1 King Herod persecutes the Christians, kills James, and imprisons Peter; whom an angel delivers upon the prayers of the church.
20 Herod in his pride taking to himself the honour due to God, is stricken by an angel, and dies miserably.
24 After his death, the word of God prospers.
25 Saul and Barnabas return to Antioch.

Cir. A.M. 4048. A.D. 44.
stretched forth his hands. or, began. 4:30 9:31 Lu 22:53

to vex. Mt 10:17,18 24:9 Joh 15:20 16:2

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

James. Mt 4:21,22 20:23 Mr 10:35,38

with. 1Ki 19:1,10 Jer 26:23 Heb 11:37

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

he saw. 24:27 25:9 Joh 12:43 Ga 1:10 1Th 2:4

he proceeded. 2:14 4:13 Ps 76:10 Joh 19:11 21:18

Then. Ex 12:14-20 13:3-7 23:15 Le 23:6-14 Mt 26:17 1Co 5:7,8

4 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.

he put. 4:3 5:18 8:3 Mt 24:9 Lu 21:12 22:33 Joh 13:36-38 21:18

delivered. 16:23,24 Mt 27:64-66

intending. 4:28 Es 3:6,7,13 Pr 19:21 27:1 La 3:37 Mt 26:5

Easter. Rather, the Passover, [to pascha.]

5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

prayer was made without ceasing, or, instant and earnest prayer was made. 12 Isa 62:6,7 Mt 18:19 Lu 18:1 1Co 12:26 2Co 1:11 Eph 6:18-20 1Th 5:17 Heb 13:3 Jas 5:16

6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

the same. Ge 22:14 De 32:26 1Sa 23:26,27 Ps 3:5,6 4:8 Isa 26:3,4 Php 4:6,7 Heb 13:6

bound. 21:33 28:20 Jer 40:4 Eph 6:20 *marg: 2Ti 1:16

and the. 5:23 Mt 28:4

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

the angel. 23 5:19 10:30 27:23,24 1Ki 19:5,7 Ps 34:7 37:32,33 Isa 37:30 Da 6:22 Heb 1:14

and a. 9:3 2Sa 22:29 Eze 43:2 Mic 7:9 Hab 3:4,11 Re 18:1

Arise. Ge 19:15,16 Isa 60:1 Eph 5:14

And his. The two chains with which his hands were fastened to those of the two soldiers between whom he slept. This, it appears, was the Roman method of securing a prisoner, and seems to be what is intimated in ver. 6.

6 2:24 16:26 Ps 105:18-20 107:14 116:16 142:6,7 146:7 Da 3:24,25

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

he went. 26:19 Ge 6:22 Joh 2:5 Heb 11:8

wist not. That is, he knew not; wist being the past tense of the obsolete verb to wis, from the Saxon wissan, in German wissen, and Dutch wysen, to think, imagine, know.

10:3,17 11:5 Ge 45:26 Ps 126:1 2Co 12:1-3

10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

the first. 4 Ge 40:3 42:17 Nu 15:34 Isa 21:8

which. 5:19 16:26 Isa 45:1,2 Joh 20:19,26 Re 3:7

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

was come. He was in an ecstasy; and it was only when the angel left him, that he was fully convinced that all was real.

Lu 15:17

I know. Ge 15:13 18:13 26:9

that the. 7 5:19 2Ch 16:9 Ps 34:7 Da 3:25,28 6:22 Heb 1:14

and hath. 2Sa 22:1 Job 5:19 Ps 33:18 34:22 41:2 97:10 109:31 2Co 1:8-10 2Pe 2:9

all. 23:12-30 24:27 25:3-5,9 Job 31:31

12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

he came. 4:23 16:40

John. 25 13:5,13 15:37-39 Col 4:10 2Ti 4:11 Phm 1:24

where. 5 Isa 65:24 Mt 18:19,20 1Jo 5:14,15

13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

knocked. 16 Lu 13:25

hearken. or, ask who was there.

14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

she opened. Mt 28:8 Lu 24:41

15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

Thou. 26:24 Job 9:16 Mr 16:11,14 Lu 24:11

It is. Ge 48:16 Mt 18:10 Lu 24:37,38

16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

beckoning. 13:16 19:33 21:40 Lu 1:22 Joh 13:24

declared. Ps 66:16 102:20,21 107:21,22 116:14,15 146:7

James. 15:13 21:18 1Co 15:7 Ga 1:19 2:9,12 Jas 1:1

And he. 16:40 Mt 10:23 Joh 7:1 8:59 10:40 11:54

18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

there. 5:22-25 16:27 19:23

19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

sought for him. 1Sa 23:14 Ps 37:32,33 Jer 36:26 Mt 2:13

he examined. 4,6 Mt 28:11-15

commanded. Da 2:11-13 Mt 2:16 Joh 12:10,11

he went. 21:8 25:13 1Ki 20:43 Es 6:12

20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

was highly displeased. or, bare an hostile mind intending war. Tyre. Ge 10:15,19 Jos 19:29 Isa 23:1-4 Mt 11:21,22

but. Pr 17:14 20:18 25:8 Ec 10:4 Isa 27:4,5 Lu 14:31,32

the king's chamberlain. Gr. that was over the king's bed-chamber. because. 1Ki 5:9-11 2Ch 2:10,15 Ezr 3:7 Eze 27:17 Ho 2:8,9 Am 4:6-9 Hag 1:8-11 2:16,17 Lu 16:8

21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

14:10-13 Ps 12:2 Da 6:7 Jude 1:16 Re 13:4

23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

the angel. Ex 12:12,23,29 1Sa 25:38 2Sa 24:17 1Ch 21:14-18 2Ch 32:21

because. 10:25,26 14:14,15 Ex 9:17 10:3 Ps 115:1 Isa 37:23 Eze 28:2,9 Da 4:30-37 5:18-24 Lu 12:47,48 2Th 2:4

and he. 2Ch 21:18,19 Job 7:5 19:26 Isa 14:11 51:8 66:24 Mr 9:44-48

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

5:39 6:7 11:21 19:20 Pr 28:28 Isa 41:10-13 54:14-17 55:10 Da 2:24,44 Mt 16:18 Col 1:6 2Th 3:1

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

Barnabas. 11:29,30 13:1-3

ministry. or, charge. took. 13:5,13 15:37

John. 12 1Pe 5:13