Acts 12:3

Acts 12:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
• New International Version (NIV)When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Context of Acts 12:3

1About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, 2and 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. 4After 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. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.

Acts 12:3 word by word

ἰδὼν δὲ ὅτι ἀρεστόν ἐστιν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, προσέθετο συλλαβεῖν καὶ Πέτρον, ἦσαν δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἀζύμων,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• he sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• it pleasedἀρεστόςarestos · pleasingG701
• the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• he proceeded furtherπροστίθημιprostithēmi · to add (to)G4369
• to takeσυλλαμβάνωsullambanō · to seize/conceive/helpG4815
• PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• the daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• of unleavened breadἄζυμοςazumos · unleavenedG106

Cross-references for Acts 12:3

• Acts 24:27After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.
• Acts 25:9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”
• John 12:43For they loved human praise more than praise from God.
• Galatians 1:10For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people, but rather God, who examines our hearts.
• Acts 2:14Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words.
• Acts 4:13When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.
• Psalms 76:10Even human wrath will praise you; you will clothe yourself with the wrath that remains.
• John 19:11“You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
• John 21:18“Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”
• Exodus 12:14“This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.
• Exodus 13:3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of his hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten.
• Exodus 23:15Observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because you came out of Egypt in that month. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
• Leviticus 23:6The Festival of Unleavened Bread to the Lord is on the fifteenth day of the same month. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
• Matthew 26:17On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
• 1 Corinthians 5:7Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.

Commentaries on Acts 12:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He proceeded - to take Peter also - He supposed that these two were pillars on which the infant cause rested; and that, if these were removed, the building must necessarily come down. The days of unleavened bread - About the latter end of March or beginning of April; but whether in the third or fourth year of the Emperor Claudius, or earlier or later, cannot be determined.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And because he saw that it pleased the Jews - This was the principle on which he acted. It was not from a sense of right; it was not to do justice, and to protect the innocent; it was not to discharge the appropriate duties of a magistrate and a king, but it was to promote his own popularity. It is probable that Agrippa would have acted in this way in any circumstances. He was ambitious, vain, and fawning; he sought, as his great principle, popularity…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5Jesus had prophesied that his followers would experience persecution and difficulty (Luke 11:49–51). For the first time since his death, Roman authorities acted violently against the church. James, the brother of John, was among the first disciples Jesus called (Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11). He was one of the first Christians killed because of his faith. King Herod Agrippa took action to intentionally harm the church (Acts 12:20–23). It is possible that…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-191-3. Herod the king--grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus. He at this time ruled over all his father's dominions. Paley has remarked the accuracy of the historian here. For thirty years before this there was no king at Jerusalem exercising supreme authority over Judea, nor was there ever afterwards, save during the three last years of Herod's life, within which the transactions occurred.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 12:3

• Demagogism
• Herod
• Jerusalem
• King
• Minister, Christian
• Opinion, Public
• Passover
• Persecution
• Peter
• Prisoners
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Peter
• Peter, Simon Peter, Cephas
• unleavened bread
• Agrippa I.
• Constantly
• Drusilla
• Herod Agrippa I.
• Multiply
• Passover
• Prayer

Commentaries on Acts 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings