Acts 5:22

22 When the temple guards arrived at the prison, they didn't find the apostles. The guards came back and reported,

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 The angel told them, "Stand in the temple courtyard, and tell the people everything about life [in Christ]."

21 Early in the morning, after they had listened to the angel, the apostles went into the temple courtyard and began to teach. The chief priest and those who were with him called together the Jewish council, that is, all the leaders of Israel. They also sent men to the prison to get the apostles.

22 When the temple guards arrived at the prison, they didn't find the apostles. The guards came back and reported,

23 "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors. However, when we opened the doors, we found no one inside."

24 When the officer of the temple guards and the chief priests heard this, they were puzzled about what could have happened.