1 Κατήντησεν δὲ καὶ εἰς Δέρβην καὶ εἰς Λύστραν. καὶ ἰδοὺ μαθητής τις ἦν ἐκεῖ ὀνόματι Τιμόθεος, υἱὸς γυναικὸς Ἰουδαίας πιστῆς πατρὸς δὲ Ἕλληνος, 2 ὃς ἐμαρτυρεῖτο ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Λύστροις καὶ Ἰκονίῳ ἀδελφῶν. 3 τοῦτον ἠθέλησεν ὁ Παῦλος σὺν αὐτῷ ἐξελθεῖν, καὶ λαβὼν περιέτεμεν αὐτὸν διὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις· ᾔδεισαν γὰρ ἅπαντες ὅτι Ἕλλην ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ὑπῆρχεν. 4 Ὡς δὲ διεπορεύοντο τὰς πόλεις, παρεδίδοσαν αὐτοῖς φυλάσσειν τὰ δόγματα τὰ κεκριμένα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τῶν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις. 5 Αἱ μὲν οὖν ἐκκλησίαι ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐπερίσσευον τῷ ἀριθμῷ καθ’ ἡμέραν. 6 Διῆλθον δὲ τὴν Φρυγίαν καὶ Γαλατικὴν χώραν, κωλυθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος λαλῆσαι τὸν λόγον ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ· 7 ἐλθόντες δὲ κατὰ τὴν Μυσίαν ἐπείραζον εἰς τὴν Βιθυνίαν πορευθῆναι, καὶ οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτοὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα Ἰησοῦ· 8 παρελθόντες δὲ τὴν Μυσίαν κατέβησαν εἰς Τρῳάδα. 9 καὶ ὅραμα διὰ νυκτὸς τῷ Παύλῳ ὤφθη, ἀνὴρ Μακεδών τις ἦν ἑστὼς καὶ παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων Διαβὰς εἰς Μακεδονίαν βοήθησον ἡμῖν. 10 ὡς δὲ τὸ ὅραμα εἶδεν, εὐθέως ἐζητήσαμεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς Μακεδονίαν, συμβιβάζοντες ὅτι προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς εὐαγγελίσασθαι αὐτούς. 11 Ἀναχθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ Τρῳάδος εὐθυδρομήσαμεν εἰς Σαμοθρᾴκην, τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ εἰς Νέαν Πόλιν, 12 κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Φιλίππους, ἥτις ἐστὶν πρώτη τῆς μερίδος Μακεδονίας πόλις, κολωνία. Ἦμεν δὲ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει διατρίβοντες ἡμέρας τινάς. 13 τῇ τε ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων ἐξήλθομεν ἔξω τῆς πύλης παρὰ ποταμὸν οὗ ἐνομίζομεν προσευχὴν εἶναι, καὶ καθίσαντες ἐλαλοῦμεν ταῖς συνελθούσαις γυναιξίν. 14 καί τις γυνὴ ὀνόματι Λυδία, πορφυρόπωλις πόλεως Θυατείρων, σεβομένη τὸν Θεόν, ἤκουεν, ἧς ὁ Κύριος διήνοιξεν τὴν καρδίαν προσέχειν τοῖς λαλουμένοις ὑπὸ Παύλου. 15 ὡς δὲ ἐβαπτίσθη καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς, παρεκάλεσεν λέγουσα Εἰ κεκρίκατέ με πιστὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ εἶναι, εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου μένετε· καὶ παρεβιάσατο ἡμᾶς. 16 Ἐγένετο δὲ πορευομένων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν, παιδίσκην τινὰ ἔχουσαν πνεῦμα Πύθωνα ὑπαντῆσαι ἡμῖν, ἥτις ἐργασίαν πολλὴν παρεῖχεν τοῖς κυρίοις αὐτῆς μαντευομένη. 17 αὕτη κατακολουθοῦσα τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔκραζεν λέγουσα Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου εἰσίν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ὑμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. 18 τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίει ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας. διαπονηθεὶς δὲ Παῦλος καὶ ἐπιστρέψας τῷ πνεύματι εἶπεν Παραγγέλλω σοι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ. 19 Ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ κύριοι αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ἐργασίας αὐτῶν, ἐπιλαβόμενοι τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Σιλᾶν εἵλκυσαν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, 20 καὶ προσαγαγόντες αὐτοὺς τοῖς στρατηγοῖς εἶπαν Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκταράσσουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν, Ἰουδαῖοι ὑπάρχοντες, 21 καὶ καταγγέλλουσιν ἔθη ἃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν παραδέχεσθαι οὐδὲ ποιεῖν Ῥωμαίοις οὖσιν. 22 καὶ συνεπέστη ὁ ὄχλος κατ’ αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ στρατηγοὶ περιρήξαντες αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐκέλευον ῥαβδίζειν, 23 πολλάς δὲ ἐπιθέντες αὐτοῖς πληγὰς ἔβαλον εἰς φυλακήν, παραγγείλαντες τῷ δεσμοφύλακι ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν αὐτούς· 24 ὃς παραγγελίαν τοιαύτην λαβὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακὴν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ξύλον. 25 Κατὰ δὲ τὸ μεσονύκτιον Παῦλος καὶ Σιλᾶς προσευχόμενοι ὕμνουν τὸν Θεόν, ἐπηκροῶντο δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ δέσμιοι· 26 ἄφνω δὲ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας, ὥστε σαλευθῆναι τὰ θεμέλια τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου· ἠνεῴχθησαν δὲ παραχρῆμα αἱ θύραι πᾶσαι, καὶ πάντων τὰ δεσμὰ ἀνέθη. 27 ἔξυπνος δὲ γενόμενος ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ καὶ ἰδὼν ἀνεῳγμένας τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς, σπασάμενος τὴν μάχαιραν ἤμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν, νομίζων ἐκπεφευγέναι τοὺς δεσμίους. 28 ἐφώνησεν δὲ Παῦλος μεγάλῃ φωνῇ λέγων Μηδὲν πράξῃς σεαυτῷ κακόν, ἅπαντες γάρ ἐσμεν ἐνθάδε. 29 αἰτήσας δὲ φῶτα εἰσεπήδησεν καὶ ἔντρομος γενόμενος προσέπεσεν τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ Σιλᾷ, 30 καὶ προαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς ἔξω ἔφη Κύριοι, τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; 31 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν Πίστευσον ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, καὶ σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου. 32 καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῷ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 33 καὶ παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτὸς ἔλουσεν ἀπὸ τῶν πληγῶν, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ αὐτοῦ ἅπαντες παραχρῆμα, 34 ἀναγαγών τε αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον παρέθηκεν τράπεζαν, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο πανοικεὶ πεπιστευκὼς τῷ Θεῷ. 35 Ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης ἀπέστειλαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ τοὺς ῥαβδούχους λέγοντες Ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους. 36 ἀπήγγειλεν δὲ ὁ δεσμοφύλαξ τοὺς λόγους τούτους πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον, ὅτι Ἀπέσταλκαν οἱ στρατηγοὶ ἵνα ἀπολυθῆτε. νῦν οὖν ἐξελθόντες πορεύεσθε ἐν εἰρήνῃ. 37 ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούς Δείραντες ἡμᾶς δημοσίᾳ ἀκατακρίτους, ἀνθρώπους Ῥωμαίους ὑπάρχοντας, ἔβαλαν εἰς φυλακήν· καὶ νῦν λάθρᾳ ἡμᾶς ἐκβάλλουσιν; οὐ γάρ, ἀλλὰ ἐλθόντες αὐτοὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγέτωσαν. 38 ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς οἱ ῥαβδοῦχοι τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα. ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Ῥωμαῖοί εἰσιν, 39 καὶ ἐλθόντες παρεκάλεσαν αὐτούς, καὶ ἐξαγαγόντες ἠρώτων ἀπελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως. 40 ἐξελθόντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλακῆς εἰσῆλθον πρὸς τὴν Λυδίαν, καὶ ἰδόντες παρεκάλεσαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἐξῆλθαν.
Acts · Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Acts 16 Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Verses the critical text omits (e.g. Matthew 17:21, Acts 8:37) are shown as empty.
- Follows the edition's own numbering where it differs (e.g. Acts 19:40 includes the KJV's 19:41; 2 Corinthians 13 has 13 verses; 3 John has 15; Revelation 12 has 18).
- Angle brackets < > and double square brackets [[ ]] are the edition's own marks for doubtful passages (e.g. Mark 1:1, Mark 16:9–20, John 7:53–8:11).
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Lydia
A worshiper of God from Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth at Philippi whose heart the Lord opened to Paul's message; she and her household were baptized.
Cited in the guide: Acts 16:14; Acts 16:40
Silas
A leading man among the brothers in Jerusalem and a prophet, chosen to accompany Paul on his second journey; he was imprisoned with Paul at Philippi and is elsewhere called…
Cited in the guide: Acts 15:22; Acts 15:40; Acts 16:25
Timothy
A disciple from Lystra with a Greek father and a believing Jewish mother, whom Paul circumcised and took with him as a coworker; he received two letters from Paul.
Cited in the guide: Acts 16:1; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:19
Places
Antioch (Syrian)
The empire's third-largest city and the first major Gentile church — the launching base for Paul's journeys. (Distinct from Pisidian Antioch.)
Cited in the guide: Acts 11:26; Acts 13:1-3; Galatians 2:11
Athens
The philosophical center of the Greco-Roman world. Paul engaged Stoic and Epicurean thinkers on Mars Hill (the Areopagus), reasoning toward the resurrection.
Cited in the guide: Acts 17:16; Acts 17:22
Corinth
Corinth straddled the isthmus linking mainland Greece to the Peloponnese — a hub of commerce and immorality. Paul founded the church here; a Roman bema traditionally linked to his hearing before…
Cited in the guide: Acts 18:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1
Ephesus
The chief city of Roman Asia, famed for the temple of Artemis. Paul's long ministry sparked the silversmiths' riot; the city is also the first addressed in Revelation.
Cited in the guide: Acts 19:1; Acts 19:28; Revelation 2:1
Philippi
A Roman colony on the Via Egnatia and the site of Paul's first European converts — a beloved church to which he later wrote from prison.
Cited in the guide: Acts 16:12; Acts 16:25; Philippians 1:1
Thessalonica
Capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and a key stop on the Via Egnatia. Paul's brief ministry produced a strong church and two of his earliest letters.
Cited in the guide: Acts 17:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Acts 17:6
Cross references (40)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Timothy 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Acts 18:5; 1 Timothy 1:2
- 2 1 Timothy 5:10; 2 Timothy 3:15; Acts 16:40; 1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 3:11
- 3 Galatians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 9:20; Galatians 5:6; Galatians 5:1–3; Acts 15:40
- 4 Acts 15:28–29; Acts 15:2; Acts 11:30; Acts 15:6
- 5 Acts 9:31; Acts 2:47; Acts 6:7; 1 Peter 5:10; Acts 15:41
- 6 Acts 18:23; Acts 16:7; Galatians 1:2; Acts 11:12; Acts 13:2–4
- 7 Philippians 1:19; Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:9; Acts 8:29; 1 Peter 1:1
- 8 2 Timothy 4:13; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Acts 16:11; Acts 20:5
- 9 Acts 19:21; Acts 18:5; Acts 9:10–12; Romans 15:26; Acts 18:9–10
- 10 2 Corinthians 2:12–13; Acts 14:7; Psalm 119:60; Acts 21:1–18; Acts 27:1–28:16
- 11 Acts 21:1; Acts 16:8
- 12 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Philippians 1:1; Acts 20:6; Acts 16:9; Acts 16:21
- 13 Acts 13:14; Acts 21:5; Colossians 1:23; Acts 18:4; Acts 20:7
- 14 Luke 24:45; Ephesians 1:17–18; Isaiah 50:5; John 6:44–45; Revelation 3:20
- 15 Acts 11:14; Hebrews 13:2; Acts 16:33; Luke 24:29; Genesis 19:3
- 16 Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:9–11; Isaiah 8:19; 1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:7
- 17 John 14:6; 1 Peter 2:16; Mark 5:7; Daniel 6:20; Daniel 3:28
- 18 Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17–19; Acts 3:6; Acts 19:12–17; Acts 9:34
- 19 Acts 17:6; Acts 21:30; 2 Corinthians 6:5; Acts 16:16; Acts 8:3
- 20 James 4:4; Romans 12:2; Acts 28:22; John 15:18–20; Acts 17:6–8
- 21 Esther 3:8; Acts 16:12; Jeremiah 10:3; Acts 26:3
- 22 1 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 6:5; Acts 22:22–26; Hebrews 11:36; 2 Corinthians 11:23–25
- 23 Revelation 2:10; 2 Timothy 2:9; 1 Samuel 23:22–23; Matthew 27:63–66; Ephesians 3:1
- 24 Job 13:27; Job 33:11; Jeremiah 29:26; Jeremiah 38:26; Psalm 105:18
- 25 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Psalm 119:62; James 1:2; Romans 5:3; 1 Peter 1:6–8
- 26 Acts 4:31; Acts 5:19; Acts 12:10; Acts 12:7; Psalm 146:7
- 27 Acts 12:19; Matthew 27:5; 1 Kings 16:18; 2 Samuel 17:23; 1 Samuel 31:4–5
- 28 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Luke 6:27–28; Luke 23:34; Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:44
- 29 Revelation 3:9; Daniel 6:26; Jeremiah 10:10; Acts 9:5–6; Isaiah 66:5
- 30 John 6:27–29; Acts 2:37; Acts 22:10; Luke 3:10; Acts 14:15
- 31 John 1:12; John 3:36; Acts 2:38–39; Romans 10:9–10; Acts 11:13–14
- 32 Romans 1:16; Colossians 1:27–28; 1 Timothy 1:13–16; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; Mark 16:15
- 33 1 Corinthians 1:16; Acts 16:15; Luke 10:33–34; Acts 16:25; Galatians 5:13
- 34 Romans 15:13; Acts 2:46; Romans 5:11; Philemon 7; Isaiah 61:10
- 35 Acts 5:40; Acts 4:21; Jeremiah 5:22; Psalm 76:10
- 36 Acts 15:33; John 14:27; Mark 5:34; 1 Samuel 29:7; Exodus 4:18
- 37 Acts 22:25–29; Proverbs 28:1; Acts 16:20–24; Matthew 10:16; Psalm 94:20
- 38 Acts 22:29; Matthew 21:46; Matthew 14:5
- 39 Matthew 8:34; Mark 5:17; Daniel 6:23; Daniel 6:16; Isaiah 49:23
- 40 Acts 14:22; Acts 16:14; 1 Thessalonians 3:2–3; 2 Corinthians 4:16–18; 2 Corinthians 1:3–7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
was thought likely") to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." See again Paul judaizing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… sailing from Troas, we directed our ship's course towards Samothracia." And then he carefully indicates all the rest of their journey as far as Philippi, and how they delivered their first address: "for, sitting down," he says, "we spake unto the women who had assembled;" and certain believed, even a great many.
Hear, for instance, the seller of purple saying, "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come in, and abide with me." Hear the women, who went about with the apostles, having taken unto themselves manly courage, Priscilla, Persis, and the rest; from whom our present women are as far removed as our men from their men.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)