Preface: In this chapter, Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great) is ruling over Palestine. In order to please the Jewish religious class, he has killed James and thrown Peter into prison. By the end of this chapter, Peter will be miraculously taken out of prison and Herod Agrippa will be dead. Agrippa’s words go as far as Caesarea and die there, but the Word of God begins to spread all over the Roman Empire.

Bible Summary: Herod killed James and arrested Peter. The church prayed earnestly. An angel led Peter out of prison. An angel struck Herod down.

The “Key” & Main Points of Chapter 12 (a chart); from Slide Player; accessed June 30, 2022.

This should be the most extensive examination of Acts 12 available, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text.

Brief Overview: (taken from Light of the Word; accessed April 22, 2022).

Time and Place as per Modern Literal Version 2020:

March 44 AD. Jerusalem.

April 44 AD. (James beheaded)

Around May 44 AD. Caesarea. Herod Agrippa dies. Palestine reunited to Rome.}

Spring 44 AD. Antioch to Jerusalem back to Antioch (Acts 11:30), sending relief.

Outline of Chapter 12:

Preface

Introduction

         vv.     1–5           Herod Agrippa Persecutes the Church, Killing James and Putting Peter into Prison

         vv.     6–10         God Sends an Angel to Bust Peter Out of Jail

         vv.    11–19b       Peter Freed from Prison

         vv.    19c–23       Herod Agrippa I Dies in Caesarea

         v.       24           The Word of God Continues to Grow and Spread

         v.       25           Barnabas, Saul and John Mark Return (Introduction to Acts 13)

Chapter Summary

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Preface

         Preface               Brief Overview

         Preface               The “Key” & Main Points of Chapter 12 (a chart)

         Preface               Quotations

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Herodian Dynasty (a chart)

         Introduction         Titles and/or Brief Descriptions of Acts 12 (by Various Commentators)

         Introduction         Brief, but insightful observations of Acts 12 (various commentators)

         Introduction         Fundamental Questions About Acts 12

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Prequel to Acts 12

         Introduction         The Principals of Acts 12

         Introduction         The Places of Acts 12

         Introduction         By the Numbers

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Acts 12

         Introduction         Outlines and Summaries of Acts 12 (Various Commentators)

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Acts 12 from the Summarized Bible

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Big Picture (Acts 9–16)

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         Changes—additions and subtractions

         v.       1              Herod Agrippa I Chart

         v.       1              Herod Agrippa I

         v.       1              Herod Agrippa’s Kingdom (a map)

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         v.      10              Obeying Authorities Over Us/Peter’s Jail Break

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         v.      13              Modest Home in Israel (a graphic)

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         v.      23              An Account of the Death of Herod Agrippa I (by Josephus)

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         Summary            A Set of Summary Doctrines and Commentary

         Summary            Why Acts 12 is in the Word of God

         Summary            What We Learn from Acts 12

         Summary            Jesus Christ in Acts 12

         Summary 

         Summary 

         Addendum          Footnote for Acts 12:1 (The Christian Community Bible)

         Addendum          Kretzmann’s Commentary on Acts 12:1–5

         Addendum          Kretzmann’s Commentary on Acts 12:6–10

         Addendum          Kretzmann’s Commentary on Acts 12:11–16

         Addendum          Kretzmann’s Commentary on Acts 12:17–19

         Addendum          Kretzmann’s Commentary on Acts 12:20–25

         Addendum          Wilbur Pickering’s Entire Footnote #10

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         Addendum 

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Acts 12

         Addendum 

         Addendum          Doctrinal Teachers Who Have Taught Acts 12

         Addendum          Word Cloud from the Kukis Paraphrase of Acts 12

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Acts 12

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An Introduction to Acts 12

I ntroduction: In Acts 12, Herod Agrippa has decided to ingratiate himself to the religious Jews by doing away with some of their enemies. He kills one of the Apostles, James (the brother of John). Then, seeing the positive response, Herod arrests Peter. This takes place during the feast of unleavened bread. After this feast is done with, Herod’s plans are to bring Peter to the Jewish religious leaders.

Herod knows that arrests of the Apostles have been made in the past, and they all just walked out of jail before. So, he wants to make certain that Peter is well guarded. In total, Herod has 16 men assigned to Peter, although all 16 were likely not on duty at the same time.

Peter—for the crime of speaking boldly about Jesus—sits between two guards and is apparently chained to them. There are other guards at various stations set up to keep any prisoner from escaping.

An angel shows up, in the middle of the night, and guides Peter out of the prison away from his captors.

This certainly opens up a discussion. If we, as believers in Jesus, are supposed to obey the laws, what is happening here? If God sent an angel to free Peter, then clearly, there are limits as to how far our obedience to the state goes. The key here is to (1) consider that this is taking place during the nascent church (that is, some things take place during the early church which are not repeated); and (2) how far do we obey the laws of the nation in which we live?

Now let me say something that you may find shocking. Peter’s name will only show up once more in the book of Acts in Acts 15:7. The same Peter, who has been featured in every chapter of Acts up to this point (except for chapters 6 & 7), will be mentioned by name just this one more time.

Every chapter, from this point forward, will feature the name and acts of Saul (later named Paul).

In the final section of this chapter, Herod Agrippa apparently had organized some games up in Caesarea (I mean up in the sense of going somewhat northward from Jerusalem). Herod goes there to oversee the games and to give a speech. Herod’s speech and the events which follow are still known today, also recorded by the ancient historian Josephus (as well as by Luke). This was a remarkable speech, as even Luke suggests in his record of this even. However, this will be Herod’s last speech. Though very well-received, Herod will die within a few days of giving this speech.

Herod Agrippa attempted to stop the Word of God from spreading by persecuting Peter and other believers in Jerusalem (including the killing of James). God will end Herod Agrippa’s reign right here, in this chapter, in a.d. 44. His words, though well received, will not spread anywhere. However, the Word of God will continue to grow and spread throughout the world.

The Herodian Dynasty (a chart); from Wikipedia; accessed January 23, 2022.

We have studied Herod the Great in Acts 1; and we will study Herod Agrippa I in this chapter of Acts. Many of those listed in this line play minor roles in the book of Acts.

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Herod Agrippa Persecutes the Church, Killing James and Putting Peter into Prison

There are about 34 people found in the New Testament who are also named in extra-Biblical literature. Herod Agrippa I is one of these. Wikipedia lists them here. It is a pretty nifty chart, actually. Here is Herod in that chart:

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       I will use the Westcott-Hort Greek text as the basis for my English translation. I use that test primarily because e-sword has a nice module by Rob Wolfram which has the interlinear English text, Strong’s #’s, and the Greek morphology. The e-sword tab is IWH+P. I do not use their English text for my translation. Also, throughout, I take in consideration alternate readings.

As a young Christian, I was quite interested in the alternative readings. After many decades of study, I have found that, as with the Hebrew text, disputed readings rarely have any affect on the interpretation of a text (apart from perhaps a half-dozen fairly well-known alternate readings, like the end of the book of Mark).

I will compare the Greek text to English translations of the Latin and Syriac (= Aramaic) texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation and George Lamsa’s translation from the Syriac. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.).

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls are irrelevant, as they preceded the writing of the New Testament by over 200 years.

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Ancient texts:

Westcott-Hort Text (Greek)    But according to that the time, cast upon, Herod the king, the hands to harm certain ones of the (ones) from the ekklêsia. But he executed James, the brother of John, with a sword. But seeing that pleasing [this] kept on being to the Jews, he added again to seize even Peter (but [this] was days the unleavened loaves). Whom even, having seized, he put [in place] the watch, delivering [him] over to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, willing after the Passover to bring him to the people.

Complete Apostles’ Bible      Now at that time Herod the king put forth his hands to harm some from the church.

And he put to death James the brother of John with the sword.

And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also (and then were the Days of Unleavened Bread),

whom also seizing, he put him in prison, and handed him over to four four-man squads of soldiers to guard him, planning after the Passover to bring him again to the people.

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church.

And he killed James, the brother of John, With the sword.

And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes.

And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers, to be kept, intending, after the pasch, to bring him forth to the people.

Holy Aramaic Scriptures        Then, at that time, Herudes {Herod} the King, who is named Agripus {Agrippa}; had placed his hands upon men who were in The Edtha {The Assembly}, so as that he might do harm to them.

And with the sword he killed Yaqub {Jacob/James}, the brother of Yukhanan {John}.

And when he saw that this had been pleasing unto the Yehudaye {the Judeans/the Jews}, he had added to also seize Shimeun Kepha {Simeon, The Rock}. And it was The Days of Phatiyre {i.e. The Feast of The Unleavened Breads/Passover}.

And he took him and threw him in the prisoner’s house, and delivered him over to sixteen Soldiers, so that they should be guarding him, so that from after The Peskha {The Passover} he might deliver him unto the Ama d'Yehudaye {the People of the Judeans/the Jews}.

James Murdock’s Syriac NT And at that time Herod the king, who was surnamed Agrippa, laid hands on some of the church, to maltreat them.

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

And when he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded also to arrest Simon Cephas. And the days of unleavened bread were then passing.

He seized him and cast him into prison, and delivered him to sixteen soldiers, who were to guard him; that he might, after the passover, deliver him up to the people of the Jews.

Original Aramaic NT              But at that time, King Herodus, who was surnamed Agrippa, was laying hands on the people who were in the churches, to do evil to them.

And he murdered Yaqob the brother of Yohannan with the sword.

And when he saw this pleased the Judeans, he proceeded to seize also Shimeon Kaypha, and they were the days of Unleavened Bread.

And he arrested him and cast him into prison and delivered him unto sixteen Soldiers to guard him so that after Passover he would deliver him to the people of Judea...

Significant differences: 

English Translations:          I have included translations which I disagree with and footnotes that I do not necessarily agree with. If I believe that the author is too far from the truth, I may even address that at the footnote. However, nearly all of the correct commentary will be found following the Greek text box and the translation of each phrase.

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             Now, about that time, Herod the king made cruel attacks on the Christians. 

And he put James, the brother of John, to death with the sword. 

And when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he went on to take Peter in addition. This was at the time of the feast of unleavened bread. 

And having taken him, he put him in prison, with four bands of armed men to keep watch over him; his purpose being to take him out to the people after the Passover.

Bible in Worldwide English     At that time Herod the king caught some of the church people and troubled them.

He killed James the brother of John with a long knife or sword. He saw that this pleased the leaders of the Jews, so he caught Peter also. This happened at the Jewish feast which they had each year to remember leaving Egypt. (It was called the Passover Feast.) After Herod had caught Peter, he put him in prison. He told four groups of soldiers to guard him. There were four soldiers in each group. He planned to bring him out for trial before the people. But he would do it after the Passover Feast.

Easy English                          King Herod puts Peter in prison

At that time, King Herod took hold of some of the group of believers in Jerusalem. He wanted to cause them to suffer. He sent his soldiers to cut off James's head. James was John's brother.

King Herod saw that the Jews were happy because he had killed James. So he sent his soldiers to take hold of Peter too. This happened during the Festival of Flat Bread.

After the soldiers caught Peter, they put him in prison. While he was in prison, four different groups of soldiers guarded him. There were four soldiers in each group. Herod wanted to judge Peter in front of everybody. After the Passover festival had finished, he would bring Peter out of the prison to do this.

Easy-to-Read Version–2008  During this same time, King Herod began to do harm to some of those who were part of the church. He ordered James, the brother of John, to be killed with a sword. Herod saw that many of the Jews liked this, so he decided to arrest Peter too. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. He arrested Peter and put him in jail, where he was guarded by a group of 16 soldiers. Herod planned to bring Peter before the people, but he wanted to wait until after the Passover festival.

God’s Word™                         About that time King Herod devoted his attention to mistreating certain members of the church. He had James, the brother of John, executed. When he saw how this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter too. This happened during the days of Unleavened Bread. After capturing Peter, Herod had him thrown into prison with sixteen soldiers in squads of four to guard him. Herod wanted to bring Peter to trial in front of the people after Passover.

Good News Bible (TEV)         About this time King Herod began to persecute some members of the church. He had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he went ahead and had Peter arrested. (This happened during the time of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.) After his arrest Peter was put in jail, where he was handed over to be guarded by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after Passover.

J. B. Phillips                           Herod kills James and imprisons Peter

It was at this time that King Herod laid violent hands on some of the Church members. James, John’s brother, he executed with the sword, and when he found this action pleased the Jews he went on to arrest Peter as well. It was during the days of unleavened bread that he actually made the arrest. He put Peter in prison with no less than four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

The Message                         Peter Under Heavy Guard

That’s when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. He murdered James, John’s brother. When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover.

NIRV                                      An Angel Helps Peter Escape From Prison

About this time, King Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church. He planned to make them suffer greatly. He had James killed with a sword. James was John’s brother. Herod saw that the death of James pleased some Jews. So he arrested Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in prison. Peter was placed under guard. He was watched by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put Peter on public trial. It would take place after the Passover Feast.

New Life Version                    The King Makes It Hard for the Church

At that time King Herod used his power to make it hard for the Christians in the church. He killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. When he saw that it made the Jews happy, he took hold of Peter also. This was during the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Herod took Peter and put him in prison and had sixteen soldiers watch him. After the special religious gathering was over, he planned to bring Peter out to the people.

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Casual English Bible              ACTS 12

CHRISTIANS UNDER ARREST

JAMES: FIRST APOSTLE EXECUTED

That’s about the time Herod [1] the king started arresting people in the church and hurting them. He killed John’s brother, James—ordering him executed. When he saw how happy that made the Jews, he had Peter [2] arrested. Herod did this during the Jewish holiday of Passover. [3]

After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in prison. Herod ordered 16 soldiers to guard Peter—four squads with four soldiers to a squad. Herod intended to bring Peter out to the people after the Passover.

¹12:1Herod Agrippa I (ruled AD 37-44) was a grandson of Herod the Great. His friend since childhood, Roman emperor Caligula, appointed him ruler over the Jewish homeland. Herod reported directly to the emperor, as a subordinate.

²12:3Peter led the original disciples of Jesus. Many Christians recognized him as one of the most influential leaders of the emerging Christian movement.

³12:3Passover took place the same time of year Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. Then, as today, Jews from all over the world traveled to Jerusalem each spring—around Eastertime—to celebrate Passover, one of their most important holidays. Passover commemorates God freeing their ancestors from slavery in Egypt, during the time of Moses. Jews call the holiday Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) because of the miracle that finally convinced a hardheaded king of Egypt to release them. God brought death to the oldest child in each family, but he passed over Jewish homes without harming them (Exodus 12).

Contemporary English V.       At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John. When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he had Peter arrested during the Festival of Thin Bread. He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival.

New Berkeley Version           .

New Living Translation           James Is Killed and Peter Is Imprisoned

About that time King Herod Agrippa[a] began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration. [Greek the days of unleavened bread.]) Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.

[a] Greek Herod the king. He was the nephew of Herod Antipas and a grandson of Herod the Great.

The Passion Translation        During this period King Herod incited persecution against the church, causing great harm to the believers.  He even had the apostle Jacob, John’s brother, beheaded.  When Herod realized how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison during the Feast of Passover. Sixteen soldiers were assigned to guard him until Herod could bring him to public trial, immediately after the Passover celebrations were over.

Plain English Version             The big boss killed James, one of Jesus’s special workers

In Jerusalem, at that time, the big boss was called Herod. He told his soldiers to grab some of the Christians. One of them was James. He and his young brother, John, were both special workers of Jesus. Herod told his soldiers to kill James with a big knife.

The Jewish leaders told Herod that this made them very happy, so he told his soldiers to grab Peter too. It was the time for the Jewish people to have their ceremony where they ate flat damper. So Herod thought, “I will wait until the end of that ceremony, then I will judge Peter and kill him.” So they put Peter in jail, and Herod told 4 little mobs of soldiers to guard Peter there. Those little mobs had 4 soldiers each, and they took turns to guard Peter.

Radiant New Testament        An Angel Rescues Peter From Prison

About this time, King Herod started attacking the church. He arrested many believers, and he had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword. When Herod saw that this pleased the church’s Jewish opponents, he arrested Peter as well. He did this during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He put Peter in prison and had him guarded by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod was planning to bring him out for a public trial after the Passover Feast.

UnfoldingWord Simplified T.  It was about this time that King Herod Agrippa sent soldiers to arrest some of the leaders of the group of believers in Jerusalem. The soldiers put them in prison. He did that because he wanted to make the believers suffer. He commanded a soldier to cut off the head of the apostle James, the older brother of the apostle John. So the soldier did that. When Herod realized that he had pleased the leaders of the Jewish people, he commanded soldiers to arrest Peter, too. This happened during the festival when the Jewish people ate bread without yeast. After they arrested Peter, they put him in prison. They commanded four groups of soldiers to guard Peter. Each group had four soldiers. Herod wanted to bring Peter out of prison and judge him in front of the Jewish people after the Passover Festival was finished. He then planned to execute Peter.

Williams’ New Testament      About that time Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, in order to do them violence. He had James the brother of John murdered with a sword, and when he saw that this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too -- it was at the time of the feast of Unleavened Bread. He had him seized and put into prison, and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning after the Passover to bring him out again to the people.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          This all happened about the same time that King Herod had started persecuting many of those in the congregation [at JeruSalem]; for he did away with James (John’s brother) with a sword.

And when he saw how much this pleased the Jews, during the celebration of No Fermentation, he also arrested Peter and threw him in jail, assigning four shifts of four soldiers to guard him, because he planned to put him on [trial] before the people after the Passover.

Beck’s American Translation .

Breakthrough Version            Throughout that time, Herod, the king, put his hands on some of the people out of the assembly to do bad to them. He executed James, the brother of John, with a knife. After seeing that it is a satisfying thing to the Jewish people, he added to it, to also apprehend Peter (but it was the days of the Yeastless Bread Festival), whom also, after arresting, he put in jail after he turned him over to four squads of four soldiers to be guarding him, intending after the Passover to bring him up to the ethnic group.

Common English Bible           Herod imprisons Peter

About that time King Herod began to harass some who belonged to the church. He had James, John’s brother, killed with a sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter as well. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. He put Peter in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers, sixteen in all, who guarded him. He planned to charge him publicly after the Passover. While Peter was held in prison, the church offered earnest prayer to God for him. V. 5 is included for context.

Len Gane Paraphrase           Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hands to vex certain people in the church and killed James, John's brother, with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he went ahead and took Peter also--those were the days of unleavened bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four quaternions of soldiers [16 soldiers] to guard him, intending after Passover to bring him out to the people.

A. Campbell's Living Oracles Now, about that time, Herod, the king, laid hands on some of the congregation, to afflict them. And he slew James, the brother of John, with the sword. And as he saw that this was acceptable to the Jews, he went on to seize Peter also: and it was in the days of unleavened bread; and having seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to the custody of four quaternions of soldiers, intending, after the passover, to bring him out to the people.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       It was at this same time that Herod exerted his authority to persecute some of those who belonged to the Church. James, the brother of John, he beheaded, and then, finding that this was acceptable to the Jews, he went further, and laid hands on Peter too. It was the time of unleavened bread; and he imprisoned Peter, after arresting him, with a guard of four soldiers, relieved four times a day; when paschal-time was over, he would bring him out in the presence of the people.

NT for Everyone                     Herod kills James

Around that time, King Herod began to use violence towards some members of the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Judaeans, he proceeded to arrest Peter, too. (This was around the time of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.) So, when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and gave four squads of soldiers the job of guarding him, with the intention of bringing him out to the people after Passover. So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed earnestly to God on his behalf. V. 5 is included for context.

20^th Century New Testament It was at that time that King Herod began to ill-treat some of the members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, beheaded; And, when he saw that the Jews were pleased with this, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread.) After seizing Peter, Herod put him in prison, and entrusted him to the keeping of four Guards of four soldiers each, intending, after the Passover, to bring him up before the people.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Christian Standard Bible        James Martyred and Peter Jailed

About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, and he executed James, John’s brother, with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him. V. 5 is included for context.

Conservapedia Translation    At about that time, King Herod Agrippa I moved his hand to do mischief to certain members of the church. He had James the brother of John executed by the sword. Because he saw that this pleased the Jews, he went further and had Peter arrested. (He did this during the Unleavened Bread Days.) When he had arrested him, he threw him into prison, and appointed four four-man squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after Passover to bring him out before the people. The KJV is the only translation that uses "Easter." In fact, the holiday involved was Passover.

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                Martyrdom of James.

About that time king Herod ¹ arrested some of those connected with the assembly, to maltreat them; and James the brother of John he killed with a sword.

¹ Agrippa 1

Peter's Deliverance From Prison.

And seeing that this pleased the Judeans, he also set about the apprehension of Peter. And it was then the time of unfermented bread.

So having arrested him, he placed him in prison with a guard of four bands of soldiers, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

Free Bible Version                 Around this time King Herod began to persecute some members of the church. He had James, John’s brother, executed by sword. When he saw that the Jews were pleased by this, he had Peter arrested too. (This was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) After having Peter arrested, he threw him in prison, with four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He planned to have Peter brought out for a public trial after the Passover.

International Standard V        An Angel Frees Peter from Prison

About that time, Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church and mistreated them. He even had James the brother of John killed with a sword. When he saw how this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter, too. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. When he arrested Peter, Herod [Lit. arrested him, he] put him in prison and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning to bring him out to the people after Passover season. [The Gk. lacks season].

Leicester A. Sawyer’s NT      AND at that time Herod the king put forth his hands to injure some of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to apprehend Peter also,—and it was during the days of unleavened bread,—and having seized he put him in prison, committing him to four companies of four soldiers each to guard him, wishing after the passover to bring him before the people.

Urim-Thummim Version         Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some in the ekklesia. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the Days of Unleavened Bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after Passover [Herod's Easter] to bring him out to the people.

Weymouth New Testament    Now, about that time, King Herod arrested certain members of the Church, in order to ill-treat them; and James, John's brother, he beheaded. Finding that this gratified the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also; these being the days of Unleavened Bread. He had him arrested and lodged in jail, handing him over to the care of sixteen soldiers; and intended after the Passover to bring him out again to the people.

Worsley’s New Testament    About that time Herod the king exerted his power to distress some of the church. And he cut off James, the brother of John, with the sword. And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to apprehend Peter also, (in the days of unleavened bread:) whom he seized and put into prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending, after the passover, to bring him out to the people.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)     James is put to death; Peter’s miraculous escape

• About that time King Herod decided to per se cute some members of the Church. He had James, the bro ther of John, killed with the sword, and when he saw how it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

This happened during the festival of the Unleavened Bread. Herod had him seized and thrown into prison with four squads, each of four soldiers, to guard him. He wanted to bring him to trial before the people after the Passover feast, but while Peter was kept in prison, the whole Church prayed earnestly for him. V. 5 is included for context.

The footnote for Acts 12:1 will be placed in the Addendum.

The Heritage Bible                          And at that time Herod the king threw his hands upon some from the church to oppress them.

And he took out James, the brother of John, with the sword,

And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he added also to take Peter together with them - and they were days of unleavened bread -

Whom also seizing, he placed him in prison, giving him over to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after the Passover to lead him up to the people.

New American Bible (2011)   Herod’s Persecution of the Christians.*

About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John,* killed by the sword, * and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (It was [the] feast of Unleavened Bread.) He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.

* [12:1–19] Herod Agrippa ruled Judea A.D. 41–44. While Luke does not assign a motive for his execution of James and his intended execution of Peter, the broad background lies in Herod’s support of Pharisaic Judaism. The Jewish Christians had lost the popularity they had had in Jerusalem (Acts 2:47), perhaps because of suspicions against them traceable to the teaching of Stephen.

* [12:2] James, the brother of John: this James, the son of Zebedee, was beheaded by Herod Agrippa ca. A.D. 44.

* [12:3, 4] Feast of Unleavened Bread…Passover: see note on Lk 22:1.

* [22:1] Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover: see note on Mk 14:1.

* [14:1–16:8] In the movement of Mark’s gospel the cross is depicted as Jesus’ way to glory in accordance with the divine will. Thus the passion narrative is seen as the climax of Jesus’ ministry.

* [14:1] The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread: the connection between the two festivals is reflected in Ex 12:3–20; 34:18; Lv 23:4–8; Nm 9:2–14; 28:16–17; Dt 16:1–8. The Passover commemorated the redemption from slavery and the departure of the Israelites from Egypt by night. It began at sundown after the Passover lamb was sacrificed in the temple in the afternoon of the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan. With the Passover supper on the same evening was associated the eating of unleavened bread. The latter was continued through Nisan 21, a reminder of the affliction of the Israelites and of the haste surrounding their departure. Praise and thanks to God for his goodness in the past were combined at this dual festival with the hope of future salvation. The chief priests…to death: the intent to put Jesus to death was plotted for a long time but delayed for fear of the crowd (Mk 3:6; 11:18; 12:12).

New Catholic Bible                 Persecution, Death, and Imprisonment.^[a] It was about this period of time that King Herod[b] persecuted certain members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword, and when he noted that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well. Since this happened during the feast of Unleavened Bread, he imprisoned him and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to subject him to a public trial after Passover. While Peter was thus imprisoned, the Church prayed fervently to God for him. V. 5 is included for context.

[a] Death and imprisonment are the fate of the disciple. Jesus has foretold it emphatically. Herod puts James (“the Greater”), the brother of John, to death by the sword. Since this pleases some of the Jews, he intends to put Peter to death, too, and takes him into custody. But Peter is freed from prison by an angel and goes back to the community, which rejoices that he is freed. Peter now departs from Acts without any indication of his further activity and his fate—martyrdom. Luke also leaves us in suspense regarding the end of Paul, on the last page of Acts.

[b] Herod: i.e., Herod Agrippa I, ruler of Judea and Samaria from A.D. 41 to 44; he was a nephew of the Herod Antipas whom we meet in the Passion of Jesus. James (“the Greater”) was the first of the apostles to drink the Lord’s cup (Mk 10:39) and give his life for the Master; his brother, John, will be the last of the apostles to leave the scene.

New Jerusalem Bible             It was about this time that King Herod started persecuting certain members of the church. He had James the brother of John beheaded, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he went on to arrest Peter as well. As it was during the days of Unleavened Bread that he had arrested him, he put him in prison, assigning four sections of four soldiers each to guard him, meaning to try him in public after the Passover.

Revised English Bible–1989   IT was about this time that King Herod launched an attack on certain members of the church. He beheaded James, the brother of John, and, when he saw that the Jews approved, proceeded to arrest Peter also. This happened during the festival of Unleavened Bread. Having secured him, he put him in prison under a military guard, four squads of four men each, meaning to produce him in public after Passover.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           It was around this time that King Herod began arresting and persecuting certain members of the Messianic community; and he had Ya‘akov, Yochanan’s brother, put to death by the sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Judeans, he went on to arrest Kefa as well. It was during the Days of Matzah, so when Herod seized him, he threw him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each, with the intention of bringing him to public trial after Pesach.

Hebraic Roots Bible               And at that time Herod the king put forth the hands to oppress some of those in the congregation.

And with a sword he did away with Jacob the brother of John.

And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he added also to seize Simon Peter, (and they were the days of Unleavened Bread)

whom also capturing him, he put him into prison, delivering him to four sets of four soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him up to the people after the Passover.

Holy New Covenant Trans.    During that same time, King Herod Agrippa I began to persecute some members of the called out people. He ordered that Jacob be killed with a sword. (Jacob was the brother of John.) Herod saw that the Jewish leaders liked this. So he decided to arrest Peter too. (This happened during the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) Herod had Peter arrested and put in jail. He turned Peter over to a group of 16 soldiers to guard him. Herod wanted to wait until after the Passover Festival. Then he planned to bring Peter before the people.

The Scriptures 2009              And about that time Herodes the sovereign put forth his hands to do evil to some from the assembly. 

And he killed Ya‛aqo the brother of Yoanan with the sword. 

And seeing that it was pleasing to the Yehuim, he proceeded further to arrest Kěpha as well – and they were the Days of Unleavened Bread. 

So when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to watch over him, intending to bring him before the people after Pěsa.

Tree of Life Version                Now at that time Herod the king seized some from Messiah’s community to do them harm. He had Jacob, John’s brother, put to death with the sword. Seeing it pleased the Judean leaders, he proceeded to capture Peter as well. This was during the Days of Matzah. After seizing him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads with four soldiers each to guard him. He was intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Accurate New Testament       ...in that but the time lays Herod The King the hands to hurt (some) ones [of] the [men] from the congregation [He] takes (away) but james the brother [of] john [by] sword Seeing but for Pleasing [It] is [to] the jews [He] adds to take and peter were but The Days [of] the [things] unleavened whom and Grasping [He] places {him} to guard Giving (Over) {him} [to] four quadruplets [of] soldiers to keep him Wanting after the pascha to lead (up) him [to] the people...

Awful Scroll Bible                   Moreover, down along that time, Herod, the governing leader, cast- his hands -upon to afflict some of they called-out.

And he took-out James, the brother of John, with a smallsword.

And perceiving that it is agreeable to the Jews, himself set-to take-hold-together of Peter also, (even was it the Days of the Unleavened Bread),

whom also apprehending, he puts down for himself into a prison, giving- him -over-before a four, four-man squad of soldiers, to watch over him, intending after the Passover to bring- him -up to the people.

exeGeses companion Bible   FIFTH PERSECUTION

And about that season

Herod the sovereign lays on his hands

to vilify some of the ecclesia:

and he takes out Yaaqovos the brother of Yahn

with the sword:

and because he sees it pleases the Yah Hudiym,

he adds to also take out Petros

- these are the days of matsah:

and he seizes him and puts him in the guardhouse

and delivers him to four quaternions of warriors

to guard him;

and wills to bring him to the people after pasach.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           Now during that time Herod the king laid his hands on Moshiach's Kehillah to harm some of them.

He killed Ya'akov the ach Yochanan with a cherev (sword).

Having seen that this was pleasing to the Judeans, Herod proceeded to arrest Kefa also. This happened during the yamim of Chag HaMatzot. [SHEMOT 12:15; 23:25]

When he had Kefa seized, he put him in the beis hasohar, having handed him over to four squads of chaiyalim to guard him, intending after Pesach to bring him before the people.

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. § 23. Herod slays James, and imprisons Peter. Peter delivered: Herod smitten.

Chapter 12.

Now |in the course of thatʹ season| Herod the king thrust forth his hands to harm some of them of the assembly,—and slew James the brother of John with a sword; and <seeing that it was |acceptable| unto the Jews> he went on to apprehend Peter also (now they were the days of unleavened bread),—|whom also having seized| he put into prison, delivering him up unto fourʹ quaternions of soldiersˎ to be guarding him,— intending |after the passover| to bring him up^b unto the people.

^b Or: “back.”

Worrell New Testament         Now about that time Herod the king put forth his bands to harm some of the assembly. And he slew James, the brother of John, with the sword; and, seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And then were the days of unleavened bread. And, having seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending, after the passover, to bring him up to the people.

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                Peter’s Arrest and Escape

Now at that time ^[a]Herod [Agrippa I] the king [of the Jews] arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to harm them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to have Peter arrested as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week]. When he had seized Peter, he put him in prison, turning him over to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him [in rotation throughout the night], planning after the Passover to bring him out before the people [for execution]. So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent and persistent prayer for him was being made to God by the church. V. 5 is included for context.

[a] I.e. Herod Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great. Since he was of Hasmonean descent he was partly Jewish.

An Understandable Version   Now about that time King Herod began a persecution of certain people in the [Jerusalem] church. [Note: This man was the grandson of Herod the Great. See Matt. 2:1]. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. When he realized that this act pleased the Jews, he proceeded to have Peter arrested also. [This happened] during the Festival of Unleavened Bread [See Exodus 12:15ff]. So, Peter was arrested and put in jail with four groups of four soldiers each guarding him. Herod planned to have him brought before the people after the Passover Festival was over.

The Expanded Bible              Herod Agrippa Hurts the Church

During that same time King Herod [^C Agrippa I, who lived 10 bc–ad 44; he was the grandson of Herod the Great (Luke 1:5)] ·began to mistreat [^L laid hands on to harm/do evil to] some who belonged to the church. He ordered James, the brother of John, to be killed by the sword [^C execution by beheading]. Herod saw that ·some of the people liked this [^L this pleased the Jews/Jewish leaders], so he decided to arrest Peter, too. (This happened during the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.)

After Herod ·arrested [seized] Peter, he put him in ·jail [prison] and handed him over to be guarded by ·sixteen [^L four squads of four] soldiers. Herod planned to bring Peter ·before the people for trial [^L to the people; ^C an idiom for a public trial] after the Passover Feast.

Jonathan Mitchell NT             Now down through that season and during that particular situation, Herod the king [had his subordinates] thrust [their] hands on (= arrest) certain of the folks from the called-out community (or: the [local Messianic] communit[ies]; [D adds: in Judea]) to mistreat [them].

And so he took up Jacob (or: James), the brother of John, and assassinated [him] with a (or: by [the]) sword.

Now upon seeing that [this] was pleasing to the Judeans (= the Jewish leadership and their sympathizers), he set himself with a focus to seize (take together with the hands) Peter, also – now [these] were the days of unleavened bread [= during the Feast of Passover],

whom, after taking a firm hold on [him], he put into prison (or: jail), turning [him] over to four [shifts] of four soldiers [each] to continue guarding him, presently intending to lead him back up (= present him) to the people, after the Passover.

Syndein/Thieme                     Now about that time Herod {Herod Agrippa I} the king stretched forth his hands to persecute certain of the church.

{Note from Encyclopedia Britannica: Herod Agrippa I lived from 10BC to 44AD. His father was Antipater. His grandfather was Herod I the Great - the King Herod that attempted to kill the baby Jesus. His great-grandfather was Antipater - an Edomite (an Arab from the region between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba). }

{Sidenote: Herod I's father Antipater was killed by Herod the Great. Antipater's brothers (Herod I's uncles) were Herod Antipas and Philip. When Herod the Great died, Herod Antipas became tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis. Herod Antipas was the Herod involved with the crucification of Christ. Herod I's son Herod II meets with Paul later in Acts.}

And he killed James the brother of John by means of the sword.

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

{Note: Herod Agrippa was an unbeliever and a Roman aristocrat from the Days Herod the Great, his grandfather, befriended Julius Caesar. Herod took Peter and needed to have a bogus trial and then kill Peter. But, there were no executions permitted during the feast, so Peter would cool his heels in prison.}

And when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions {total of 16 of the best Roman soldiers} of soldiers to keep him intending after 'Easter' to bring him forth to the people.

{Note: Really not Easter, but it was the Passover here.}

Translation for Translators                        Herod had James killed and Peter put in prison.

Acts 12:1-4

It was about this time that King Herod Agrippa sent soldiers [MTY] who seized and put in prison some of the leaders of the congregation in Jerusalem. He did that because he wanted to make the believers suffer. He commanded a soldier to cut off the head of the apostle James, the older brother of the apostle John. When Herod realized that he had pleased the leaders of the Jewish people by doing that, he commanded soldiers to arrest Peter in order to kill him, too. This happened during the festival when the Jewish people ate bread that did not have yeast. After they seized Peter, they put him in prison. They arranged for four groups of soldiers to guard Peter. Each group had four soldiers. Every three hours a different group began to guard him while the others rested. Herod wanted to bring Peter out of prison and judge him in front of the Jewish people after the Passover Festival was finished. He then planned to command soldiers to execute Peter.

The Voice                               Back in Jerusalem, hard times came to the disciples. King Herod violently seized some who belonged to the church with the intention of mistreating them. He ordered James (brother of John) to be executed by the sword, the first of those appointed as emissaries to be martyred. This move pleased Jewish public opinion, so he decided to arrest Peter also. During the holy festival of Unleavened Bread, he caught Peter and imprisoned him, assigning four squads of soldiers to guard him. He planned to bring him to trial publicly after the Passover holiday.

Bible Translations with a Lot of Footnotes:

Lexham Bible                         Herod Kills James and Imprisons Peter

Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them . [*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] So he executed James the brother of John with a sword. And when he [*Here “when ” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal] saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (Now this was during the feast [Literally “now these were the days”] of Unleavened Bread.) After he [*Here “after ” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had arrested”) which is understood as temporal] had arrested him, [Literally “whom”] he also put him [*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] in prison, handing him [*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial [Literally “to the people”] after the Passover.

NET Bible®                             James is Killed and Peter Imprisoned

About that time King Herod¹ laid hands on² some from the church to harm them.³ He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword.⁴ When he saw that this pleased the Jews,⁵ he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.)⁶ When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads⁷ of soldiers to guard him. Herod⁸ planned⁹ to bring him out for public trial¹⁰ after the Passover.

^1sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great). His mediocre career is summarized in Josephus, Ant. 18-19. This event took place in a.d. 42 or 43.

^2tn Or “King Herod had some from the church arrested.”

^3tn Or “to cause them injury.”

^4sn The expression executed with a sword probably refers to a beheading. James was the first known apostolic martyr (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-3). On James, not the Lord’s brother, see Luke 5:10; 6:14. This death ended a short period of peace noted in Acts 9:31 after the persecution mentioned in 8:1-3.

^5tn This could be a reference to the Jewish people (so CEV) or to the Jewish leaders (so NLT). The statement in v. 4 that Herod intended to bring Peter “out to the people” (i.e., for a public trial) may suggest the former is somewhat more likely.

^6sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

^7sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.

^8tn Grk “guard him, planning to bring him out.” The Greek construction continues with a participle (βουλόμενος, boulomeno") and an infinitive (ἀναγαγε ν, anagagein), but this creates an awkward and lengthy sentence in English. Thus a reference to Herod was introduced as subject and the participle translated as a finite verb (“Herod planned”).

^9tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”

^10tn Grk “to bring him out to the people,” but in this context a public trial (with certain condemnation as the result) is doubtless what Herod planned. L&N 15.176 translates this phrase “planning to bring him up for a public trial after the Passover.”

The Spoken English NT         Herod Arrests and Executes James, and Peter is Thrown in Prison
At that time, King Herod^a arrested some people from the community, determined to mistreat them.

And he executed James the brother of John.^b

And when he saw that that pleased the Jewish leaders,^c he went on to arrest Peter too. (It was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.^d.)

And when he had arrested him, he put him in prison. And he posted four squads of soldiers^e to guard him. He wanted to bring him out to the people for a trial after the Passover.^f

^a.Prn. herr-edd.

^b.Lit. “And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.”

^c.Or “Jews,” or “Judæans.”

^d.This is bread that has no yeast in it, so it doesn’t rise. Matzo cracker bread is an example. See Exodus 12 (esp. vv.14-15) for the story behind the custom. This was the festival during which Jesus had been arrested and executed by hanging on a cross.

^e.That is, sixteen men.

^f.See “Bible Words.”

Wilbur Pickering’s New T.     Enter Herod
Now about that time, Herod the king laid hands on some from the church to mistreat them. James, the brother of John, he put to death by sword.¹ When he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well (it was during the days of the unleavened loaves)—upon seizing him he put him in prison, turning him over to sixteen soldiers² to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

(1) So far as we know, James was the first of the Apostles to die (discounting the Iscariot), and he was martyred.

(2) Why so many? Had he heard about Peter’s spiritual power?

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

A Faithful Version                  Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to persecute some of those of the church; And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.  And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take Peter also. (Now those were the days of unleavened bread.)  And after arresting him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four sets of four soldiers to guard him with the intent of bringing him out to the people after the Passover season.

Analytical-Literal Translation  Now about that time Herod the king put his hands to mistreat [or, persecute] some of the [ones] from the Assembly. Then he executed James the brother of John with [the] sword. And having seen that it is pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also (now [at that time] were the Days of the Unleavened Bread [i.e. Passover]), whom also having seized, he put in prison, having handed [him] over to four four-man squads of soldiers to be guarding him, intending after the Passover to bring him [before] the people.

Benjamin Brodie’s trans.       Now, at this particular point in time, King Herod laid hands on some from the assembly [the believing remnant, new Israel] for the purpose of mistreating [torment or oppress] them.

In fact, he murdered Jacob [James, the son of Zebedee], the brother of John, with a sword.

Then, after seeing [observing their reaction] that it was agreeable to the Jews [unbelieving, old Israel], he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now, the days of unleavened bread had begun.

Consequently, after arresting him, he put him away in jail, having handed him over to four squads of soldiers [16 men] for the purpose of guarding him, according to his plan to bring him before the people after the Passover.

Context Group Version          Now about that time Herod the king put out his hands to humble certain of the assembly. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And when he saw that it pleased the Judeans, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And [those] were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and handed him over to four groups of four soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

Modern English Version         James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

About that time King Herod extended his hands to harm certain ones from the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword. Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also. This happened during the Days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him before the people after the Passover.

Modern Literal Version 2020  {March 44 AD. Jerusalem.}

Now throughout that time, Herod the king put his hands upon some from the congregation* to mistreat them.

Now he assassinated James the brother of John with a sword, {April 44 AD.}

And having seen that it is pleasing to the Jews, he also added Peter to take (and they were the days of unleavened bread {i.e. Passover}).

whom having also arrested, he himself placed Peter in prison and gave him up to four Quarternions of soldiers {i.e. sixteen soldiers} to guard him; planning to lead him out to the people after the Passover.

New American Standard B.    Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance

Now about that time Herod [I.e., Herod Agrippa I] the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, to do them harm. And he had James the brother of John executed with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well. (Now these were the days of Unleavened Bread. [I.e., Passover week]) When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, turning him over to four squads [Lit quaternions; a quaternion was composed of four soldiers] of soldiers to guard him, intending only after the Passover to bring him before the people.

New European Version          Peter is delivered from prison

About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

New Matthew Bible                In that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hand to persecute some of the congregation. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further and took Peter also. This was during the days of sweet bread. And when he had caught Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to be kept, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

Niobi Study Bible                   Herod's Violence (Harassment) to the Church

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex (harass) certain of the church. Herod Kills James and Imprisons Peter And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (This was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after Easter (pagan festival) to bring him forth to the people.

Incorrect Translation: has the inaccurate word "Easter" which should be rendered "Passover." The Greek word is pascha which is translated correctly as Passover in Mat. 26:2, etc. According to the critics, the word "Easter" in Act 12:4 is a mistranslation, because the Greek word is"pascha G3957," and it is translated "passover" twenty-eight times in the New Testament, and it should be translated likewise in Act 12:4. *Correct Translation: This is what happens when a man is so hung up on "the Greek" that he can't read plain English. It should NOT be translated "passover" because the Passover had already passed. The "days of unleavened bread" had already begun (Act. 12:3), which means the Passover was over Num. 28:16-18, Exo. 12:16-18. The Passover was always the fourteenth day of the first month, while the days of unleavened bread ran from the fifteenth through the twenty-first. Herod could not have been waiting for the Passover. Besides, why would a Gentile king like Herod be concerned about a Jewish feast day? "Easter" is from the pagan "Ishtar", the goddess that the pagans worshipped--Rome included. Herod wanted to wait until his pagan holiday was over before bringing Peter out to the people.

The gist of this passage:     Herod Agrippa I begins to rule over Judæa. He executes James, the brother of John; and he throws Peter in jail. He places a very heavy guard on Peter.

1-4

Translation: About that time,...

Around the same time that there are gentiles believing in Jesus Christ, and forming churches of their own, there are things taking place back in Jerusalem.

Translation: ...Herod the king laid [his] hands upon...

This is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great.

It reads that Herod (Agrippa) the king laid his hands upon (someone); not meaning that he personally went out and grabbed someone; but he sent out his centurions to do his bidding.

Herod Agrippa I will play a very important part in this chapter. So let’s get some background on him.

Herod Agrippa I

1.      Herod Agrippa I was king over Judæa between a.d. 41–44, which is one of the main reasons that we can place a date on the events which we have been studying. You will note the shortness of this reign. This chapter, Acts 12, will tell us why. 2.      He is the son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice, and grandson of Herod the Great, whom we studied in Luke 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). 3.      His given name at birth was Marcus Julius Agrippa. He is most commonly referred to as Agrippa. 4.      The territory over which he rules was Roman Palestine, including Judea, Galilee, Batanaea, and Perea. 5.      As a young man, he had once told Caligula that it was too bad that his father (Tiberius) is still alive, as he would make a better king than his father. Tiberius apparently had spies everywhere, and Herod was thrown in jail for that remark. When Tiberius did die, Caligula succeeded him and he not only let Herod out of jail, but put him in charge of Palestine. Caligula also weighed the chains in which Agrippa had been placed, and gave him an equal weight in gold. 6.      Caligula’s successor, Claudius, gave Agrippa even more territory, so that he actually ruled over a greater region than his grandfather, Herod the Great. [In reading this, I am questioning whether it is actually true.] 7.      Agrippa will execute James, the brother of John, and put Peter in chains. He does this, in part, to gain the favor of the Jews in Judæa and Galilee. Acts 12:1–4 8.      God will send an angel to free Peter. Acts 12:6–9 9.      Agrippa apparently saw parallels between his being freed from prison and Peter being freed from prison. He had become a great man and he seemed to have concerns that Peter would be as well. 10.    After this incident, Agrippa goes to Caesarea to see the games which he had organized in honor of Claudius. He would also deliver a memorable speech there. 11.    Fausset: When he appeared in the theater in a robe all of silver stuff which shone in the morning light, his flatterers saluted him as a god, and suddenly he was afflicted with a terrible pain in the bowels, of which he died in five days, in the 54th year of his age. The sacred writer unveils the unseen world in his account, which Josephus so remarkably confirms. 12.    While Agrippa was in prison, there was an owl perched near him. A German prince prophesied that Agrippa would be released from prison; but the next time that he saw an owl, that would mark the time of his death. When giving this remarkable speech in Caesarea, there was an owl perched not far from him. Herod Agrippa I would only live 5 more days. 13.    The Bible gives an account of his death, which introduces God’s hand in Agrippa’s death. Again from Fausset: Then upon a set day" Herod arrayed in royal apparel sat upon his throne and made an oration. And the people gave a shout, saying It is the voice of a god and not of a man. And 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. But the word of God (which he bad thought to stifle) grew and multiplied." So Belshazzar (Daniel 5); "pride teeth before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). Josephus states that Herod said in his pain, "I whom you call a god am ordered to depart this life immediately. Providence thus instantly reproves the lying words you just now addressed to me, and I who was by you called immortal am immediately to be hurried away by death.” 14.    The historian Josephus will give an account of his death, which will be featured near the end of this chapter. 15.    Herod Agrippa’s Kingdom (a map); from Wikipedia; accessed January 23, 2022. 16.    Although I did come across an historic bust said to be Herod Agrippa I (at Robert Paterson’s Weblog), as well as Herod Agrippa II (at Alchetron) closer inspection revealed this to actually be the bust of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (63–12 b.c.) (see Wikipedia), who I have not identified in the line of Herod. The bust is dated 25–24 b.c., which fits in with date of his life. It is too bad that this was not Herod Agrippa I, as it was a pretty cool bust.

Translation: ...certain ones from the church, to harm [them].

He was going after various members of the church, apparently concentrating upon the Apostles.

Acts 12:1 About that time, Herod the king laid [his] hands upon certain ones from the church, to harm [them]. (Kukis mostly literal translation)

Translation: Now he had executed James, the brother of John, with a sword.

You may remember the sons of thunder, James and John. It seems that their mother requested of Jesus to place them on both sides of Him in heaven. Very unexpectedly to the church, Herod not only seized James, but had him executed (he was likely beheaded).

There is another famous believer in Jerusalem, James the half brother of Jesus. He is the head of the Jerusalem church (or one of the local churches). His name will come up later in the book of Acts.

A tradition of the Herods was to try to appeal to the Jewish people. It was clear that there was a serious difference between the assembly of believers and the Jews who did not believe in Jesus.

What Herod did here was quite strong. It is highly unlikely that there was anything worthy of death done by James—even by way of accusation.

Despite having believed in Jesus and having seen Him resurrected, the other disciples, no doubt, began rethinking their long term presence in Jerusalem. This act, no doubt, had to be a wake up call for most of them.