Peter's Escape!

12:1–19 Luke (the narrator) tells the story of James’ death and Peter’s imprisonment at the hands of Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great. In doing so, Luke illustrates that, in spite of opposition, no earthly king can succeed for long in hindering the kingdom of Jesus.

12:1 Herod This is not the same Herod as in Jesus’ day (Herod the Great; Matt 2:3,19). This is Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great. In AD 37 he was given the territory of Philip the tetrarch (see Luke 3:1). He added Galilee and Perea in AD 39 and the rest of Judaea two years later, reigning over all of them for just three years. Later in Acts, Paul encounters his son Agrippa II (Acts 25:13–26:32).

Political Leaders in the New Testament Table

12:2 James The brother of John and son of Zebedee (Mark 3:17; Acts 1:13), not the brother of Jesus (see v. 17).

sword This type of execution may signify that Agrippa I considered the growth and mission of the Christian community to be not just a religious but a political threat.

The Jewish people were not allowed to issue the death penalty (see John 18:31 and note). The earlier execution of Stephen could have been construed by the Jewish people as an action of the mob (see Acts 7:57 and note), but Agrippa I would have had to conceal the death of James.

12:3 it was pleasing to the Jews According to the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, Agrippa I enjoyed a good relationship with the Jewish people (Josephus, Antiquities 19.328–31). Agrippa I may have seen persecution of Christians as an opportunity to further improve his relationship with the Jewish people (compare 9:1).

feast of Unleavened Bread This Jewish feast took place for seven days every spring in conjunction with Passover (Exod 12:14–20; 23:15; compare Luke 22:1).

12:4 prison Compare Acts 5:18.

12:6 between two soldiers Two of the soldiers in the squad are chained to Peter while the other two keep watch. This choice to guard him this closely is probably due to him being freed miraculously earlier (5:17–26).

12:7 angel See note on 5:19.

striking The Greek word used here suggests a forceful blow (compare Luke 22:49–50; Acts 7:24)—which, ironically, an angel will deal to Agrippa I as well (v. 23)—although in Peter’s case, it is for his deliverance.

Angels in the Bible Table

Get up quickly The detailed series of instructions the angel must give Peter may anticipate the information revealed afterward that Peter was in some sort of daze (see vv. 8–11).

12:11 came to himself Peter finally realized that his dream was real (compare note on v. 7).

the Jewish people This is not a reference primarily to Jews as opposed to Gentiles (non-Jewish people), but to Jews who have rejected Jesus as Messiah and are opposed to the Christian community and its mission.

12:12 Mark Also known as John Mark. A missionary companion to Paul and Barnabas (vv. 25; 15:37), who seems to have been Barnabas’ cousin (Col 4:10) to whom the early church ascribed the authorship of the Gospel of Mark.

12:13 slave The Greek word used here, paidiskē, always refers to slaves in the NT (e.g., Luke 22:56; Acts 16:16). This means Rhoda was a household slave.

12:14 her joy Humorously, Rhoda is so overjoyed to realize Peter is alive and has escaped that she forgets to let him in. Since Rhoda responds with joy at Peter’s arrival, she is likely a Christian.

12:15 You are out of your mind The church had been praying fervently for Peter’s release (vv. 5, 12). They were not anticipating their prayers to be answered in such a remarkable way.

angel The Greek word used here is not phantasma, the typical Greek word for ghost used elsewhere in the NT (Matt 14:26; Mark 6:49) and in other ancient Greek literature. Instead the Greek word used is angelos, which is used to describe a heavenly being sent from Yahweh or a messenger. The church’s reaction likely testifies to an ancient belief that one’s angel was a kind of celestial entity that accompanied a person for his or her welfare (compare Matt 18:10; Heb 1:14).

12:17 James This James is the brother of Jesus, and the early church ascribed the authorship of the book of James to him. He seems to have been prominent in the Jerusalem church leadership (compare Acts 15:13).

12:18 not a little commotion The Greek phrase used here is known as a litotes—a figure of speech that states facts conservatively for effect. The point is that there was a great commotion.

12:19 led away to execution Allowing a prisoner to escape was a crime punishable by death.

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ac 11:30–12:19.