King James Version

What Does Acts 16:25 Mean?

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”

Context

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

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

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.

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.

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Topics in This Verse

Prayer

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(25) **And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises.**—Better, *praying, they Were singing hymns, *the Greek expressing one act rather than two. The act was, we may believe, habitual, and they would not intermit it even in the dungeon, and fastened as they were, so that they could not kneel. The hymn may have been one of the prayer-psalms of David, or possibly one of those, of which Pliny speaks in his letters, and which may well have been in use half a century earlier, in which men offered adoration to Christ as God (*Epist.* x. 96). The words of Tertullian to the martyrs of his time may well be quoted: *Nihil crus sentit in nervo quum animus in cælo est; Etsi corpus detinetur, omnia spiritui patent*—“The leg feels not the stocks when the mind is in heaven. Though the body is held fast, all things lie open in the spirit” (*ad Mart.* c. 2). **And the prisoners heard them.**—Better, *were listening eagerly, *the kind of listening which men give to a musical performance. Never before, we may be sure, had those outcasts and criminals heard such sounds in such a place. For the most part those vaults echoed only with wild curses and foul jests.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Acts. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Acts 16:25 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.