Acts 16:26 (GNV)

Passage

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken: and by and by all the doores opened, and euery mans bands were loosed.

Nearby Context

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.

Acts 16:26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken: and by and by all the doores opened, and euery mans bands were loosed.

Acts 16:27 Then the keeper of the prison waked out of his sleepe, and when he sawe the prison doores open, he drewe out his sword and would haue killed himselfe, supposing the prisoners had bin fled.

Acts 16:28 But Paul cryed with a loude voyce, saying, Doe thy selfe no harme: for we are all here.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "suddenly", "great", "earthquake", "foundation", "prison", "shaken", "doores", and "opened". 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 "Nowe at midnight Paul and Silas prayed..." into verse 27's "Then the keeper of the prison waked...", 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.