Acts 5:18
New International Version
They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

New Living Translation
They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

English Standard Version
they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Berean Standard Bible
and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

Berean Literal Bible
and they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public jail.

King James Bible
And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

New King James Version
and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.

New American Standard Bible
They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public prison.

NASB 1995
They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

NASB 1977
and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

Amplified Bible
They arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail.

Christian Standard Bible
So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So they arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail.

American Standard Version
and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public ward.

Contemporary English Version
They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail.

English Revised Version
and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public ward.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
by arresting the apostles and putting them in the city jail.

Good News Translation
They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

International Standard Version
arrested the apostles, and put them in the city jail.

Majority Standard Bible
and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

NET Bible
They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

New Heart English Bible
and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody.

Webster's Bible Translation
And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

Weymouth New Testament
and laid hands upon the Apostles, and put them into the public jail.

World English Bible
and laid hands on the apostles, then put them in public custody.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in a public prison;

Berean Literal Bible
and they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public jail.

Young's Literal Translation
and laid their hands upon the apostles, and did put them in a public prison;

Smith's Literal Translation
And put their hands upon the sent, and set them in the public keeping.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they laid hands on the Apostles, and they placed them in the common prison.

New American Bible
laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail.

New Revised Standard Version
arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So they laid hold on the apostles and arrested them and bound them in prison.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they laid hands on the Apostles and seized and bound them in prison.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and they laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the public prison.

Godbey New Testament
and laid hands on the apostles, and placed them in the public prison.

Haweis New Testament
and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

Mace New Testament
went and seized on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

Weymouth New Testament
and laid hands upon the Apostles, and put them into the public jail.

Worrell New Testament
and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public prison.

Worsley New Testament
and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the public prison.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Apostles Arrested and Freed
17Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out 18and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,…

Cross References
Acts 4:3
They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.

Acts 12:4
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.

Acts 16:23
And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

Acts 22:4
I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

Acts 26:10
And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

Matthew 10:17
But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

Matthew 24:9
Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

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.

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.

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.

Genesis 39:20
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,

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.

Jeremiah 37:15
The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.

Jeremiah 38:6
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

Daniel 3:20
and he commanded some mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace.


Treasury of Scripture

And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

Acts 4:3
And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Acts 8:3
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 12:5-7
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him…

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Apostles Arrested Common Custody Hands Jail Laid Prison Public Ward
Acts 5
1. After that Ananias and Sapphira his wife,
3. at Peter's rebuke had fallen down dead;
12. and that the rest of the apostles had wrought many miracles;
14. to the increase of the faith;
17. the apostles are again imprisoned;
19. but delivered by an angel bidding them preach openly to all;
21. when, after their teaching accordingly in the temple,
29. and before the council,
33. they are in danger to be killed;
34. but through the advice of Gamaliel, they are kept alive, and are only beaten;
41. for which they glorify God, and cease no day from preaching.














They arrested the apostles
The phrase "They arrested the apostles" marks a significant moment in the early Christian church's history. The "they" refers to the religious authorities, specifically the high priest and his associates, who were threatened by the apostles' growing influence and the spread of the Gospel. The Greek word for "arrested" is "ἐπέβαλον" (epebalon), which implies a forceful laying of hands upon someone, indicating the hostility and aggression of the authorities. The "apostles" were the chosen messengers of Jesus Christ, tasked with spreading His teachings. This arrest was not just a legal action but a spiritual confrontation between the nascent Christian movement and the established religious order. Historically, this reflects the tension between the early church and Jewish leaders, who saw the apostles' message as a challenge to their authority and traditions.

and put them in the public jail
The phrase "and put them in the public jail" highlights the apostles' treatment as common criminals. The Greek term for "public jail" is "δημόσιον" (dēmosion), which indicates a place of confinement used for ordinary prisoners. This underscores the humiliation and degradation intended by the authorities, aiming to discredit the apostles and deter others from following their teachings. The public nature of the jail also suggests that the authorities wanted to make an example of the apostles, showing that their message would not be tolerated. In a broader scriptural context, this act of imprisonment is reminiscent of the trials faced by prophets and righteous individuals throughout biblical history, who often suffered for their faithfulness to God's call. This moment serves as a testament to the apostles' unwavering commitment to their mission, despite the risks and opposition they faced.

(18) Put them in the common prison.--The word is the same as the "ward "of Acts 4:3. The addition of the word "common" or "public" perhaps indicates a greater severity of treatment. They were not merely kept in custody, but dealt with as common criminals, compelled to herd with ruffians and robbers and murderers.

Verse 18. - Laid hands (as Acts 4:3, A.V. and R.V.) for laid their hands, A.V. and T.R.; in public ward for in the common prison, A.V. Laid hands, etc. Laid their hands is equally right, even when αὑτῶν is omitted, as the translation of τὰς χεῖρας. There is no difference in the sense in the two renderings, or in the two passages, though in Acts 4:3 the phrase is ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας, and here ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους. In public ward. The A.V. is more idiomatic and expresses exactly what is meant by the phrase τηρήσει δημοσίᾳ. Meyer quotes the phrases τὸ δημόσιον in Thucydides, and οἰκία δημόσια in Xenophon for the common piton (see Acts 4:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
They arrested
ἐπέβαλον (epebalon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1911: From epi and ballo; to throw upon; specially to reflect; impersonally, to belong to.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

apostles
ἀποστόλους (apostolous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.

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

put
ἔθεντο (ethento)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5087: To put, place, lay, set, fix, establish. A prolonged form of a primary theo to place.

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
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[the] public
δημοσίᾳ (dēmosia)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1219: Public, publicly. From demos; public; in public.

jail.
τηρήσει (tērēsei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5084: A prison; observance (as of precepts). From tereo; a watching, i.e. observance, or a prison.


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NT Apostles: Acts 5:18 And laid hands on the apostles (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
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