This is one of Rembrandt's earliest known panels, made in the year that he turned 21. It shows the apostle St. Paul in prison, lost in thought. Obviously the harsh conditions in jail did not stop him from writing the epistles or letters that later became part of the inspired word of God. The sword in the painting is quite remarkable, given the context, however it is a symbol of his martyrdom: the Romans killed him with the sword. In his letter to Ephesians (6:17) Paul also calls God's word "the sword of the Spirit," showing his faith and resilient as a character and his continued faith during his isolation.
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