Acts 5:22

22 But the men who were sent saw that they were not in the prison, and came back with the news,

Acts 5:22 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 5:22

But when the officers came
The Arabic version adds, "to it"; that is, to the prison;

and found them not in the prison.
The Vulgate Latin version reads, "the prison being opened they found them not"; when they came to the prison, they opened the doors of it, or the keepers for them; for though the angel had opened them for the apostles, yet he shut them again, as he brought them out; for these men found the doors shut, as the following verse shows, and who upon opening them and searching the prison, for the apostles, could find none of them in it; wherefore they returned; the Arabic version reads, "to them"; to the sanhedrim:

and told;
that is, them, as both the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read.

Acts 5:22 In-Context

20 Go, take your place in the Temple and give the people all the teaching about this Life.

21 And hearing this, they went into the Temple at dawn, and were teaching. But the high priest and those who were with him got together the Sanhedrin and the representatives of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to get them.

22 But the men who were sent saw that they were not in the prison, and came back with the news,

23 Saying, The doors of the prison were safely shut, and the keepers were at the doors, but when they were open, there was nobody inside.

24 Now, at these words, the captain of the Temple and the chief priests were greatly troubled about what might be the end of this business.