使徒行传 16:27

Chinese Union (Simplified)

禁 卒 一 醒 ， 看 见 监 门 全 开 ， 以 为 囚 犯 已 经 逃 走 ， 就 拔 刀 要 自 杀 。

Parallel Translations

Chinese NCV (Simplified)
獄吏醒過來，看見監門全開，以為囚犯都已經逃脫了，就拔出刀來想要自刎。

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the keeper: Acts 16:23, Acts 16:24

he drew: Judges 9:54, 1 Samuel 31:4, 1 Samuel 31:5, 2 Samuel 17:23, 1 Kings 16:18, Matthew 27:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 8:16 - General 1 Chronicles 10:4 - Saul took Job 33:18 - keepeth Acts 12:18 - there Acts 16:34 - and rejoiced

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Would have killed himself - This was done in the midst of agitation and alarm. He supposed that the prisoners had fled. He presumed that their escape would be charged on him. It was customary to hold a jailor responsible for the safe keeping of prisoners, and to subject him to the punishment due them if he suffered them to escape. See Acts 12:19. It should be added that it was common and approved among the Greeks and Romans for a man to commit suicide when he was encompassed with dangers from which he could not escape. Thus, Cato was guilty of self-murder in Utica; and thus, at this very place - Philippi - Brutus and Cassius, and many of their friends, fell on their own swords, and ended their lives by suicide. The custom was thus sanctioned by the authority and example of the great; and we are not to wonder that the jailor, in a moment of alarm, should also attempt to destroy his own life. It is not one of the least benefits of Christianity that it has proclaimed the evil of self-murder, and has done so much to drive it from the world.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 16:27. The keeper of the prison - would have killed himself — Every jailor was made responsible for his prisoner, under the same penalty to which the prisoner himself was exposed. The jailor, awaking, and finding the prison-doors open, taking it for granted that all the prisoners had made their escape, and that he must lose his life on the account, chose rather to die by his own hand than by that of others. For it was customary among the heathens, when they found death inevitable, to take away their own lives. This custom was applauded by their philosophers, and sanctioned by some of their greatest men.