Acts 12:4

Acts 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
• New Living Translation (NLT)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.

Context of Acts 12:4

2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.

Acts 12:4 word by word

ὃν καὶ πιάσας ἔθετο εἰς φυλακὴν παραδοὺς τέσσαρσιν τετραδίοις στρατιωτῶν φυλάσσειν αὐτόν, βουλόμενος μετὰ τὸ πάσχα ἀναγαγεῖν αὐτὸν τῷ λαῷ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he had apprehended himπιάζωpiazō · to arrest/catchG4084
• he putτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• prisonφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438
• and deliveredπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
• to fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
• quaternionsτετράδιονtetradion · squad of fourG5069
• of soldiersστρατιώτηςstratiōtēs · soldierG4757
• to keepφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: guardG5442
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• intendingβούλομαιboulomai · to planG1014
• afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• Easterπάσχαpascha · Passover lambG3957
• to bringἀνάγωanagō · to leadG321
• to the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992

Cross-references for Acts 12:4

• Acts 4:3They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
• Acts 5:18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
• Acts 8:3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
• Matthew 24:9“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
• Luke 21:12“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
• Luke 22:33But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
• John 13:36Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
• John 21:18Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
• Acts 16:23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
• Matthew 27:64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
• Acts 4:28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
• Esther 3:6Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
• Proverbs 19:21Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
• Proverbs 27:1Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
• Lamentations 3:37Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
• Matthew 26:5“But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Commentaries on Acts 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Four 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 - , 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Herod had Peter guarded by four squads of soldiers, making it impossible for the apostle to escape (compare 12:6). God was in control, even though the circumstances seemed impossible for humans to overcome (compare 4:27–31; Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers--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--rather, "after the Passover"; that is, after the whole festival was over. (The word in our King James Version is an ecclesiastical term of later date, and ought not to have been employed here). to bring…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 12:4

• Criminals
• Easter (A.v.)
• Herod
• Imprisonment
• Jerusalem
• Minister, Christian
• Persecution
• Peter
• Prison
• Prisoners
• Quaternion
• Rulers
• Soldiers

In the dictionaries

• Agrippa I.
• Constantly
• Drusilla
• Easter
• Guard
• Herod Agrippa I.
• Multiply
• Prayer
• Quaternion
• Raise

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