And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

ACTS 16:25KJV
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Acts 16:25 (KJV)

What does Acts 16:25 mean?

Acts 16:25 describes how, around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God while they were in prison, and the other prisoners were listening to them. The verse shows their response to suffering: instead of despair, they turned to prayer and worship, which caught the attention of everyone else in the jail.

Paul and Silas had been arrested, beaten, and locked up in Philippi for their ministry work. Despite their pain and chains, they chose to pray and sing to God in the middle of the night. The other prisoners, likely surprised by this, were listening to them, setting the stage for the dramatic events that follow in the chapter.

The Greek behind Acts 16:25

  • The word for "sang praises" is ὕμνεω (hymneō), which means to sing hymns or offer praise, often in a formal or public way. This highlights that Paul and Silas were not just quietly praying but actively worshipping in a way that others could hear.
  • The word for "heard" is ἐπακροάομαι (epakroaomai), which carries the sense of listening intently or with attention. The other prisoners were not just overhearing but were paying close attention to what Paul and Silas were doing.

Why Acts 16:25 matters

  • This verse clears up the idea that faith is only private; Paul and Silas’s worship was public and noticeable, even in a hostile place.
  • The detail that the prisoners were listening shows that acts of faith can have an impact on others, even when the situation seems hopeless.
  • Acts 16:25 sets up the miraculous events that follow, showing that Paul and Silas’s attitude in suffering is key to the story’s unfolding.

Where else these words appear

“midnight” Greek G3317 · used in 4 verses

  • Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
  • Luke 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
  • Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

“praises” Greek G5214 · used in 4 verses

  • Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
  • Mark 14:26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
  • Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

“Silas” Greek G4609 · used in 13 verses

  • Acts 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
  • Acts 15:40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
  • Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

“prisoners” Greek G1198 · used in 16 verses

  • Matthew 27:15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
  • Acts 25:14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:
  • Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,