Acts 16:27 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Acts 16:29 And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jailor", "roused", "sleep", "seeing", "prison", "doors", "open", and "drew". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jailor" and "roused", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "and suddenly there was a great earthquake..." into verse 28's "But Paul cried with a loud voice...", so "jailor" and "roused" 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 "jailor" and "roused" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.