Acts 12
Acts 12 | |
---|---|
Book | Acts of the Apostles |
Category | Church history |
Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 5 |
Acts 12 is the twelfth chapter of the
Text
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 25 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
- Codex Vaticanus (AD 325–350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
- Codex Bezae (~400)
- Papyrus 127 (5th century; extant verses 1-3, 5, 7–9)[2]
- Codex Alexandrinus (400–440)
- Codex Laudianus (~550)
Locations
This chapter mentions the following places:
Timescale
Herod persecutes the apostles (12:1–5)
Sometime after the events in the
Peter freed from prison (12:6–11)
This part of the chapter tells that after Peter was put into prison by
-
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Liberation of St. Peter
-
Antonio de Bellis, The Liberation of St. Peter.
Verse 7
- Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.[7]
This verse is referred to in Charles Wesley's hymn And Can It Be.[8]
Peter's reception by the church (12:12–17)
Peter's reception by the church in this account has an element of humor that far from expecting their prayers to be answered, the believers are completely taken aback when Peter knocks at the door that the maid Rhoda (another minor character noted by Luke) runs back to the house instead of quickly open the door, so despite his supernatural escape, when prison doors was opened up for him, the house doors 'remain obstinately closed' for Peter.[6]
Verse 12
- Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.[9]
- "Thinking about that": is translated from Greek συνιδών, synidōn, "having considered [it]",[10] "after [he] had perceived [it]" or "after [he] had weighed [it]" (Vulgate: considerans).[3]
Verse 17
- But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place.[11]
- "Motioning... with his hand" (KJV: "Beckoning...with the hand"): translates the Greek phrase Κατασείειν τῇ χειρί, kataseisas tē cheiri,[12] "to make a shaking motion with the hand" (cf. Acts 13:16, Acts 19:33, Acts 21:40), to indicate 'a wish to bring forward something', seeking 'the silence and attention of those present'.[3]
Herod's reaction and death (12:18–23)
The accounts focus briefly back to the prison, where Herod ('depicted as a typical persecuting tyrant') vents his frustration on his subordinates.[6] There is an irony in the situation that 'neither the soldiers nor Herod share the readers' privileged knowledge of Peter's secret' and whereabouts.[6] Herod's sensational death (verses 20-23) was well documented in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews (19.343-50), and while it is independent from Luke's account, both have 'Herod dying a horrible death as a punishment for being acclaimed as divine'.[6]
Verse 23
- Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.[13]
- "Him" and "he" refer to Herod Agrippa I
- "Died" or "breathed his last"[14]
Summary and transition (12:24–25)
This part contrasts the death of the persecutor with the successful growth of God's word (verse 24) with the expansion of the church (cf. 9:31) by God's power.[15] Verse 25 provides a narrative link of the completed relief mission by the major characters from this point on as they return to Antioch.[15]
Verse 25
- And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.[16]
- "From Jerusalem": some manuscripts[a] read 'to' Jerusalem, linking it with 'mission' rather than with 'returned', thus rendering this 'returned (i.e. to Antioch) having completed their service (diakonia) to Jerusalem'.[15]
See also
- Barnabas
- Caesarea Maritima
- James, son of Zebedee
- John Mark
- Paul of Tarsus
- Rhoda
Notes
References
- ^ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
- ^ Continuation List Institute for New Testament Textual Research, University of Münster. Retrieved March 29, 2010
- ^ a b c Meyer's NT Commentary on Acts 12. Accessed 24 April 2019.
- ^ Acts 11:27–30
- ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Acts 12. Accessed 30 August 2015
- ^ a b c d e f Alexander 2007, p. 1043.
- ^ Acts 12:7 NKJV
- ^ Blair Gilmer Meeks, Expecting the Unexpected: An Advent Devotional Guide (Upper Room Books, 2006), 38.
- ^ Acts 12:12 ESV
- ^ Greek Text Analysis: Acts 12:12. Biblehub
- ^ Acts 12:17 NKJV
- ^ Greek Text Analysis: Acts 12:17. Biblehub
- ^ Acts 12:23 NKJV
- ^ Note [a] on Acts 12:23 in NKJV
- ^ a b c Alexander 2007, p. 1044.
- ^ Acts 12:25 NKJV
Sources
- Alexander, Loveday (2007). "62. Acts". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1028–1061. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
External links
- Acts 12 King James Bible - Wikisource
- English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)