of some uncommon crime, and so have hindered the course of the Gospel.
16:40 When they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed - Though many circumstances now invited their stay, yet they wisely complied with the request of the magistrates, that they might not seem to express any degree of obstinacy or revenge, or give any suspicion of a design to stir up the people.