Acts 16:23 (GNV)

Passage

And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into prison, commaunding the Iayler to keepe them surely.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:21 And preache ordinances, which are not lawfull for vs to receiue, neither to obserue, seeing we are Romanes.

Acts 16:22 The people also rose vp together against them, and the gouernours rent their clothes, and commanded them to be beaten with roddes.

Acts 16:23 And when they had beaten them sore, they cast them into prison, commaunding the Iayler to keepe them surely.

Acts 16:24 Who hauing receiued such commandement, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feete fast in the stockes.

Acts 16:25 Nowe at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sung Psalmes vnto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beaten", "sore", "cast", "prison", "commaunding", "iayler", "keepe", and "surely". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beaten" and "sore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "The people also rose vp together against..." into verse 24's "Who hauing receiued such commandement cast them...", so "beaten" and "sore" 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 "beaten" and "sore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.