but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is that this escape wasn't just a hasty departure, but a strategic, clandestine operation. The text hints that Paul himself later recounted this incident, emphasizing the "basket" as a point of humble boasting, a testament to God's power working even through seemingly undignified means for His servant's preservation.
but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having begun preaching Christ in Damascus, Saul's bold new message so enraged the Jewish leaders that they plotted to kill him. To protect their new brother in faith, his disciples lowered him by night over the city wall in a large basket, smuggling him out to safety and allowing his ministry to continue elsewhere.
Imagine the tension: the very people who once hunted Paul are now hunting him again! But this time, his own spiritual family stands ready to protect him.
Saul's conversion was so radical, so powerful, that those who knew him before couldn't accept it. Their reaction? To eliminate him.
The Immediate Danger
A New Family's Fierce Love
This wasn't a grand, public rescue. It was a quiet, nighttime operation involving a basket and the trust of a man who had once commanded armies.
The method of escape itself speaks volumes about humility, trust, and God's providence.
Humility in Escape
Ask a follow-up
Trusting the Unseen Hand
Understand the original words
mathētēs · Greek Noun
Adherents or followers of a teacher; in the NT, this refers to those who have committed themselves to follow the teachings and person of Jesus Christ.
This dramatic escape highlights the intense opposition faced by early Christians and the remarkable courage of both the persecuted and the new convert, illustrating God's protective hand amidst persecution.
c. AD 33-36— this verse
Saul's Conversion and Ministry in Damascus
Shortly after Jesus' ascension, Saul, a fervent persecutor of Christians, experiences a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. He begins preaching boldly in Damascus, causing consternation among Jewish leaders.
c. AD 36
Jewish Leaders Plot Against Saul
Enraged by Saul's transformation and powerful preaching, the Jewish leaders in Damascus conspire to kill him. They enlist the governor under King Aretas to guard the city gates.
c. AD 36
Saul's Escape from Damascus
Saul's disciples, acting by night, lower him over the city wall in a large basket through a window, enabling his escape from the plot to assassinate him.
c. AD 36-40
Saul Travels to Jerusalem and Tarsus
After his escape, Saul travels to Jerusalem, where he meets with Peter and James. He later returns to his hometown of Tarsus in Cilicia, likely continuing his ministry there.
This passage describes the spies being lowered from Jericho's wall in a rope, a parallel escape method from a besieged city that mirrors Paul's experience.
1 Samuel 19:12David also escaped through a window in his house, being let down over the wall by night, demonstrating a recurring theme of clandestine escapes for God's chosen.
2 Corinthians 11:33Paul himself recounts this very escape, mentioning he was let down through a window in a basket, confirming the details and highlighting his willingness to share his moments of vulnerability.
Matthew 10:23Jesus warned His disciples that they would be persecuted from town to town, and this escape exemplifies the practical application of His instruction to flee to another city when faced with persecution.
ellicottActs 9:25: "Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket."
(25) Let him down by the wall in a basket. —The basket is the spuris of Matthew 15:37 , where see Note. In 2Corinthians 11:33 St. Paul describes it by another word ( sarganè ) , which gives the idea of a wicker or rope-work hamper. It seems to follow, from the tone in which the Apostle there speaks of this adventure, that it had been made matter of ridicule. It is connected in his thoughts with the “inf…
jfbActs 9:25: "Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket."
- Then the disciples … by night let him down—"through a window" (2Co 11:33).by the wall—Such overhanging windows in the walls of Eastern cities were common, and are to be seen in Damascus to this day.
What's easily missed is that this escape wasn't just a hasty departure, but a strategic, clandestine operation. The text hints that Paul himself later recounted this incident, emphasizing the "basket" as a point of humble boasting, a testament to God's power working even through seemingly undignified means for His servant's preservation.
Having begun preaching Christ in Damascus, Saul's bold new message so enraged the Jewish leaders that they plotted to kill him. To protect their new brother in faith, his disciples lowered him by night over the city wall in a large basket, smuggling him out to safety and allowing his ministry to continue elsewhere.
Having begun preaching Christ in Damascus, Saul's bold new message so enraged the Jewish leaders that they plotted to kill him. To protect their new brother in faith, his disciples lowered him by night over the city wall in a large basket, smuggling him out to safety and allowing his ministry to continue elsewhere.
"but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket." — What's easily missed is that this escape wasn't just a hasty departure, but a strategic, clandestine operation. The text hints that Paul himself later recounted this incident, emphasizing the "basket…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026