Acts 5:18 (KJV)

What does Acts 5:18 mean?

Acts 5:18 describes how the authorities seized the apostles and put them in a public jail. This verse shows that the apostles were arrested and detained together, not in secret, but in a place where common prisoners were kept.

The setting is Jerusalem, where the apostles were openly teaching about Jesus. The religious leaders, feeling threatened by the apostles’ influence, acted to stop them by physically laying hands on them and locking them up. This action was a public display of opposition and an attempt to halt the spread of their message.

The Greek behind Acts 5:18

• The word for "common" (δημόσιος, dēmosios) means public or belonging to the people. This highlights that the apostles were not hidden away but placed in a jail where anyone could see them, emphasizing the authorities’ intent to make an example of them.
• The word for "prison" (τηρητήριον, tēritērion) refers to a place of keeping or guarding, making clear this was a secure holding area, not just a temporary holding spot.
• The phrase "laid their hands on" uses the Greek word ἐπιβάλλω (epiballō), which often means to seize or arrest with force, showing the authorities acted decisively and physically.

Why Acts 5:18 matters

• This verse clarifies that the apostles faced real, public opposition and risk, not just criticism or threats, for their teaching about Jesus.
• The detail that they were put in a "common" prison connects their experience to that of ordinary criminals, underlining the seriousness of the authorities’ response.
• Acts 5:18 sets up the dramatic events that follow, where divine intervention will contrast with human attempts to suppress the apostles’ message.