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THE MESSAGE

Acts 12:16

This verse is not available in the MSG!

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.
Good News Translation
Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed.
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 All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously. 6 Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill. That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter slept like a baby. And there were guards at the door keeping their eyes on the place. Herod was taking no chances! 7Suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: "Hurry!" The handcuffs fell off his wrists. The angel said, "Get dressed. Put on your shoes." Peter did it. Then, "Grab your coat and let's get out of here." Peter followed him, but didn't believe it was really an angel—he thought he was dreaming. 10Past the first guard and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the breeze. At the first intersection the angel left him, going his own way. That's when Peter realized it was no dream. "I can't believe it—this really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's vicious little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward to." 12Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends. When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. But when she recognized his voice—Peter's voice!—she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street. 15But they wouldn't believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said, "It must be his angel." All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away. Finally they opened up and saw him—and went wild! Peter put his hands up and calmed them down. He described how the Master had gotten him out of jail, then said, "Tell James and the brothers what's happened." He left them and went off to another place. At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. "Where is Peter? What's happened to Peter?" When Herod sent for him and they could neither produce him nor explain why not, he ordered their execution: "Off with their heads!" Fed up with Judea and Jews, he went for a vacation to Caesarea. But things went from bad to worse for Herod. Now people from Tyre and Sidon put him on the warpath. But they got Blastus, King Herod's right-hand man, to put in a good word for them and got a delegation together to iron things out. Because they were dependent on Judea for food supplies, they couldn't afford to let this go on too long. On the day set for their meeting, Herod, robed in pomposity, took his place on the throne and regaled them with a lot of hot air. The people played their part to the hilt and shouted flatteries: "The voice of God! The voice of God!" That was the last straw. God had had enough of Herod's arrogance and sent an angel to strike him down. Herod had given God no credit for anything. Down he went. Rotten to the core, a maggoty old man if there ever was one, he died. Meanwhile, the ministry of God's Word grew by leaps and bounds. Barnabas and Saul, once they had delivered the relief offering to the church in Jerusalem, went back to Antioch. This time they took John with them, the one they called Mark. 17Peter Under Heavy Guard That's when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. He murdered James, John's brother. When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover. All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously. Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill. That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter slept like a baby. And there were guards at the door keeping their eyes on the place. Herod was taking no chances! Suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: "Hurry!" The handcuffs fell off his wrists. The angel said, "Get dressed. Put on your shoes." Peter did it. Then, "Grab your coat and let's get out of here." Peter followed him, but didn't believe it was really an angel—he thought he was dreaming. Past the first guard and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the breeze. At the first intersection the angel left him, going his own way. That's when Peter realized it was no dream. "I can't believe it—this really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's vicious little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward to." Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends. When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. But when she recognized his voice—Peter's voice!—she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street. But they wouldn't believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said, "It must be his angel." All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away. Finally they opened up and saw him—and went wild! Peter put his hands up and calmed them down. He described how the Master had gotten him out of jail, then said, "Tell James and the brothers what's happened." He left them and went off to another place. 18At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. "Where is Peter? What's happened to Peter?" When Herod sent for him and they could neither produce him nor explain why not, he ordered their execution: "Off with their heads!" Fed up with Judea and Jews, he went for a vacation to Caesarea.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Acts 12:13 - knocked

Cross-References

Genesis 12:14
When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful. Pharaoh's princes raved over her to Pharaoh. She was taken to live with Pharaoh.
Genesis 20:14
Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish."
Job 42:12
God blessed Job's later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance.

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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