Acts 5:19

19 But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles outside. The angel said,

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 The high priest and all his friends (a group called the Sadducees) became very jealous.

18 They took the apostles and put them in jail.

19 But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles outside. The angel said,

20 "Go stand in the Temple and tell the people everything about this new life."

21 When the apostles heard this, they obeyed and went into the Temple early in the morning and continued teaching. When the high priest and his friends arrived, they called a meeting of the Jewish leaders and all the important older Jewish men. They sent some men to the jail to bring the apostles to them.