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 Living Translation (NLT)When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.)

Context of Acts 12:3

1Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 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. 4So 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. 5Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

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 24:27But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
• Acts 25:9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”
• John 12:43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
• Galatians 1:10For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
• Acts 2:14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
• Acts 4:13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
• Psalms 76:10Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
• John 19:11Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
• John 21:18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
• Exodus 12:14‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
• Exodus 13:3And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
• Exodus 23:15You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty);
• Leviticus 23:6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
• Matthew 26:17Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
• 1 Corinthians 5:7Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

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
• unleavened bread
• Agrippa I.
• Constantly
• Drusilla
• Herod Agrippa I.
• Multiply
• Passover
• Prayer
• 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