When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
Parallel Translations
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When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
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When they were past the fyrst and the seconde watche they came vnto the yron gate that ledeth vnto the cyte which opened to them by his awne accorde. And they went out and passed thorowe one strete and by and by the angell departed from him.
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Nowe when they were past the first and the second watch, they came vnto the yron gate, that leadeth vnto the citie, which opened to them by it owne accord, and they went out, and passed through one streete, and by and by the Angel departed from him.
Cross-references (11)
Passages linked to Acts 12:10 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Acts 5:19 But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out and said,
- Acts 16:26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.
- Isaiah 45:1-2 Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and strip kings of their armor; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of bronze in pieces and cut apart the bars of iron.
- Genesis 40:3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
- Genesis 42:17 He put them all together into custody for three days.
- Numbers 15:34 They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.
- John 20:19 When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
- Isaiah 21:8 He cried like a lion: “Lord, I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime, and every night I stay at my post.
- Acts 12:4 When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
- John 20:26 After eight days again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.”
- Revelation 3:7 “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: “He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 10. When they were past. God was able to…
10. When they were past. God was able to have carried Peter away in the turning of an hand; but he overcometh diverse straits one after another, that the glory of the miracle might be the greater. So he created the world in six days, (Genesis 1.) not because he had any need of space of thee, but that he might the better stay us in the meditating upon his works, (Exodus 20:11,) for he applieth the manner of doing unto our capacity, and unto the increase of faith. If Peter had at a sudden been carried unto the house where the brethren were assembled, then should one only deliverance have been acknowledged, but now we see, as it were with our eyes, that he was delivered more than ten times.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 10 When they were past the first and the…
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.
Ver. 10. When they were passed] God could have delivered him all at once; but he knew that cito data cito vilescunt, Lightly come by is lightly set by. He would have us also to weigh well the several passages and circumstances of our deliverance, that he may have the honour of all. Hence those catalogues in Scripture, with an enumeration of particulars. {See Trapp on "Act 12:8"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The first and the second ward; guard or sentinels.
The first and the second ward; guard or sentinels.
The iron gate that leadeth unto the city; the outermost gate that led out of the prison into the city, not that the prison itself was out of the city.
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Which opened to them of his own accord: God worketh a series of miracles in their fit place and time; he could have done them all together, and have opened his iron gate beforehand, when he conducted Peter through the first, then through the second watch; but it is good for Peter, and us, to be convinced that we stand every moment in need of God’s conduct and deliverance.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain When they were past the first and the second…
When they were past the first and the second ward,.... Or watch, which were set within the prison, and might be some of the quaternions of soldiers to whom Peter was delivered; two of them were with him, and others might be placed at these two wards for further security; and these circumstances make the deliverance the more wonderful and remarkable; the watch must either be asleep, or their eyes were holden, or the angel and Peter passed by so swiftly that they were unobserved:
they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city: which was not one of the gates of the city, as if the prison was without the walls of it; but was the great and strong gate of the prison, which for the security of the prisoners was made of iron, and this gate led directly into the city of Jerusalem:
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which opened to them of his own accord; as the gates of the temple are said to do (g), forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem: this was done by a divine power; and because no human creature had any hand in it, it is said to be done of its own accord:
and they went out. The Cambridge copy of Beza's adds, "they went down seven steps"; that is, from the prison into the city:
and passed on through one street; what street this was is not certain; there were several streets in Jerusalem: See Gill on Act 9:11 and forthwith the angel departed from him: he being now safe and out of danger, he left him to himself, to betake himself to what house he should think fit.
(g) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 39. 2.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The first and second ward - At each of…
The first and second ward - At each of which doubtless was a guard of soldiers. The gate opened of its own accord - Without either Peter or the angel touching it. And they went on through one street - That Peter might know which way to go. And the angel departed from him - Being himself sufficient for what remained to be done.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 10. The first and - second ward] It…
Verse 10. The first and - second ward] It is supposed that ancient Jerusalem was surrounded by three walls: if so, then passing through the gates of these three walls successively is possibly what is meant by the expression in the text. The prison in which he was confined might have been that which was at the outer wall.
Iron gate] This was in the innermost wall of the three, and was strongly plated over with iron, for the greater security. In the east, the gates are often thus secured to the present day. Pitts says so of the gates of Algiers; and Pocock, of some near Antioch. Perhaps this is all that is meant by the iron gate. One of the quaternions of soldiers was placed at each gate.
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Which opened - of his own accord] Influenced by the unseen power of the angel.
The angel departed from him.] Having brought him into a place in which he no longer needed his assistance. What is proper to God he always does: what is proper to man he requires him to perform.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The first and second ward - The word which…
The first and second ward - The word which is here rendered “ward” φυλακήν phulakēn properly denotes “the act of guarding”; but it is most commonly used to denote “a prison, or place of confinement.” In this place it seems to denote the guard itself - the soldiers stationed at intervals in the entrance into the prison. These were passed silently, probably a deep sleep having been sent on them to facilitate the escape of Peter.
The iron gate - The outer gate, Secured with iron, as the doors of prisons are now.
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That leadeth unto the city - Or rather into εἰς eis the city. The precise situation of the prison is unknown. It is supposed by some (compare Lightfoot on this place) that the prison was between two walls of the city, and that the entrance to the prison was immediately from the inner wall, so that the gate opened directly into the city.
Of his own accord - Itself. It opened spontaneously, without the application of any force or key, thus showing conclusively that Peter was delivered by miraculous interposition.
And passed on through one street - Until Peter was entirely safe from any danger of pursuit, and then the angel left him. God had effected his complete rescue, and now left him to his own efforts as usual.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain first and the second ward . . . the…
first and the second ward . . . the iron gate that leadeth unto the city--We can only conjecture the precise meaning of all this, not knowing the position of the prison.
passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him--when he had placed him beyond pursuit. Thus "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their heads cannot perform their enterprise" (Job 5:12).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 10. First and the second ward—The terms ward and…
10. First and the second ward—The terms ward and guard are but different forms of the same word. The first guard was the two keepers of the four to whom Peter was chained; the second was the two of the quaternion at the door of his particular room or cell; having passed both he would come to the great outside iron gate of the whole prison building, which let them into the street.
Of his (its) own accord—Striking emblem how God may cause obstacles to move themselves out of the way of those who tread the path of his assignment.
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Passed on through one street— One street’s length, by which Peter was brought to a locality which he could recognise.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 10. When they were past the first and the…
10. When they were past the first and the second ward] i.e. the warders, who were stationed one nearer to the inner door of the prison and another at some further distance away.
they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto [into] the city] This description, with the words which immediately follow about the street into which they came, make it probable that the prison in which Peter was kept was in the midst of the city.
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which opened to them of his own accord] It is better to discard in sentences like the present the old English form “his” and read “its.” “His” was good and almost the only English use when the A. V. was made, but is now obsolete.
For the expression “of its own accord” cp. Lev_25:5, “That which groweth of its own accord;” Wis_17:6, “A fire kindled of itself,” where, as here, what is meant is that there was no human agency employed in what was done.
the angel departed from him] Leaving the other steps, in which supernatural aid was unnecessary, to be taken by the Apostle of himself.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (10) When they were past the first and the…
(10) When they were past the first and the second ward.—It would seem from this that Peter had been placed in the innermost dungeon, and had to pass the two court-yards. Lightfoot supposes the prison to have been between the inner and outer walls of the city, the direction of Peter’s movements being from the outer to the inner.
The iron gate.—The touch of topographical precision may be noticed as characteristic of St. Luke.
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Passed on through one street.—The word implies one of the narrow streets or lanes of the city. (See Note on Mat_6:2.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And when for when, A.V.; into for unto, A.V.;…
And when for when, A.V.; into for unto, A.V.; its for his, A.V.; straightway for forthwith, A.V. The first and the second ward. The fulakh, here rendered "ward," may mean either the station where the guard was posted or the guard itself. One street; rJumh, as in Act_9:11, note. Departed; ajpe in contrast to ejpesth, rendered "stood by" in ver. 7.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain See notes one verse 7
See notes one verse 7
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.