Acts 12:10

When 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. WHEN THEY WERE PAST THE FIRST AND THE SECOND WARD, [ Dielthontes (G1330) de (G1161) prooteen (G4413) fulakeen (G5438) etc.] - 'When they had passed through the first and second guard.' The English reader is apt to think that it is places of confinement that are here meant, whereas it is guards of soldiers through whom they had to pass. They came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto t...

10._When they were past. _God was able to have carried Peter away in the turning of an hand; (758) but he overcometh diverse straits one after another, that the glory of the miracle might be the greater. So he created the world in six days, (Genesis 1:0.) not because he had any need of space of thee, but that he might the better stay us in the meditating upon his works, (Exodus 20:11,) for he applieth the manner of doing unto our capacity, and unto the increase of faith. If Peter had at a sudden been carried unto the house where the brethren were assembled, then should one only deliverance have been acknowledged, but now we see, as it were with our eyes, that he was delivered more than ten times....

6-11 A peaceful conscience, a lively hope, and the consolations of the Holy Spirit, can keep men calm in the full prospect of death; even those very persons who have been most distracted with terrors on that account. God's time to help, is when things are brought to the last extremity. Peter was assured that the Lord would cause this trial to end in the way that should be most for his glory. Those who are delivered out of spiritual imprisonment must follow their Deliverer, like the Israelites when they went out of the house of bondage. They knew not whither they went, but knew whom they followed. When God will work salvation for his people, all difficulties in their way will be overcome, even gates of iron are made to open of their own accord. This deliverance of Peter represents our redemption by Christ, which not only proclaims liberty to the captives, but brings them out of the priso...

Verse Acts 12:10. _THE FIRST AND - SECOND WARD_] It is supposed that ancient Jerusalem was surrounded by _three_ walls: if so, then passing through the gates of these three walls successively is possibly what is meant by the expression in the text. The prison in which he was confined might have been that which was at the outer wall. _IRON GATE_] This was in the innermost wall of the three, and was strongly plated over with iron, for the greater security. In the east, the gates are often thus secured to the present day. _Pitts_ says so of the gates of Algiers; and _Pocock_, of some near Antioch. Perhaps this is all that is meant by the _iron gate_. One of the quaternions of soldiers was placed at each gate. _WHICH OPENED - OF HIS OWN ACCORD_] Influenced by the unseen power of the angel. The

THE FIRST AND SECOND WARD - The word which is here rendered “ward” φυλακήν phulakēn properly denotes “the act of guarding”; but it is most commonly used to denote “a prison, or place of confinement.” In this place it seems to denote the guard itself - the soldiers stationed at intervals in the entrance into the prison. These were passed silently, probably a deep sleep having been sent on them to facilitate the escape of Peter. THE IRON GATE - The outer gate, Secured with iron, as the doors of prisons are now. THAT LEADETH UNTO THE CITY - Or rather into εἰς eis the city. The precise situation of the prison is unknown. It is supposed by some (compare Lightfoot on this place) that the prison was between two walls of the city, and that the entrance to t

EXPOSITION ACTS 12:1 _Put _for _stretched, _A.V.;_ afflict _for _vex, _A.V. The phrase, ABOUT THAT TIME, as in Acts 19:23, points to what had just before been related (Meyer). The interposition of the narrative in this chapter between Acts 11:20 and Acts 12:25 evidently implies that the bulk or rather the chief of the events narrated happened in the interval. Which of the events was the chief in the mind of the narrator with reference to his general narrative, and what are the coincidences which he wished to note, it is not easy to say with certainty. The narrative in this c

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 UNTO THE IRON GATE THAT LEADETH UNTO THE CITY: which was not one of the gates of the city, as if the prison was without the walls of it; but was the great and strong gate of the prison, which for the security of the prisoners was made of iron, and this gate led directly into the city of Jerusalem: WHICH OPENED TO THEM OF HIS OWN ACCORD; as the gates of the temple are said to do g, forty years before th...

ACTS 12:10 evxelqo,ntej {A} The circumstantial detail in codex Bezae, namely that Peter and the angel when coming out of prison “walked down the seven steps” (kate,bhsan tou.j z baqmou.j kai,), has seemed to many scholars to possess a verisimilitude that reflects local knowledge of Jerusalem. It should not be overlooked, however, as Lake and Cadbury remind us, that “we have no knowledge as to (i) where the prison was …, and (ii) whether there really were seven steps.” 230 A trace of the same reading is preserved in itp and copG67, “they descended (the) steps” (without “seven”). The reading of the Latin side of codex Bezae is slightly expanded, “when they went out they descended (the) seven steps and went...

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The great Persecution by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1)._ 2. The miraculous deliverance of Peter (Acts 12:6). 3. The Presumption and Judgment of Herod (Acts 12:18). 4. Barnabas and Saul returning to Jerusalem (Acts 12:24). With this chapter we reach the conclusion of the second part of this book. Jerusalem had heard the second offer concerning the Kingdom, and mercy was ready even for the murderers of the Prince of Life. But that offer was rejected. Stephen's testimony followed by his martyrdom marked the close of that second offer to the city where our Lord had been crucified. Then broke out a great p

PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY HEROD AGRIPPA. PETER'S ESCAPE FROM PRISON. On Agrippa, see p. 610. His persecution of the Christians was according to his general policy. The persecutions of the faithful have been hitherto from the Jews acting through their local courts or the Sanhedrin. Now there is a civil ruler, also a Jew, minded to injure them, and persecution becomes more deadly. ACTS 12:1. ABOUT THAT TIME: this must be before the death of Herod in A.D. 44; it must be after Paul's visit to Jerusalem in Galatians 2:1; Acts 11:30, for he found James and Peter and John there. [98] James the brother of the Lord is spoken of by Paul under that title in...