5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place. 18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
Commentary
Vs. 5 “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”
Now as Peter was kept in the prison, prayer was constantly being made for him by the church (vs. 5), for as the Scripture says the “effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” James 5:16 And so we will see that God will likewise mightily heed their prayers, for it was not God’s Will to bring Peter into custody at this time, or to have him be executed by Herod. For God still had much more to accomplish through Peter, and no nation nor individual no matter how powerful or influential was going to thwart that.
Vs. 6-11 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
Now on the night that Herod was intending to bring Peter out, and while he was still bound in chains between two soldiers, and there were also guards before the door of the prison keeping guard there (vs. 6), that an angel of the Lord stood by Peter and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands (vs. 7). And so, it was with Peter awakened that the angel hurried him and told him to tie on his sandals and to gird himself, (that is raise up his robe to his waist so as to be able to move quickly, and put on his outer garment and follow him, therefore Peter without hesitation did so (vs. 8). Now as Peter followed the angel, he still being in his sleep awakened state did not know if what was happening was real, but thought that he was seeing vision like he had previously seen in Joppa (vs. 9, Acts 10). Now as they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and so it was with Peters deliverance from Herod accomplished the angel immediately departed from him (vs. 10). And with that Peter now realizing that what had just happened was not a dream declared in himself, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” (Vs. 11).
Vs. 12 “So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.”
Peter then having been freed by God’s angel from the evil plans and desires of Herod and the Jews now comes to the house of a woman named Marry the mother of John whose surname was Mark where many believers had gathered together to pray for him. Now it will be this John Mark who will later accompany the apostles Paul and Barnabas on their missionary travels until they split over him, as well by his close affiliation with the apostle Peter, John Mark later in his life will become the writer of the Gospel of Mark, and so his mention in the N.T. though beginning here does not end here. Now as to this night he himself also bore first hand witness, along with those in his mother’s house, of all that took place on that night.
Vs. 13-15 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
And so, it was that as Peter began knocking at the gate of the house that a certain girl named Rhoda came to answer it, and when she recognized his voice, however being overwhelmed with joy at hearing Peters voice, instead of opening to him, she immediately ran back into the house to those praying, saying that Peter was now outside at the gate! However, those in the house seeing and hearing her in her overly excited state did not initially believe her, but she kept on insisting that it was Peter at the gate, and so they said, “It is his angel”, thinking that Herod had now killed Peter.
Vs. 16-17 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
Now while the brethren delayed and considered these things, (likely not wanting to now go to the gate for fear of the Jews that maybe this was a trap), Peter continued knocking, and when they finally went and opened it and saw him standing there, they were all astonished (vs. 16). However, before anyone could say anything Peter motioned with his hand that they should all remain silent. Then he told them how the Lord by His angel had brought him out of the prison, and then he told them to “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” (vs. 17). That is James, Jesus’ half-brother who was a leader in the church at Jerusalem, not James the brother of John whom Herod had just killed. Now when he had said these things, he departed from them and went to another place where neither the Jews nor Herod’s men would not seek him.
Vs. 18-19 18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
When morning dawned and the disappearance of Peter became known, the Scripture says that, “there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.” Now when Herod heard that Peter had escaped from their custody, he examined those who were charged with keeping him, and when he found they could not explain his disappearance he ordered them put to death (vs. 19). And so, with Herod no longer able to court the Jews favor by trying and killing Peter before them, and so with the Passover past, he left them and went down from Judea to Caesarea, his own city, and stayed there.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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