He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.
Parallel Translations
-
He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.
-
When he had brought them into his housse he set meate before them and ioyed that he with all his housholde beleved on God.
-
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meate before them, and reioyced that he with all his houshold beleeued in God.
Cross-references (24)
Passages linked to Acts 16:34 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:46 Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
- Isaiah 12:1-3 In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.” Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation.
- Isaiah 55:12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
- Isaiah 58:7-11 Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out as the morning, and your healing will appear quickly; then your righteousness shall go before you, and Yahweh’s glory will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and Yahweh will answer. You will cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away from among you the yoke, finger pointing, and speaking wickedly; and if you pour out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise in darkness, and your obscurity will be as the noonday; and Yahweh will guide you continually, satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones strong. You will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters don’t fail.
- Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh! My soul will be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
- Luke 15:32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ ”
- Acts 8:39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
- Acts 11:14 who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’
- Romans 5:11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
- Philemon 1:7 For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
- Isaiah 57:17-18 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
- Luke 5:29 Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
- Luke 15:22-25 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
- Luke 19:6 He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.
- Acts 16:27-29 The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!” He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,
- Romans 5:2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
- Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
- Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”
- Philippians 4:17 Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;
- James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
- 1 Peter 1:6-8 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials, that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ— whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory,
- 1 John 3:18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 34. He rejoiceth that he believed. The external profession…
34. He rejoiceth that he believed. The external profession of faith was before commended in the jailer; now the inward fruit thereof is described. When he did lodge the apostles, and was not afraid of punishment, but did courteously entertain them in his own house, otherwise than he was enjoined by the magistrate, he did testify that his faith was not idle. And that joy whereof Luke speaketh in this place is a singular good thing, which every man hath from his faith. There is no great torment than an evil conscience; for the unbelievers, though the seek by all means to bring themselves into a certain amazedness, yet because they have no peace with God, they must needs quake and tremble. But admit they perceive not their present torments, yea, they rage and play the madmen through mad and unbridled licentiousness; yet are they never quiet, neither do they enjoy quiet joy. Therefore, sincere and quiet stable joy proceedeth from faith alone, when we perceive that God is merciful to us. In this respect, Zacharias saith, “Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Sion, behold, they King cometh.” Yea, this effect is everywhere in the Scripture attributed to faith, that it maketh the souls joyful. Therefore, let us know that faith is not a vain or dead imagination, but a lively sealing [sense] of the grace of God, which bringeth perfect joy by reason of the certainty of salvation, whereof it is meet that the wicked be void, who do both fly from the God of peace, and disturb all righteousness.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 34 And when he had brought them into his…
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Ver. 34. And rejoiced, believing] A prick with a pin may and doth many times let out corruption as well as lancing. Some suffer more throes in the new birth, some less. But many meet with greatest trials find terrors after conversion. When men take little fines, they mean to take the more rent.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Into his house; which was close unto, or a…
Into his house; which was close unto, or a separate part of, the prison, into which they did ascend, being before in a low dungeon.
He set meat before them; Paul and Silas had been long fasting, and in any season of the night it was a mercy to them to have a table spread for them.
Read full note →
Rejoiced; finding the effects of his faith, peace with God, and joy in the Holy Ghost; which was not a little augmented, in that he had his family admitted into the covenant of God’s grace, they also believing, and being baptized.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain See here a special evidence and sweet fruit of…
See here a special evidence and sweet fruit of the gaoler’s conversion; he brings the apostles, who were the instruments of his conversion, into his house; and having washed their stripes, refreshes their bowels: he set meat before them. The truth of conversion will manifest itself in a thankfulness, and other tokens of respect, towards those whom God has made the instruments of our conversion. True conversion changes men’s thoughts of God’s ministers, and causes men to love and honour those whom before they did disdain and scorn, persecute and hate.
Observe, 2. How full of joy and spiritual rejoicing this new convert was: he rejoiced. O the sweet fruit of faith in Christ! namely, peace with God, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Conversion always puts men into a joyful state: rejoicing, spiritual rejoicing, is the portion, the proper portion, and the peculiar portion, of converted persons: as it is sometimes their present portion. The gaoler, upon his believing in God, instantly rejoiced.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And when he had brought them into his house,....…
And when he had brought them into his house,.... After he and his family had been baptized, either in the pool in the prison, or in the river near the city of Philippi:
he set meat before them; he spread a table for them, with provisions to refresh them after all their fatigue; partly by stripes and imprisonment, partly by the exercises of prayer and praise, and also by the ministration of the word, and the administration of the ordinance of baptism to the jailer and his family:
Read full note →
and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house; he and his rejoiced at the good news, of peace and pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation, which the Gospel brought unto them; they rejoiced in Christ Jesus, in his person, offices, grace and righteousness; believing in him who is truly and properly God, they were filled with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; with a joy that always attends true faith, and which a stranger intermeddles not with; and they rejoiced that they were admitted to the ordinance of Christ, and were among his baptized followers; so the eunuch, after baptism, went on his way rejoicing, Act 8:39.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain He set a table before them and rejoiced -…
He set a table before them and rejoiced - Faith makes a man joyful, prudent, liberal.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 34. He set meat before them] They were…
Verse 34. He set meat before them] They were sufficiently exhausted, and needed refreshment; nor had the apostles any such inherent miraculous power as could prevent them from suffering through hunger, or enable them to heal their own grounds. As they were the instruments of bringing health to his soul, he became the instrument of health to their bodies. Genuine faith in Christ will always be accompanied with benevolence and humanity, and every fruit that such dispositions can produce. The jailor believed-brought them into his house-washed their stripes-and set meat before them.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain He set meat before them - Food. Greek: “he…
He set meat before them - Food. Greek: “he placed a table.” The word “meat” formerly meant “food” of all kinds.
And rejoiced - This was the effect of believing. Religion produces joy. See the notes on Act 8:8. He was free from danger and alarm; he had evidence that his sins were forgiven, and that he was now the friend of God. The agitating and alarming scenes of the night had passed away; the prisoners were safe; and religion, with its peace, and pardon, and rejoicings, had visited himself and his family. What a change to be produced in one night! What a difference between the family when Paul was thrust into prison, and when he was brought out and received as an honored guest at the very table of the renovated jailor! Such a change would Christianity produce in every family, and such joy would it diffuse through every household.
Read full note →
With all his house - With all his family. Whether they believed before they were baptized or after is not declared. But the whole narrative would lead us to suppose that, as soon as the jailor believed, he and all his family were baptized. It is subsequently added that they believed also. The joy arose from the fact that they all believed the gospel; the baptism appears to have been performed on account of the faith of the head of the family.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain And when he had brought them into his house,…
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing--that is, as the expression implies, "rejoiced because he had believed."
in God--as a converted heathen, for the faith of a Jew would not be so expressed [ALFORD].
Read full note →
with all his house--the wondrous change on himself and the whole house filling his soul with joy. "This is the second house which, in the Roman city of Philippi, has been consecrated by faith in Jesus, and of which the inmates, by hospitable entertainment of the Gospel witnesses, have been sanctified to a new beginning of domestic life, pleasing and acceptable to God. The first result came to pass in consequence simply of the preaching of the Gospel; the second was the fruit of a testimony sealed and ennobled by suffering" [BAUMGARTEN].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 34. Brought them—The Greek word signifies brought them up:…
34. Brought them—The Greek word signifies brought them up: implying that his house was above the prison. All the previous transactions have been below. Rejoiced, πανοικι, whole-housely. Such is the expressive Greek word. And whether these were infants or not, we are to recollect how completely by the Hebrew law, and still more by the Roman law, the family was identified with its head. When Abraham entered into faith with God (Gen_17:23) he “took Ishmael, his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male, etc., and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the self-same day.” Still more by the Roman law was the personality of the family lost in the father, who could scourge, sell, or execute them at pleasure. Hence, we cannot fairly understand the various phrases here, thy name, Act_16:31; in his house, Act_16:32; all his, Act_16:33; whole-housely, Act_16:34; otherwise than that all were as infants, with their faith actually submitted to and contained in his faith, under the assumption that all were hereafter to be taught, discipled, and saved in the Christian religion.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 34. he set meat (Greek, a table) before them]…
34. he set meat (Greek, a table) before them] He would not leave them a moment in the dungeon, but testify to them, how the dawning of faith had filled him with joy.
and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house] The Greek adverb which is represented by the last four words in English would be better combined with the first verb, “and rejoiced with all his house.” (So R. V.) The concluding verb gives the reason for the joy, and would be more fully rendered “having believed in God” or “having believed God.” “To believe on the Lord Jesus” was the exhortation in Act_16:31. By this later expression we understand what was implied in the first. The belief on Jesus is to believe what God has revealed concerning Him. This had been explained in “the word of the Lord” which they had heard—the word which told how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies, and by His acts on earth shewed that He was the Son of God.
Read full note →
It is scarcely possible to help being struck in this chapter with the account of the effect of the first preaching of the Gospel in Europe. We see at once its universality and its power. The first notable convert is Lydia, the Asiatic settler, a woman evidently of wealth, position and refinement; then the demoniac slave-girl is made an instrument of proclaiming the presence and power of the Most High God; and last, the Roman jailor, of a class, insensible as a rule and hardened by habit, and also disposed to despise the Jews who were the bearers of the message of the Gospel. The converts of Philippi were types and an earnest of how Christ’s cause would make its way.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (34) He set meat before them, and rejoiced.—Literally, set…
(34) He set meat before them, and rejoiced.—Literally, set a table before them. The two sufferers may well have needed food. If the tumult had begun, as is probable, as they were going to the proseuclia for morning prayer, at the third hour of the day (9 A.M.), they had probably been fasting for nearly twenty-four hours. They were not likely to have made a meal when they were thrust into the dungeon. The “joy” of the meal reminds us of that noted as a chief feature of the social life of the disciples at Jerusalem in Act_2:46. The new hope, succeeding to the blank despair, brought with it what we may well describe as a new “joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom_14:17). The absence of the specific term of “breaking bread” excludes the idea of its having been, in the later sense of the term, an eucharistic feast; and St. Paul would probably have hesitated to admit the new convert to the Supper of the Lord without further instruction, such as we find in 1Co_10:15-17; 1Co_11:20-34; but the meal at which the teachers and the disciples, so strangely brought together, now sat down may, at any rate, be thought of as an agape or “feast of charity.” (See Note on Jud_1:12.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain He brought them up and set for when he…
He brought them up and set for when he had brought them he set, A.V.; rejoiced greatly for rejoiced, A.V. (ajgalliaomai), a stronger word than cairein Mat_5:12; 1Pe_1:6 with all his house, having believed in God for believing in God with all his house, A.V.. The word panoiki rendered "with all his house," occurs only here in the New Testament. But it is used by the LXX in Exo_1:1 and elsewhere, and by Josephus, etc. The more classical form is panoikesi or panoikhsia. The A.V. gives the meaning better than the R.V The faith and the joy were both common to the jailor and his house.
Household salvation.
Read full note →
he brought them," etc. The family greatly honored in the Bible. Patriarchal religion the religion of families. The household the unit of the Jewish nation. All true redemption of society must be through individual conversion, but by way of natural relationship.
I THE HOUSEHOLD JOY.
1. A new beginning. Contrast with the old.
2. A new security both against the evils of a disordered earth and the infirmities and sins of human life.
3. A new fellowship. A family may be a Church; daily worship, common service; mutual joy, development of individuality in the light of faith.
II THE HOPE OF THE WORLD.
1. Rapid spread of religion when household faithfulness is maintained.
2. Education is the basis of Christian teaching.
3. The young the hope of the Church.
4. The representative character of Christian profession. We cannot assume responsibility for children, but we can surround them with a circle of light. Our baptism should be their baptism, not instead of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but in view of it. R.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 34. “And leading them into his house he placed…
34. “And leading them into his house he placed a table by them and rejoiced all over the house, believing in God.” Here we see that the jailer, having received a glorious old-style jumping conversion, leaped round all over the house, shouting uproariously, while Paul and Silas sat at the table enjoying his kind hospitality, feeling much refreshed and relieved physically, because the jailer had not only diligently washed away the clotted blood from the gashes of their lacerated backs, thus expediting convalescence, but has kindly supplied them with a sumptuous meal, which they much needed. The earthquake, the miraculous excarceration of the prisoners and the conversion of the jailer, borne on rumor’s flying pinion, reaches the magistrates, so alarming them that they send the lictors who would thrash them, to request Paul and Silas to depart immediately. This they refuse to do till the magistrates come in person and take them out, which they do, now tremulous with fear, because of their notification that Paul is a Roman citizen, and they are liable to prosecution, dethronement, and punishment for their illegal flagellation of a Roman citizen, amid the impetuosity of the cruel mob. Hence alarmed and deeply penitent for their illegal and precipitant cruelty to the apostles, taking them out of prison with their own hands, they beg them to depart from the city.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain See notes on verse 33
See notes on verse 33
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.