Acts 5:19

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord came. He opened the prison doors and brought the apostles out.

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 companions were Sadducees. They were very jealous of the apostles.

18 So they arrested them and put them in the public prison.

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord came. He opened the prison doors and brought the apostles out.

20 "Go! Stand in the temple courtyard," the angel said. "Tell the people all about this new life."

21 Early the next day they did as they had been told. They entered the temple courtyard. There they began to teach the people. The high priest and his companions arrived. They called the Sanhedrin together. The Sanhedrin was a gathering of all the elders of Israel. They sent for the apostles who were in prison.