Acts 16:24
New International Version
When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

New Living Translation
So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

English Standard Version
Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Berean Standard Bible
On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Berean Literal Bible
who having received such an order, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

King James Bible
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

New King James Version
Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

New American Standard Bible
and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

NASB 1995
and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

NASB 1977
and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Legacy Standard Bible
who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Amplified Bible
He, having received such a [strict] command, threw them into the inner prison (dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks [in an agonizing position].

Christian Standard Bible
Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

American Standard Version
who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Contemporary English Version
The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.

English Revised Version
who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons.

Good News Translation
Upon receiving this order, the jailer threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood.

International Standard Version
Having received these orders, he put them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in leg irons.

Majority Standard Bible
On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

NET Bible
Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

New Heart English Bible
who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Weymouth New Testament
He, having received an order like that, lodged them in the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.

World English Bible
Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
who having received such a charge, put them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Berean Literal Bible
who having received such an order, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Young's Literal Translation
who such a charge having received, did put them to the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks.

Smith's Literal Translation
Who, having received such an order, cast them into the inner prison, and placed their feet firmly in wood.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And since he had received this kind of order, he cast them into the interior prison cell, and he restricted their feet with stocks.

New American Bible
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.

New Revised Standard Version
Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He, having received the charge, brought them in and put them into the inner chamber of the prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But when he had received this order, he brought them and shut them up in the inner room of the prison and bound their feet in the stocks.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Godbey New Testament
who, having received such a charge, cast them into the interior prison, and fastened their feet into the wood.

Haweis New Testament
who, receiving such an injunction, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Mace New Testament
in consequence of this order he thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Weymouth New Testament
He, having received an order like that, lodged them in the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.

Worrell New Testament
who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Worsley New Testament
Who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
23And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. 24 On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.…

Cross References
Acts 5:18-19
and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. / But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,

Acts 12:4-7
He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover. / So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. / On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. ...

2 Corinthians 11:23
Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.

Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. / Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

Hebrews 11:36
Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Jeremiah 20:2
he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

Genesis 39:20-21
So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison, / the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Psalm 105:18
They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons,

Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

1 Peter 4:14-16
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. / Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler. / But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.

Luke 21:12
But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors.

2 Timothy 2:9
for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!

John 15:20
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

1 Kings 22:27
and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”


Treasury of Scripture

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

the inner.

1 Kings 22:27
And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

Jeremiah 37:15,16
Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison…

Jeremiah 38:26
Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

and made.

2 Chronicles 16:10
Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

Job 13:27
Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

Job 33:11
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

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Cast Cell Charge Command Fast Fastened Feet Inner Lodged Order Orders Prison Received Receiving Secured Stocks Threw Thrust
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Cast Cell Charge Command Fast Fastened Feet Inner Lodged Order Orders Prison Received Receiving Secured Stocks Threw Thrust
Acts 16
1. Paul and Silas are Joined by Timothy,
7. and being called by the Spirit from one country to another,
14. convert Lydia,
16. and cast out a spirit of divination;
19. for which cause they are whipped and imprisoned.
25. The prison doors are opened.
31. The jailor is converted,
35. and they are delivered.














On receiving this order
This phrase indicates the immediate and unquestioning obedience of the jailer to the magistrates' command. In the Roman world, orders from authorities were to be executed without delay, reflecting a strict hierarchical society. The Greek word for "order" (παραγγελία, parangelia) suggests a command that carries authority and urgency. This reflects the seriousness with which the Roman legal system operated, emphasizing the power and control of Roman officials over the populace.

he placed them in the inner cell
The "inner cell" refers to the most secure part of the prison, often reserved for the most dangerous or high-profile prisoners. This location was likely dark, damp, and devoid of comfort, symbolizing the depth of suffering and isolation. The Greek term for "inner" (ἐσωτέρω, esōterō) implies a deeper, more hidden place, suggesting that Paul and Silas were considered significant threats. Historically, Roman prisons were not primarily for punishment but for detaining individuals awaiting trial or execution, highlighting the severity of their situation.

and fastened their feet in the stocks
The use of "stocks" (ξύλον, xylon) was a method of torture and restraint, designed to inflict pain and prevent escape. Stocks were wooden frames with holes for securing the feet, often forcing the legs into uncomfortable positions. This act of fastening their feet symbolizes the physical and spiritual trials faced by Paul and Silas. In a broader scriptural context, this imagery of bondage contrasts with the spiritual freedom they possess in Christ. The historical use of stocks underscores the harsh realities of early Christian persecution, as believers were often subjected to extreme measures for their faith.

(24) Thrust them into the inner prison.--Those who have seen anything of the prisons of the Roman empire, as, e.g., the Mamertine dungeon at Rome itself, can picture to themselves the darkness and foulness of the den into which Paul and his friend were now thrust: the dark cavern-like cell, below the ground, the damp and reeking walls, the companionship of the vilest outcasts. And, as if this were not enough, they were fastened in the "stocks." St. Luke uses the Greek term xylon, the same as is used sometimes for the cross (Acts 5:30; Acts 13:29). The technical Latin word was nervus. Like the English stocks, it was a wooden frame with five holes, into which head and feet and arms were thrust, and the prisoner left in an attitude of "little-ease." Here, however, it would seem, the feet only were fastened, the rest of the body being left lying on the ground. If the Received version of Job 13:27; Job 33:11, which follows the LXX. and the Vulgate, be correct, the punishment was common at a very early period in the East. (Comp. Jeremiah 29:26.)

Verse 24. - Cast for thrust, A.V. In the stocks; Greek τὸ ξύλον, sometimes called ξυλοπέδη. The ξύλον was of different forms, and used as a punishment. Sometimes it was a kind of heavy wooden collar put on the neck of a prisoner, whence the phrase, Χύλῳ φιμοῦν τὴν αὐχένα (Aristoph., 'Nubes,' 592)," To make fast his neck in the pillory." Sometimes it was what Aristophanes calls πεντεσύριγγον ξύλον, "stocks with five holes," two for the feet, two for the hands, and one for the neck. Here, as in Job 13:27 (where the LXX. word is ἐν κυλύματι, Hebrew סֵד, a stake, or log), it is simply" the stocks." Thus Paul and Silas, first stripped and 1,catch, then put in the inner prison, and further made fast in the stocks, were treated with the utmost possible rigour and severity. See St. Paul's vivid reminiscence of the outrage (1 Thessalonians 2:2, ὑβρισθέντες).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
On receiving
λαβὼν (labōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

[this]
τοιαύτην (toiautēn)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5108: (including the other inflections); from toi and houtos; truly this, i.e. Of this sort (to denote character or individuality).

order,
παραγγελίαν (parangelian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3852: A command, charge, injunction; a precept, rule of living. From paraggello; a mandate.

he placed
ἔβαλεν (ebalen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 906: (a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.

them
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

in
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

inner
ἐσωτέραν (esōteran)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 2082: Inner; with the article: the part that is within. Comparative of eso; interior.

cell
φυλακὴν (phylakēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5438: From phulasso; a guarding or, the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition, or, the time, literally or figuratively.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

fastened
ἠσφαλίσατο (ēsphalisato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 805: To make safe (secure, fast). From asphales; to render secure.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

feet
πόδας (podas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4228: The foot. A primary word; a 'foot'.

in
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

stocks.
ξύλον (xylon)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3586: From another form of the base of xestes; timber; by implication, a stick, club or tree or other wooden article or substance.


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