Acts 5:19

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,

Acts 5:19 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 5:19

But the angel of the Lord
Or "of God", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, whether Michael, as some have thought, or Gabriel, or what particular angel, is not material to know. However, it was a good angel, an elect angel, one of those ministering spirits sent by God to minister to the heirs of promise; one of those angels that excel in strength, as appears by what he did: for he

by night opened the prison doors;
where the apostles were put, and which had more doors than one, and these strong and close shut, and guarded by keepers; but were easily opened by the angel. It was very likely at, or towards the evening, when the apostles were taken, and therefore they were committed to prison, there to lie all night, till next morning, when the sanhedrim would meet together to consult what to do with them:

and brought them forth;
out of the prison, leading them out at the doors he had opened for them:

and said;
the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions add, "to them"; that is, to the apostles, as follows.

Acts 5:19 In-Context

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out

18 and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,

20 “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

21 At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin —the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.