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The Early Church · New Testament

Acts 12

Acts 12: James killed, Peter brought out of prison, and Herod's death

General context

Herod the king lays hands on certain of the church and kills James the brother of John with the sword. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he takes Peter during the days of unleavened bread, puts him in prison under four quaternions of soldiers, and intends to bring him out after Easter. The church prays without ceasing. On the night before, Peter sleeps between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with keepers at the door. The angel of the Lord comes, a light shines, the chains fall off, and Peter is told to gird himself, bind on his sandals and follow. He thinks he is seeing a vision. They pass two wards, the iron gate opens of its own accord, and the angel leaves him in the street. Peter comes to himself, goes to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many are praying. The damsel Rhoda hears his voice and runs in without opening the gate; the others tell her she is mad and then say it is his angel, while Peter keeps knocking. He describes his release, sends word to James, and goes to another place. In the morning there is a stir among the soldiers; Herod examines the keepers, commands them to be put to death, and goes down to Cesarea. Displeased with Tyre and Sidon, whose people seek peace through Blastus the king's chamberlain, he sits on his throne on a set day and makes an oration, and when the people call his voice the voice of a god, the angel of the Lord smites him because he gave not God the glory, and he is eaten of worms and dies. The word of God grows, and Barnabas and Saul return from Jerusalem with John whose surname was Mark.

Cited passages: Acts 12:1, Acts 12:2, Acts 12:3, Acts 12:4, Acts 12:5, Acts 12:6, Acts 12:7, Acts 12:8, Acts 12:9, Acts 12:10, Acts 12:11, Acts 12:12, Acts 12:13, Acts 12:14, Acts 12:15, Acts 12:16, Acts 12:17, Acts 12:18, Acts 12:19, Acts 12:20, Acts 12:21, Acts 12:22, Acts 12:23, Acts 12:24, Acts 12:25

Acts 12 (KJV)

1Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

10When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

11And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

14And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

16But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

18Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

19And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode.

20And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.

21And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

24But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text calls this ruler Herod the king and identifies him no further; a Herod the tetrarch is named at 13:1 only as the man Manaen was brought up with, and the book does not say whether the two names belong to one person. The James who is killed is identified as the brother of John; the James to whom Peter sends word at 12:17 is named without any further description, and the chapter does not connect the two. The timing is given by the text's own markers, the days of unleavened bread and the intention to act after Easter, with no year. Mary is described only as the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, and the house is hers. The killing of the keepers at 12:19 is stated flatly and without comment. Herod's death is reported as the angel of the Lord smiting him and his being eaten of worms; no illness or length of time is named.

Cited passages: Acts 12:1, Acts 13:1, Acts 12:2, Acts 12:17, Acts 12:3, Acts 12:4, Acts 12:12, Acts 12:19, Acts 12:23

Literary context

Two arrests open the chapter and end differently, one with James killed by the sword and one with Peter walking free. The escape is told a step at a time, gird thyself, bind on thy sandals, cast thy garment about thee, follow me, then two wards and an iron gate, with the narrator saying Peter wist not that it was true and thought he saw a vision. The praying house then refuses to believe that the answer is at its own gate, and the narrator lingers on Rhoda leaving the door shut for gladness while Peter continued knocking. The chapter closes with a second scene of Herod and a crowd, reversed from the first: the shout comes before the death rather than after the killing. The sentence But the word of God grew and multiplied stands immediately after that death, and the last verse returns to Barnabas and Saul and to Mark.

Cited passages: Acts 12:2, Acts 12:7, Acts 12:8, Acts 12:9, Acts 12:10, Acts 12:14, Acts 12:15, Acts 12:16, Acts 12:22, Acts 12:23, Acts 12:24, Acts 12:25

Key moments

  1. James killed with the sword (Acts 12:2). Herod kills James the brother of John.
  2. Chains fall off (Acts 12:7). The angel of the Lord wakes Peter and his chains fall from his hands.
  3. The iron gate opens (Acts 12:10). Peter and the angel pass two wards and the iron gate opens of its own accord.
  4. Rhoda leaves the gate shut (Acts 12:14). Recognizing Peter's voice, the damsel runs in with the news instead of opening the door.
  5. Thou art mad (Acts 12:15). Those praying inside refuse Rhoda's report and say it is his angel.
  6. The keepers put to death (Acts 12:19). Herod examines the guards, orders their execution, and goes down to Cesarea.
  7. Herod is smitten (Acts 12:23). After the crowd's shout the angel of the Lord smites Herod and he is eaten of worms and dies.

For reflection

The church prays without ceasing for Peter, and when he stands at the gate the people inside tell the girl who heard him that she is mad. What does the chapter show about the distance between praying for something and expecting it?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here:

  • Herod
  • Blastus
  • Husband of Mary
  • Mary
  • Rhoda