Actes 16:27

27 Le geôlier se réveilla, et, lorsqu'il vit les portes de la prison ouvertes, il tira son épée et allait se tuer, pensant que les prisonniers s'étaient enfuis.

Images for Actes 16:27

Actes 16:27 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 16:27

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep
Not so much by the loud voices of Paul and Silas, as by the uncommon motion of the earth, which so shook him, as thoroughly to awake him: and seeing the prison doors open;
which was the first thing in his fright he was looking after, and careful of, and which he might perceive, though it was midnight, and though as yet he had no light: he drew out his sword;
from its scabbard, which was girt about him; for it may be he had slept with his clothes on, and his sword girt to him; or if he had put on his clothes upon awaking, he had also girt himself with his sword: and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been
fled;
especially Paul and Silas, concerning whom he had received such a strict charge from the magistrates; and he knew that according to law, he must suffer the same punishment that was designed for them; and therefore in fear of the magistrates, and what they would inflict upon him, he was just going to destroy himself.

Actes 16:27 In-Context

25 Vers le milieu de la nuit, Paul et Silas priaient et chantaient les louanges de Dieu, et les prisonniers les entendaient.
26 Tout à coup il se fit un grand tremblement de terre, en sorte que les fondements de la prison furent ébranlés; au même instant, toutes les portes s'ouvrirent, et les liens de tous les prisonniers furent rompus.
27 Le geôlier se réveilla, et, lorsqu'il vit les portes de la prison ouvertes, il tira son épée et allait se tuer, pensant que les prisonniers s'étaient enfuis.
28 Mais Paul cria d'une voix forte: Ne te fais point de mal, nous sommes tous ici.
29 Alors le geôlier, ayant demandé de la lumière, entra précipitamment, et se jeta tout tremblant aux pieds de Paul et de Silas;
The Louis Segond 1910 is in the public domain.