Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Acts 12:18

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Peter;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Judea;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Herod Agrippa I.;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Acts of the Apostles;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Herod;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Magi;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Day;   Herod;   Peter;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Herod, Family of;   New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
King James Version (1611)
Now assoone as it was day, there was no smal stirre among the souldiers, what was become of Peter.
King James Version
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
English Standard Version
Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
New American Standard Bible
Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.
New Century Version
The next day the soldiers were very upset and wondered what had happened to Peter.
Amplified Bible
Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
Berean Standard Bible
At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
Contemporary English Version
The next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to Peter.
Complete Jewish Bible
When daylight came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Kefa.
Darby Translation
And when it was day there was no small disturbance among the soldiers, what then was become of Peter.
Easy-to-Read Version
The next day the soldiers were very upset. They wondered what happened to Peter.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe assoone as it was day, there was no small trouble among the souldiers, what was become of Peter.
George Lamsa Translation
Now when it was morning, there was great tumult among the soldiers as to what had become of Simon Peter.
Good News Translation
When morning came, there was a tremendous confusion among the guards—what had happened to Peter?
Lexham English Bible
Now when day came, there was not a little commotion among the soldiers as to what then had become of Peter.
Literal Translation
And day having come, there was not a little disturbance among the soldiers, saying , What, then, became of Peter?
American Standard Version
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
Bible in Basic English
Now when it was day, the armed men were greatly troubled about what had become of Peter.
Hebrew Names Version
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Kefa.
International Standard Version
When morning came, there was no little commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
Etheridge Translation
And when it was morning there was made a great tumult among the soldiers concerning Shemun, what was become of him ?
Murdock Translation
And when it was morning, there was a great dispute among the soldiers concerning Simon, what had become of him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe assoone as it was day, there was no litle adoe among the souldiers, what was become of Peter.
English Revised Version
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
World English Bible
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And going out, he went to another place. Now when it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, What was become of Peter?
Weymouth's New Testament
When morning came, there was no little commotion among the soldiers, as to what could possibly have become of Peter.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the dai was come, ther was not lytil troubling among the knyytis, what was don of Petre.
Update Bible Version
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
Webster's Bible Translation
Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
New English Translation
At daybreak there was great consternation among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
New King James Version
Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
New Living Translation
At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.
New Life Bible
In the morning the soldiers were very troubled about what had happened to Peter.
New Revised Standard
When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when it became day, there was no small commotion among the soldiers, as to what, then, Peter had become!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now when day was come, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
Revised Standard Version
Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Assone as it was daye ther was no lyttell a doo amoge the soudyers what was becum of Peter.
Young's Literal Translation
And day having come, there was not a little stir among the soldiers what then was become of Peter,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan it was daye, there was not a litle a doo amoge the soudyers, what was become of Peter.
Mace New Testament (1729)
As soon as it was day, the soldiers were in a world of confusion to know what was become of Peter.
Simplified Cowboy Version
When the sun came up, the prison was stirred up like a mound of ants. Everyone was wondering how Pete had escaped.

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

there: Acts 5:22-25, Acts 16:27, Acts 19:23

Reciprocal: Luke 4:30 - General Acts 5:21 - sent Acts 16:23 - to keep

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."
Genesis 4:10
God said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."
Genesis 12:9
Abram kept moving, steadily making his way south, to the Negev.
Genesis 12:10
Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine. As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, "Look. We both know that you're a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you they're going to say, ‘Aha! That's his wife!' and kill me. But they'll let you live. Do me a favor: tell them you're my sister. Because of you, they'll welcome me and let me live."
Genesis 31:26
"What do you mean," said Laban, "by keeping me in the dark and sneaking off, hauling my daughters off like prisoners of war? Why did you run off like a thief in the night? Why didn't you tell me? Why, I would have sent you off with a great celebration—music, timbrels, flutes! But you wouldn't permit me so much as a kiss for my daughters and grandchildren. It was a stupid thing for you to do. If I had a mind to, I could destroy you right now, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, ‘Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad.' I understand. You left because you were homesick. But why did you steal my household gods?"
Genesis 44:15
Joseph accused them: "How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this."
Exodus 32:21
Moses said to Aaron, "What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?"
Joshua 7:19
Joshua spoke to Achan, "My son, give glory to God , the God of Israel. Make your confession to him. Tell me what you did. Don't keep back anything from me."
1 Samuel 14:43
Saul confronted Jonathan. "What did you do? Tell me!" Jonathan said, "I licked a bit of honey off the tip of the staff I was carrying. That's it—and for that I'm to die?"
Proverbs 21:1
Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God ; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now as soon as it was day,.... When it was morning; as soon as there was any light in the prison, by which the guards could discern one another and their prisoners:

there was no small stir among the soldiers: the two between whom Peter slept, and the rest of the quaternions that were employed in the wards to keep watch; who were now all in an uproar, and in the utmost concern and fright:

what was become of Peter; whether he was in any other part of the prison, by what means he could escape, and whither he was gone.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No small stir - Amazement that he had escaped, and apprehension of the consequences. The punishment which they had reason to expect, for having suffered his escape, was death.


 
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