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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of Acts 12:4

2He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 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. 5But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. 6The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.

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 arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.
• Acts 5:18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
• Acts 8:3But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
• Matthew 24:9“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.
• Luke 21:12“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.
• Luke 22:33Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”
• John 13:36Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”
• John 21:18“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”
• Acts 16:23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.
• Matthew 27:64So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
• Acts 4:28But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.
• Esther 3:6He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
• Proverbs 19:21You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
• Proverbs 27:1Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.
• Lamentations 3:37Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?
• Matthew 26:5“But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

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