Note 2 at Ac 16:24: The stocks were a Roman instrument of torture that not only had holes for the head and arms but also multiple holes for the legs so that the legs could be forced widely apart into painful positions. The discomfort and pain of the stocks, coupled with the pain from the many stripes, gave Paul and Silas more reasons to complain than what most people have today, yet they chose to pray and sing praises to God (see note 2 at Joh 14:1).