Acts 12:2-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 12:1-4

Ever since the conversion of Paul, we have heard no more of the agency of the priests in persecuting the saints at Jerusalem; perhaps that wonderful change wrought upon him, and the disappointment it gave to their design upon the Christians at Damascus, had somewhat mollified them, and brought them under the check of Gamaliel's advice?to let those men alone, and see what would be the issue; but here the storm arises from another point. The civil power, not now, as usual (for aught that... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 12:5-19

We have here an account of Peter's deliverance out of prison, by which the design of Herod against him was defeated, and his life preserved for further service, and a stop given to this bloody torrent. Now, I. One thing that magnified his deliverance was that it was a signal answer to prayer (Acts 12:5): Peter was kept in prison with a great deal of care, so that it was altogether impossible, either by force or by stealth, to get him out. But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 12:1-11

12:1-11 About this time Herod the king began to take hostile action to inflict injury on certain men of the Church. He killed James, John's brother, with the sword. When he saw that this gave pleasure to the Jews he went to arrest Peter too. (These were the days of unleavened bread). When he had seized Peter, he put him under arrest. He handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard, for he wished to bring him before the people after the Passover Feast. So Peter was continuously guarded... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:2

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. This was James, the son of Zebedee, whom our Lord told, that he should be baptized with the baptism he was baptized with, Matthew 20:22 meaning the baptism of martyrdom; and he was the first martyr among the apostles: the death he was put to was one of the four capital punishments among the Jews, and was reckoned by them the most disgraceful of them all, and was inflicted upon deceivers of the people; and such an one James was thought... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 12:3

And because he saw it pleased the Jews ,.... That is, as Beza's ancient copy adds, "his stretching out his hands upon the faithful"; this pleased the Jews, a bloodthirsty generation of men, who had killed the prophets, and the Lord Jesus, and who were now greedy after the death of the apostles: it may easily be seen from what principle and spirit Herod acted; it was not out of regard to the Jewish religion, rites, and ceremonies, but to ingratiate himself into the affections of the people: ... read more

John Gill

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 12:2

He killed James the brother of John with the sword - This was James the greater, son of Zebedee, and must be distinguished from James the less, son of Alpheus. This latter was put to death by Ananias the high priest, during the reign of Nero. This James with his brother John were those who requested to sit on the right and left hand of our Lord, see Matthew 20:23 ; and our Lord's prediction was now fulfilled in one of them, who by his martyrdom drank of our Lord's cup, and was baptized... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 12:3

He proceeded - to take Peter also - He supposed that these two were pillars on which the infant cause rested; and that, if these were removed, the building must necessarily come down. The days of unleavened bread - About the latter end of March or beginning of April; but whether in the third or fourth year of the Emperor Claudius, or earlier or later, cannot be determined. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 12:4

Four quaternions of soldiers - That is, sixteen, or four companies of four men each, who had the care of the prison, each company taking in turn one of the four watches of the night. Intending after Easter to bring him forth - Μετα το πασχα , After the passover. Perhaps there never was a more unhappy, not to say absurd, translation than that in our text. But, before I come to explain the word, it is necessary to observe that our term called Easter is not exactly the same with the... read more

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