Acts 16:14 (DRB)

Passage

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were in this city some days conferring together.

Acts 16:13 And upon the Sabbath day, we went forth without the gate by a river side, where it seemed that there was prayer: and sitting down, we spoke to the women that were assembled.

Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

Acts 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.

Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl having a pythonical spirit met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "certain", "woman", "named", "lydia", "seller", "purple", "city", and "thyatira". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "certain" and "woman", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And upon the Sabbath day we went..." into verse 15's "And when she was baptized and her...", so "certain" and "woman" 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 "certain" and "woman" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.