Acts 12
12
James Killed and Peter Imprisoned
1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2He killed #Matt. 4:21; 20:23 James the brother of John #Heb. 11:37with the sword, 3and when he saw #[ch. 24:27; 25:9] that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during #ch. 20:6; Ex. 12:14, 15; 23:15the days of Unleavened Bread. 4And when he had seized him, he put him #See Luke 21:12 in prison, delivering him over to four #[John 19:23]squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest #2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:18prayer for him was made to God by the church.
Peter Is Rescued
6Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, #ch. 21:33bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7And behold, #See ch. 8:26 an angel of the Lord #Luke 2:9; 24:4 stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. #[1 Kgs. 19:7] He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And #ch. 16:26the chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and #Mark 6:9put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but #Ps. 126:1thought he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. #ch. 5:19; 16:26It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11When Peter #[Luke 15:17] came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that #Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 3:28; 6:22 the Lord has sent his angel and #Ps. 33:18, 19; 2 Cor. 1:10rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of #ver. 25; ch. 13:5, 13; 15:37, 39; Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24; 1 Pet. 5:13 John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and #ver. 5were praying. 13And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, #John 18:16, 17a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14Recognizing Peter’s voice, #Luke 24:41; [Gen. 45:26]in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is #Matt. 18:10; See Heb. 1:14his angel!” 16But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17But #ch. 13:16; 19:33; 21:40 motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to #ch. 15:13; 21:18; [Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12] James and to #See John 21:23the brothers.”#12:17 Or brothers and sisters Then he departed and went to another place.
18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and #[ch. 16:27; 27:42]ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
The Death of Herod
20Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and #Matt. 28:14 (Gk.) having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,#12:20 That is, trusted personal attendant they asked for peace, because #[1 Kgs. 5:9; Ezra 3:7; Ezek. 27:17]their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23Immediately #[2 Sam. 24:16; 2 Kgs. 19:35]; See ch. 8:26 an angel of the Lord struck him down, because #Ps. 115:1he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24But #See ch. 6:7the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 # ch. 11:29, 30 And Barnabas and Saul returned from#12:25 Some manuscripts to Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them #See ver. 12John, whose other name was Mark.
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Acts 12
12
Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison
1During this period King Herod # 12:1 Or “King Herod Agrippa.” incited persecution against the church, causing great harm to the believers. 2He even had the apostle Jacob, # 12:2 Or “James.” Both Greek and Aramaic leave the Hebrew name as it is, Jacob. According to the Gospels, Jacob (James) and John were the first two disciples of Jesus, and Jacob was the first apostle to be martyred. John’s brother, beheaded. # 12:2 Or “executed by the sword.” 3-4When Herod realized how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison during the Feast of Passover. # 12:3–4 These events most likely took place in AD 42 or 43. Sixteen soldiers were assigned to guard him until Herod could bring him to public trial, immediately after the Passover celebrations were over. 5The church went into a season of intense intercession, # 12:5 The Greek phrase used here for “intense intercession” means “to stretch tightly in prayer.” asking God to free him.
6The night before Herod planned to bring him to trial, he made sure that Peter was securely bound with two chains. Peter was sound asleep between two soldiers, with additional guards stationed outside his cell door, 7when all at once an angel of the Lord appeared, filling his prison cell with a brilliant light. The angel struck Peter on the side # 12:7 The word translated “struck” is the same Greek word used for Jesus being “struck” for our sins (Matt. 26:31). Jesus was pierced in his side to awaken hearts to God. Peter was awakened from his sleep by an angel who struck him on his side. to awaken him and said, “Hurry up! Let’s go!” Instantly the chains fell off his wrists. 8The angel told him, “Get dressed. Put on your sandals, bring your cloak, and follow me.”
9Peter quickly left the cell and followed the angel, even though he thought it was only a dream or a vision, for it seemed unreal—he couldn’t believe it was really happening! 10They walked unseen past the first guard post and then the second before coming to the iron gate that leads to the city—and the gate swung open all by itself right in front of them!
They went out into the city and were walking down a narrow street when all of a sudden the angel disappeared. 11That’s when Peter realized that he wasn’t having a dream! He said to himself, “This is really happening! The Lord sent his angel to rescue me from the clutches of Herod and from what the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.”
12When he realized this, he decided to go to the home of Mary # 12:12 This Mary was a relative of Barnabas. See Col. 4:10. and her son John Mark. The house was filled with people praying. 13When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young servant girl named Rose # 12:13 Or “Rhoda.” got up to see who it was. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so excited that she forgot to open the door, but ran back inside the house to announce, “Peter is standing outside!”
15“Are you crazy?” they said to her. But when she kept insisting, they answered, “Well, it must be his angel.”
16Meanwhile, Peter was still outside, knocking on the door. When they finally opened it, they were shocked to find Peter standing there.
17He signaled for them to be quiet as he shared with them the miraculous way the Lord brought him out of prison. Before he left he said, “Make sure you let Jacob # 12:17 This was Jacob (James), the brother of Jesus. and all of the other believers know what has happened.”
18At the first sign of daylight, the prison guards were in a tremendous uproar because of Peter’s disappearance. Herod ordered a thorough search for him, but no one could find him. 19After he interrogated the guards, he ordered them executed. Then Herod left the province of Judea for Caesarea and stayed there for a period of time.
20Now, during those days, Herod was engaged in a violent dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon. # 12:20 Tyre and Sidon are coastal cities in Lebanon, north of Israel. So they sent a united delegation to Caesarea to appeal to him and reconcile their differences # 12:20 The Aramaic can also be translated “They wanted cultivated land,” which makes sense if their food supply was running out. with the king, for Herod controlled their food supply. First they enlisted the support of his trusted personal assistant, Blastus, who secured them an appointment with the king.
21On the chosen day, Herod came before them, arrayed in his regal robes. Sitting on his elevated throne, he delivered a stirring public address to the people. 22At its conclusion the people gave him a round of applause. The crowd shouted, “These are the words of a god, not a man!”
23Immediately, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, an infestation of worms, because he accepted the people’s worship and didn’t give the glory to God, and he died. 24But the hope of God’s kingdom # 12:24 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “the word.” kept spreading and multiplying everywhere!
25After Barnabas and Saul had delivered the charitable offering for relief, they left Jerusalem, bringing with them a disciple named Mark (who was also known as John). # 12:25 This is the Mark who wrote the second Gospel included in our New Testament. John (or Yochanan) was his Jewish name; Marcus was his Roman name. Because he once abandoned Paul during a missionary journey, Paul refused to take him with him again. But later, Mark and Paul were fully restored in their ministry together. See 2 Tim. 4:11.
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