Acts 12-18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:4

When he had apprehended him ,.... When his officers he sent to take him had brought him: he put him in prison ; in the common prison, very likely where he had been once before, Acts 5:18 and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; each quaternion consisted of four soldiers, so that they were in all sixteen; and so the Syriac version renders it, "and delivered him to sixteen soldiers": how the Ethiopic version should make "seventeen" of them is pretty strange:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:5

Peter therefore was kept in prison ,.... Till the feast of the passover was at an end: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him ; this was not done by them as a body together, but either by them in several bands at different places, or by some of the principal of the church at some one certain place, and where they might frequently change companies, and keep on a continual incessant prayer for days together; and whereas it is very likely it might be at the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:6

And when Herod would have brought him forth ,.... The next morning; so he had determined not to dismiss him, but to expose him to the people, and to put him to such a death they should choose: the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers ; fearless of death, being in a good cause, and having nothing to ruffle and disturb his mind; and though he was in a prison, and in such company, God gave him, his beloved, sleep: bound with two chains ; one on one hand, and one on the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:7

And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him ,.... Suddenly and at once, and stood by him; this was one of the ministering spirits sent forth by Christ, to minister to a servant of his: and a light shined in the prison ; the Syriac version renders it, "in the whole house"; and the word that is used does signify an habitation, or a dwelling house properly, but is used also by the Greek writers F6 Vid Harpocratian Lex. p. 212. for a prison: this was an uncommon light produced by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:8

And the angel said unto him, gird thyself ,.... He slept in his inner garment loose about him; wherefore the angel bids him gird it up with his girdle, and prepare to walk out after him: and bind on thy sandals ; which were a sort of shoes that covered only the soles of the feet, and were fastened to the leg, with strings: and so he did ; he did not ask any question, or the reason of these orders; he did not dispute the matter, but at once obeyed: and he saith unto him, cast thy... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:9

And he went out and followed him ,.... He came out from between the two soldiers, and out of that apartment in the prison, in which he was, and followed the angel where he led him: and wist not that it was true that was done by the angel ; not that he thought the angel was a mere apparition, and all this that was done was a delusion; but he did not know whether this was matter of fact, or whether it was, not represented to him in a visionary way, as what could be, or would be done: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:10

When they were past the first and the second ward ,.... Or watch, which were set within the prison, and might be some of the quaternions of soldiers to whom Peter was delivered; two of them were with him, and others might be placed at these two wards for further security; and these circumstances make the deliverance the more wonderful and remarkable; the watch must either be asleep, or their eyes were holden, or the angel and Peter passed by so swiftly that they were unobserved: they came... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:11

And when Peter was come to himself .... For upon his being awaked out of sleep, what with the uncommon light, which shone around him, and with the appearance of the angel, and the chains dropping from his hands, and his surprising escape through the several wards, together with the iron gate opening of itself, he was so filled with amazement, that he was not himself; he could scarcely tell whether he was in the body or not, and whether he was in a dream or a trance, or whether he saw a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:12

And when he had considered the thing ,.... The whole of the salvation wrought for him; or rather, where he should go, to what house he should betake himself; ere he was aware, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark . This good woman seems to be a widow, no mention being made of her husband, and was sister to Barnabas, Colossians 4:10 . She is described by a son she had, whose name was John Mark, because of the frequent mention made of him hereafter; her... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:13

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate , &c.; The lesser door in the great gate, or the door of the porch through which they entered into the house. So the Jews distinguish between פתח , "the door", and שער , "the gate"; see Judges 18:16 where the Septuagint use the same words as here. Kimchi F8 Sepher Shorash. rad. פתח says, "xtp, "the door" is what is of the gate, without the folding doors; for all is called שער , "the gate", whether within or without, with the... read more

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