Acts 12:4

And 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. AND WHEN HE HAD APPREHENDED HIM, HE PUT HIM IN PRISON, AND DELIVERED HIM TO FOUR QUATERNIONS OF SOLDIERS TO KEEP HIM - that is, to four parties of four each, corresponding to the four Roman watches; two watching in prison and two at the gates, and each party being on duty for the space of one watch. INTENDING AFTER EASTER, [ meta (G3326) ta (G3588) pascha (G3957)] - it should be, 'after the Passover:' that is, after the conclusion of the festival. (The word employed in our King James Version being an ecclesiastica...

4._Adding four quaternions of soldiers. _Luke doth, in this place, declare by circumstances that Peter was, as it were, shut up in his grave, so that it might seem that he was quite past hope; for as they divided the day and night into four parts by three hours, so Herod divided the watches, that four soldiers might always keep watch, and that one quaternion might succeed another every third hour. He showeth the cause why he was not forthwith put to death, because it had been an heinous offense to put him to death in the Easter holidays; therefore, Herod doth not delay the time as doubtful what to do, but doth only wait for opportunity; yea, he maketh choice of a time, when as his gift may be more plausible, because there came a great multitude together from all parts unto the holy day. (753)...

1-5 James was one of the sons of Zebedee, whom Christ told that they should drink of the cup that he was to drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that he was to be baptized with, Matthew 20:23. Now the words of Christ were made good in him; and if we suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him. Herod imprisoned Peter: the way of persecution, as of other sins, is downhill; when men are in it, they cannot easily stop. Those make themselves an easy prey to Satan, who make it their business to please men. Thus James finished his course. But Peter, being designed for further services, was safe; though he seemed now marked out for a speedy sacrifice. We that live in a cold, prayerless generation, can hardly form an idea of the earnestness of these holy men of old. But if the Lord should bring on the church an awful persecution like this of Herod, the faithful in Christ would learn what s...

Verse 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 τασχα, _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 Jewish passover. This festival is always held on the fourteenth day of the first vernal full moon; but the Easter of the Christians, never till the _next_ Sabbath after said full moon; and, to avoid all conformity with the Jews in this matter, if the fourteenth day of the first vernal full moon happen on a Sabbath, then the festival of Ea

AND WHEN HE HAD APPREHENDED HIM - When he had taken or arrested him. HE PUT HIM IN PRISON - During the solemnities of this religious festival, it would have been deemed improper to have engaged in the trial of a supposed criminal. The minds of the people were expected to be devoted solely to the services of religion; and hence, Herod chose to retain him in custody until the Passover had ended. TO FOUR QUATERNIONS OF SOLDIERS - A “quaternion” was a company of “four”; consequently the whole number employed here was sixteen. The Romans divided the night into four watches so that the guards could be relieved; those who were on guard occupying three hours, and being then relieved. Of the four who were on guard, two were with Peter in the prison Acts 12:6, and two kept watch before the do

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 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: these perhaps might take their turns to watch him by four at a time, two to whom he was chained, and two others to keep the doors; or all the sixteen together, being posted in one place or another for greater security: and it may be, that the reason of all this caution, and strong guard, might be, because it was remembered that he, and the rest of the apostles, when committed to the same

EASTER the passover....

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...