Acts 12:5

Acts 12:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
• New International Version (NIV)So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Context of Acts 12:5

3And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he went on to take Peter also: (and they were the days of unleavened bread:) 4whom having seized he put in prison, having delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep, purposing after the passover to bring him out to the people. Peter therefore was kept in the prison; but unceasing prayer was made by the assembly to God concerning him. 6And when Herod was going to bring him forth, that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door kept the prison. 7And lo, an angel of [the] Lord came there, and a light shone in the prison: and having smitten the side of Peter, he roused him up, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off his hands.

Acts 12:5 word by word

Ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος ἐτηρεῖτο ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ· προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν ἐκτενῶς γινομένη ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τὸν θεὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

• PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• keptτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
• prisonφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438
• prayerπροσευχήproseuchē · prayerG4335
• assemblyἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• concerningπερίperi · aboutG4012

Cross-references for Acts 12:5

• Acts 12:12And having become clearly conscious [in himself], he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where were many gathered together and praying.
• Isaiah 62:6I have set watchmen upon thy walls, Jerusalem; all the day and all the night they shall never hold their peace: ye that put Jehovah in remembrance, keep not silence,
• Matthew 18:19Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on the earth concerning any matter, whatsoever it may be that they shall ask, it shall come to them from my Father who is in [the] heavens.
• Luke 18:1And he spoke also a parable to them to the purport that they should always pray and not faint,
• 1 Corinthians 12:26And if one member suffer, all the members suffer with [it]; and if one member be glorified, all the members rejoice with [it].
• 2 Corinthians 1:11ye also labouring together by supplication for us that the gift towards us, through means of many persons, may be the subject of the thanksgiving of many for us.
• Ephesians 6:18praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in [the] Spirit, and watching unto this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17pray unceasingly;
• Hebrews 13:3Remember prisoners, as bound with [them]; those that are evil-treated, as being yourselves also in [the] body.
• James 5:16Confess therefore your offences to one another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. [The] fervent supplication of the righteous [man] has much power.

Commentaries on Acts 12:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Prayer was made without ceasing - The Greek word signifies both fervor and earnestness, as well as perseverance. These prayers of the Church produced that miraculous interference mentioned below, and without which Peter could not have thus escaped from the hands of this ruthless king.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5But prayer was made - The church was apprised of his imprisonment and danger, and had no resource but to apply to God by prayer. In scenes of danger there is no other refuge; and the result shows that even in most discouraging circumstances God can hear prayer. Nothing scarcely could appear more hopeless than the idea of rescuing Peter out of the hands of Herod, and out of the prison, and out of the custody of sixteen men, by prayer. But the prayer of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5the church was fervently praying: God answers the earnest prayers of his people (12:6–17; see Luke 11:1–13; 18:1–8; compare Matthew 7:7–11; John 15:7; Philippians 4:6–7; James 5:16; 1 John 3:22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-65-6. prayer was made without ceasing--rather, "instant," "earnest," "urgent" (Margin); as in Lu 22:44; Ac 26:7; and 1Pe 4:8 (see Greek). of the church unto God for him--not in public assembly, for it was evidently not safe to meet thus; but in little groups in private houses, one of which was Mary's (Ac 12:12). And this was kept up during all the days of unleavened bread.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 12:5

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Criminals
• Herod
• Jerusalem
• Minister, Christian
• Persecution
• Peter
• Prayer
• Prison
• Prisoners
• Rulers
• Soldiers

In the dictionaries

• God
• Peter
• Peter, Simon Peter, Cephas
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Constantly
• Herod Agrippa I.
• Multiply
• Prayer
• Raise
• Vex

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