Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, September 7th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Acts 12:16

Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Herod;   Jerusalem;   Minister, Christian;   Persecution;   Peter;   Prayer;   Prisoners;   Rulers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Peter;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Herod Agrippa I.;   Knock;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Acts of the Apostles;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Herod;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mark, Gospel According to;   Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Astonishment, Astonished;   Boyhood of Jesus;   Herod;   House;   Knocking;   Peter;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Herod, Family of;   New Testament;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 3;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
King James Version (1611)
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the doore, and saw him, they were astonished.
King James Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
English Standard Version
But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
New American Standard Bible
But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
New Century Version
Peter continued to knock, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
Amplified Bible
But [meanwhile] Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were completely amazed.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
Legacy Standard Bible
But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were astounded.
Berean Standard Bible
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
Contemporary English Version
But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed.
Complete Jewish Bible
Meanwhile, Kefa kept knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
Darby Translation
But Peter continued knocking: and having opened, they saw him and were astonished.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Peter continued to knock. When the believers opened the door, they saw him. They were amazed.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened it, and sawe him, they were astonied.
George Lamsa Translation
But Simon Peter continued knocking at the door; and they went out, and saw him, and were astonished.
Lexham English Bible
But Peter was continuing to knock, and when they opened the door they saw him and were astonished.
Literal Translation
But Peter kept on knocking. And opening, they saw him and were amazed.
American Standard Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
Bible in Basic English
But Peter went on giving blows on the door: and when it was open and they saw him, they were full of wonder.
Hebrew Names Version
But Kefa continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
International Standard Version
Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking and knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.
Etheridge Translation
And Shemun knocked at the gate; and they went forth, and seeing him they were astonished.
Murdock Translation
And Simon was knocking at the gate; and they went out, saw him, and were astonished.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Peter continued knockyng: And when they had opened the doore, and sawe hym, they were astonyed.
English Revised Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
World English Bible
But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But Peter continued knocking. And opening the door, they saw him and were astonished.
Weymouth's New Testament
Meanwhile Peter went on knocking, until at last they opened the door and saw that it was really he, and were filled with amazement.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Petre abood stille, and knockide. And whanne thei hadden opened the dore, thei sayen hym, and wondriden.
Update Bible Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
Webster's Bible Translation
But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened [the door], and saw him, they were astonished.
New English Translation
Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were greatly astonished.
New King James Version
Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
New Living Translation
Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
New Life Bible
Peter kept knocking. When they opened the gate and saw him, they were surprised and wondered about it.
New Revised Standard
Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, Peter, continued knocking; and, opening, they saw him, and were amazed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him and were astonished.
Revised Standard Version
But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Peter cotynued knockinge. When they had opened the dore and sawe him they were astonyed.
Young's Literal Translation
and Peter was continuing knocking, and having opened, they saw him, and were astonished,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Peter contynued knockinge. Whan they opened the dore, they sawe him, and were astonnyed.
Mace New Testament (1729)
as Peter still continued knocking, they let him in, and seeing it was he, they were extremely surpriz'd:
Simplified Cowboy Version
Pete was still standing outside knocking. Then someone else opened the door and couldn't believe their eyes.

Contextual Overview

5 So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the church were praying earnestly to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was going to bring him out to the people, Peter was sleeping between two guards. He was tied with two chains, and there were guards on duty at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. The angel shook Peter by the shoulder, woke him up, and said, "Hurry! Get up!" At once the chains fell off Peter's hands. 8 Then the angel said, "Tighten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so, and the angel said, "Put your cloak around you and come with me." 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, not knowing, however, if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed by the first guard station and then the second, and came at last to the iron gate that opens into the city. The gate opened for them by itself, and they went out. They walked down a street, and suddenly the angel left Peter. 11 Then Peter realized what had happened to him, and said, "Now I know that it is really true! The Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod's power and from everything the Jewish people expected to happen." 12 Aware of his situation, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outside door, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer it. 14 She recognized Peter's voice and was so happy that she ran back in without opening the door, and announced that Peter was standing outside.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Acts 12:13 - knocked

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Tell them that you are my sister; then because of you they will let me live and treat me well."
Genesis 12:14
When he crossed the border into Egypt, the Egyptians did see that his wife was beautiful.
Genesis 12:15
Some of the court officials saw her and told the king how beautiful she was; so she was taken to his palace.
Genesis 13:2
Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold.
Genesis 20:14
Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and at the same time he gave him sheep, cattle, and slaves.
Genesis 24:35
"The Lord has greatly blessed my master and made him a rich man. He has given him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, silver, gold, male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.
Genesis 26:14
Because he had many herds of sheep and cattle and many servants, the Philistines were jealous of him.
Genesis 32:5
I own cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and slaves. I am sending you word, sir, in the hope of gaining your favor."
Job 1:3
and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East.
Job 42:12
The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first. Job owned fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, two thousand head of cattle, and one thousand donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Peter continued knocking,.... That they might come to him, and let him in; beginning to be impatient, and being very desirous of seeing his friends, as well as being in danger of being taken up, and had to prison again, should any of his enemies come by, who knew him:

and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished: they could hardly believe their own eyes; it was amazing to them, how it should be, that he should be delivered out of prison, when they knew there was such a strong guard about him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Were astonished - They were now convinced that it was Peter, and they were amazed that he had been rescued. As yet they were of course ignorant of the manner in which it was done.


 
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