Acts 16:26 (ASV)

Passage

and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one`s bands were loosed.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:24 who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Acts 16:25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Acts 16:26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one`s bands were loosed.

Acts 16:27 And the jailor, 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.

Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "suddenly", "great", "earthquake", "foundations", "prison-house", "shaken", "immediately", and "doors". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "suddenly" and "great", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "But about midnight Paul and Silas were..." into verse 27's "And the jailor being roused out of...", so "suddenly" and "great" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "suddenly" and "great" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.