1 And during that time, Herod the king laid the hands on some to harm those from the assembly. 2 And he killed James, the brother of John, i with a sword. 3 And knowing that it is pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest also Peter (and it was the days of the unleavened bread), 4 whom also taking, he put into prison delivering to four quaternions ii of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover iii to bring him to the people. 5 So then, the Peter was kept in the prison, and earnest prayer was happening by the assembly to the God for him. 6 And when the Herod was about to bring him out, that night the Peter was fallen asleep between two soldiers, bound by two chains, and guards by the door were keeping the prison.
7 And behold, a messenger of Lord stood by, and a light shone in the room. iv And striking the side of the Peter, he raised him up, saying, “Arise in speed.” And his chains fell from the hands. 8 And the messenger said to him, “Gird up and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he says to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 And going out, he was following him. And he did not know what was happening through the messenger was real, but he was thinking he was seeing a vision. 10 And passing by a first guard and a second, he came upon the iron gate that leads into the city which opened by itself to them. And coming out, they came before one lane, and immediately the messenger departed from him.
11 And the Peter, coming to himself, said, “Now, I know truly, that Lord sent his messenger and delivered me out of hand of Herod and all of the expectation of the people of the Jews.” 12 And realizing so, he came upon the house of Mary, the mother of John, the one surnamed Mark, where many were gathered and praying. 13 And the Peter knocking at the door of the gate, a servant girl answered named Rhoda. v 14 And recognizing the voice of the Peter, from the joy, she did not open the gate, but running in she announced the Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are mad.” But she was insisting that it was so. And they were saying, “It is his messenger.” 16 But the Peter continued knocking. And opening they saw him and were amazed. 17 And motioning to them with the hand to be quiet, he declared to them how the Lord led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and to the brethren.” And going out, he went unto another place.
18 And becoming day, there was no small commotion among the soldiers, what became of the Peter. 19 And Herod, seeking for him and not finding, examining the guards, ordered to be led away. vi And going down from the Judea unto the Caesarea he stayed.
20 And the Herod was very angry with Tyrians vii and Sidonians. viii And with one accord they came to him. And persuading Blastus, ix who was over the bedroom x of the king, they asked for peace, because their country was to be fed from the royal one. 21 And on an appointed day, the Herod, having put on royal clothing, and sitting upon the throne, was giving a speech to them. 22 And the populace xi was shouting, “Voice of a God and not a man!” 23 And Immediately a messenger of Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to the God. And being eaten by worms, xii he breathed his last. 24 And the word of the God grew and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned unto Jerusalem, fulfilling the service, taking also John, the one surnamed Mark.
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- James, one of the twelve, Matthew 10:2; 17:1; Mark 3:17 (sons of thunder); 10:35. ^
- τετραδίοις (tetradiois) “quaternions” KJV, YLT, etc. - “squads” NKJV, NAS, etc. - Greek term means a unit of four soldiers, thus “quaternions” in English meaning a unit of four (persons, things, etc.). ^
- Πάσχα (Pascha) “Passover” NKJV, NAS, YLT, etc. - “Easter” KJV, BRG – every other time (28x) KJV translates this same word as “Passover” (e.g. Matthew 26:2, 17-19; etc.). The days of unleavened bread (Acts 12:3) and the Passover (Acts 12:4) go hand in hand, as Luke 22:1 exemplifies: “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover” (KJV). For unleavened bread//Passover, see also, Exodus 23:15; 34:18; Leviticus 23:5-6; Numbers 28:16-17; 2 Chronicles 30:21; 35:17; Ezra 6:22; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. ^
- οἰκήματι (oikêmati) “room” DRA, ERV, ICB - “prison” NKJV, KJV; “cell” NAS; “buildings” YLT – singular noun, only found here, related to the word for “house,” e.g. Acts 10:6 οἰκία (oikia). ^
- Ῥόδη (hrodê) “Rhoda” - only here ^
- ἀπαχθῆναι (apachthênai) “led away” - put to death is implied – NKJV, KJV “they should be put to death”; NAS “they be led away to execution”; YLT “to be led away to punishment” ^
- Τυρίοις (Turiois) “Tyrians” = people of Tyre ^
- Σιδωνίοις (Sidôniois) “Sidonians” = people of Sidon ^
- Βλάστον (Blaston) “Blastus” - only here ^
- κοιτῶνος (koitôvos) “bedroom” - YLT “bed-chambers” but noun is singular; NKJV “personal aid”; KJV, NAS “chamberlain”- only found here in NT. LXX “bedroom” in Exodus 8:3; 2 Samuel 4:7; 13:10; 2 Kings 6:12; Ecclesiastes 10:20. ^
- δῆμος (dêmos) “populace” YLT – NKJV, KJV, NAS “people” - found also only in Acts 17:5; 19:30, 33. ^
- In his death Herod got a taste of his coming torment. See Isaiah 14:9-11; 51:7-8; 66:24; Mark 9:44-48. ^
And the twelve, calling together the multitude of disciples, said, “It is not pleasing us, leaving the word of God to serve tables. -- ἀρεστόν (areston) - “pleasing” - NKJV, NAS “desirable”; KJV “reason” - also only found in John 8:29 (“please”); Acts 12:3 (“pleased”); 1 John 3:22 (“pleasing”).
And after they departed, behold, a messenger of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, “Arise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek for the child to destroy him.” -- mellei (mellei) - “is about to” - found also e.g. in Matthew 17:12 ("is . . . about to"); 17:22 ("is about to"); 20:22 ("I am about to"); Luke 9:31 ("was about to"); 9:44 ("is about to"); 10:1 ("was about to"); 21:7 ("are about to"); John 6:15 ("they were about to"); Acts 3:3 ("about to"); 12:6 ("was about to"); 16:27 ("was about to"); 18:14 ("was about to"); 20:3 ("was about to"); 21:37 ("was about to"); 22:29 ("were about to"); 23:27 ("was about to"); 27:33 ("was about to"); Hebrews 8:5 ("was about to"); Revelation 2:10(2x) ("you are about to" & "is about to"); 8:13 ("are about to"); 10:4 ("I was about to"); 10:7 ("he is about to"). See also footnotes for Matthew 12:32; Acts 22:16; 23:15.
Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synogogues and in the lanes, in order to be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. -- ῥύμαις (hrumais) - “lanes” - found also in Luke 14:21; Acts 9:11; 12:10. There is also “streets” πλατειῶν (plateiôn) e.g. Matthew 6:5; etc.
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, James that of Aphaeus, and Lebbaeus who was named Thaddaeus,.. -- James the brother of John is killed in Acts 12:2, and in Acts 12:17 they are told to go tell James. It is uncertain whether this James in Acts 12:17 is James of Alphaeus or James the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:19; see also Matthew 13:55). Other than that, James of Alphaeus is not mentioned any where else except in the four lists of the apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).
All things were delivered to me by my father, and no one understands the son except the father, nor does any one understand the father except the son and to whom the son wills to reveal. -- epiginwskei (epiyinôskei) - "understands" - used also in Matthew 7:16, 20; 11:27; 14:35; 17:12; Mark 2:8; 5:30; 6:33, 54; Luke 1:4, 22; 5:22; 7:37; 23:7; 24:16, 31; Acts 3:10; 4:13; 9:30; 12:14; 19:34; 22:24, 29; 23:28; 24:8, 11; 25:10; 27:39; 28:1; Romans 1:32; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 14:37; 16:18; 2 Corinthians 1:13-14; 6:9; 13:5; Colossians 1:6; 1 Timothy 4:3; 2 Peter 2:21.
And he says to them, "Indeed, my cup you shall drink and the immersion which I am immersed you shall be immersed. But to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give, but to whom it has been prepared by my father." -- "my cup you shall drink" - e.g. Acts 12:1-2
And because of the multiplying lawlessness, the love of many will become cold. -- plhyunyhnai (plêthunthênai) - “multiplying” - found also in Acts 6:1 (multiplying), 7 (multiplied); 7:17 (multiplied); 9:31 (multiplied); 12:24 (multiplied); 2 Corinthians 9:10 (multiply); Hebrews 6:14 (multiplying/multiply); 1 Peter 1:2 (multiplied); 2 Peter 1:2 (multiplied); Jude 2 (multiplied) NKJV.
These all were continuing with one accord in the prayer and in the supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Joshua, and with his brothers. -- ομοθυμαδον (homothumadon) - “with one accord” - also only found in Acts 2:1 (Majority and Received Texts), 46; 4:24; 5:12; 7:57; 8:6; 12:20; 15:25; 18:12; 19:29; Romans 15:6 (“with one mind”).