Acts 12:3

Act 12:3-4. And because he saw it pleased the Jews — Whose favour he laboured by all possible means to conciliate; he proceeded to take Peter also — Renowned as he was for such a variety of miracles wrought by him at Jerusalem. According to Josephus, (Antiq., Act 19:7,) this Herod “was a great zealot for the Mosaic law, dwelt much at Jerusalem, and gladly embraced all opportunities of obliging the Jews, as his grandfather Herod did of pleasing strangers;” a character well suiting what Luke here says of him. Then were the days of unleavened bread — When the Jews came together to Jerusalem from all parts, to celebrate the passover. And he put him in prison — And, for the greater security of so noted a person, he delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers — That is, to sixteen, each party consisting of four, who were to watch him day and night by turns, four at a time; two of them being chained to him, and two of them watching before the door of the prison; intending after Easter — Or, rather, after the passover, as μετα το πασχα signifies, and ought, doubtless, to have been translated; (the name Easter not being in use till many centuries after this book was written;) to bring him forth to the people — To be made a spectacle to them, as his Master, Jesus, had been on the first day of unleavened bread; for confining him was not all that Herod designed. His intention was, after the paschal lamb was eaten, and the seven days’ festival quite finished, to gratify the people by putting him to death, and that publicly. For, notwithstanding their zeal about rituals, they would submit to be concerned in the vilest immoralities, and most horrid cruelties, exercised on the servants of God.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 12:3. Ἰδὼν, having seen) Two incentives, leading; men to act ill and omit to do good: the desire to please others, and fear; the one is the worse, the other the more violent (active) of the two, even in the case of kings.—τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, the Jews) These were hostile, owing to conscience, but that a perverted conscience; Herod from wantonness, at the cost of believers, wishes to gratify them.—τῶν ἀζύμων, of the unleavened bread) It was at the same time of the year formerly that they had taken Jesus. The people were congregated together.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_12:3-4. Herod, himself a Jew (in opposition to Harduin), born in Judaism (Deyling, Obss. II. p. 263; Wolf, Cur.), although of Gentile leanings, a Roman favourite brought up at the court of Tiberius, cultivated out of policy Jewish popular favour, and sought zealously to defend the Jewish religion for this purpose. Joseph. Antt. xix. 7. 3.

προσέθετο συλλαβ.] a Hebraism: he further seized. Comp. on Luk_19:11; Luk_20:12.

τέσσαρσι τετραδίοις] four bands of four (τετράδιον, a number of four, Philo, II. p. 533, just as τετράς in Aristotle and others), quatuor quaternionibus, i.e. four detachments of the watch, each of which consisted of four men, so that one such τετράδιον was in turn on guard for each of the four watches of the night. On this Roman regulation, see Veget. R. M. iii. 8; Censorinus, de die nat. 23; Wetstein in loc.

μετὰ τὸ πάσχα] not to desecrate the feast, in consideration of Jewish orthodox observance of the law. For he might have evaded the Jewish rule, non judicant die festo (Moed Katon v. 2), at least for the days following the first day of the feast (see Bleek, Beitr. p. 139 ff.), by treating the matter as peculiarly pressing and important. Wieseler (Synops. p. 364 ff., Chronol. d. ap. Zeitalt. p. 215 ff.) has incorrectly assumed the 15th Nisan as the day appointed for the execution, and the 14th Nisan as the day of the arrest. Against this it may be decisively urged, that by μετὰ τὸ πάσχα must be meant the entire Paschal feast (not the 14th Nisan), because it corresponds to the preceding αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἀζύμ. (comp. Luk_22:1).

ἀναγαγ. αὐτ. τῷ λαῷ] that is, to present him to the people on the elevated place where the tribunal stood (Joh_19:13), in order there publicly to pronounce upon him the sentence of death.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 12:3 . ἀρεστόν … τοῖς Ἰ : exactly what we should expect from the character and policy of Herod in his zeal for the law, and from the success with which during his short reign he retained the favour of Jews and Romans alike. Holtzmann, p. 370, seems inclined to doubt the truth of this description of Herod, and lays stress upon the mention of the king’s mild disposition in Josephus, Ant. , xix., 7, 3. But Josephus also makes it quite plain how zealous Agrippa was, or pretended to be, for the laws and ordinances of Judaism, u. s. , and xx., 7, 1, and see Schürer, u. s. , and Feine, p. 226. Nor is it at all certain that Agrippa’s reputed mildness and gentleness would have kept him from rejoicing in the persecution of the Christians, cf. the description of his delight in the bloody gladiatorial games, Jos., Ant. , xix., 9, 5. προσέθετο συλλ .: a Hebraism, cf. Luk 19:11 ; Luk 20:11 : LXX, Gen 4:2 ; Gen 8:12 ; Gen 25:1 , Exo 14:13 , etc., peculiar to St. Luke in N.T., Viteau, Le Grec du N. T. , p. 209 (1893). αἱ ἡ . τῶν ἀζύμων , and therefore a large number of Jews would be in Jerusalem, and Herod would thus have a good opportunity of gaining wide popularity by his zeal for the law.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It is an old fashion of tyrants to procure the favor of the wicked, with the blood of the godly.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

because he saw it pleased the Jews--Popularity was the ruling passion of this Herod, not naturally so cruel as some of the family [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 19.7.3].

to take Peter also--whose loss, at this stage of the Church, would have been, so far as we can see, irreparable.

Then were the days of unleavened bread--seven in number, during which, after killing and eating the Passover, no leaven was allowed in Jewish houses (Exo 12:15, Exo 12:19).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. He proceeded - to take Peter also.] He supposed that these two were pillars on which the infant cause rested; and that, if these were removed, the building must necessarily come down.

The days of unleavened bread.] About the latter end of March or beginning of April; but whether in the third or fourth year of the Emperor Claudius, or earlier or later, cannot be determined.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Seeing that it pleased the Jews. It appeareth more plainly by this that Herod was not moved either with any zeal that he had to Moses’ law or with any hatred of the gospel, thus to persecute the Church; but that he might provide for his own private affairs, for he proceedeth in his cruelty that he may win the people’s favor; therefore we must know that there be diverse causes for which the Church is assaulted on every side. Oftentimes perverse zeal driveth the wicked headlong to fight for their superstitions, and that they may sacrifice an offering to their idols by shedding innocent blood; but the more part is moved with private commodities only, so in times past, at such time as Nero knew, after the burning of the city, that he was loathed and hated of the people, he sought by this subtle means to get into favor again, or, at least, he went about to stay their slanders and complaints, by putting certain thousands of the godly to death.

In like sort, that Herod may win the people’s favor, who did love him but a little, he putteth the Christians to death. as a price wherewith he might redeem their favor; and such is our estate at this day, for though all men run by troops upon the members of Christ, yet few are pooked forward with superstition; but some sell themselves to antichrist, like profitable bond-slaves; other some bear with, and commend the outrageous outcries of monks and the common people. But we, in the mean season, being abjects, must be glad to bear their mocks; yet there is one comfort which doth excellently keep us on foot, in that we know that our blood is precious in the sight of Almighty God, which the world cloth shamefully abuse; yea, the more shamefully and reproachfully the wicked do handle us, so much the less shall God’s goodness forsake us.

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.

(3) Because he saw it pleased the Jews.—This was throughout the ruling policy of the Herodian house. The persecution did not spring from any fanatic zeal against the new faith, but simply from motives of political expediency. A somewhat touching incident is recorded, illustrating the king’s sensitiveness to popular praise or blame. It was at the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Law was read, and he heard the words of Deu_17:15 : “Thou shalt not set a stranger over thee,” and he burst into tears at the thought of his own Idumæan descent. The people saw him weeping, and cried out: “Trouble not thyself, Agrippa; thou also art our brother,” and the king’s heart was comforted (Jost, Gesch. des Judenthums, I., p. 420).

Then were the days of unleavened bread.—The crowds of Hellenistic and other Jews who were gathered to keep the feast at Jerusalem naturally made this a favourable opportunity for courting the favour of the people. A tradition recorded by St. Jerome states that St. James was beheaded on the 15th of Nisan, i.e., on the same day as that of the Crucifixion. Peter was arrested probably at the same time; but the trial and execution were deferred till the seven days of the feast were over.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews] Which was so great an object with him. This Josephus notices (Antiq. xix. 7. 3), for, comparing Agrippa with the Herod who ruled before him, he mentions that the latter “was more friendly to the Greeks than to the Jews,” in which matter he says Agrippa “was not at all like him.”

he proceeded further to take Peter also] The Greek is a rendering of a common Hebrew form. Literally, “he added to take Peter also.” Peter was the other most conspicuous figure among the twelve, for John, as in his Gospel he keeps himself from view under the designation “that other disciple” (Joh_20:2-3; Joh_21:20; Joh_21:23), so in the work of the early Church he is but little noticed after the first persecution at Jerusalem.

Then were the days of unleavened bread] Literally, “and those were,” &c. The expression refers to the whole feast, as may be seen from Luk_22:1, “The feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover.”

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.

And because he saw it pleased the Jews,.... That is, as Beza's ancient copy adds, "his stretching out his hands upon the faithful"; this pleased the Jews, a bloodthirsty generation of men, who had killed the prophets, and the Lord Jesus, and who were now greedy after the death of the apostles: it may easily be seen from what principle and spirit Herod acted; it was not out of regard to the Jewish religion, rites, and ceremonies, but to ingratiate himself into the affections of the people:

he proceeded further to take Peter also; a principal apostle, and who was well known, and against whom the Jews had doubtless a particular antipathy, and would have been glad to have been rid of him; this Herod was, sensible of, and therefore to please them, ordered him to be taken up:

then were the days of unleavened bread; or the feast of the passover.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Ver. 3. And because he saw, &c.] Seianus ferox scelerum, quia prima provenerunt, saith Tacitus. It is an old trick of tyrants to curry favour with the wicked, by shedding the blood of the godly.

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.

And because he saw that it pleased the Jews - This was the principle on which he acted. It was not from a sense of right; it was not to do justice, and to protect the innocent; it was not to discharge the appropriate duties of a magistrate and a king, but it was to promote his own popularity. It is probable that Agrippa would have acted in this way in any circumstances. He was ambitious, vain, and fawning; he sought, as his great principle, popularity, and he was willing to sacrifice, like many others, truth and justice to obtain this end. But there was also a particular reason for this in his case. He held his appointment under the Roman emperor. This foreign rule was always unpopular among the Jews. In order, therefore, to secure a peaceful reign, and to prevent insurrection and tumult, it was necessary for him to court their favor; to indulge their wishes, and to fall in with their prejudices. Alas, how many monarchs and rulers there have been who were governed by no better principle, and whose sole aim has been to secure popularity, even at the expense of law, truth, and justice. That this was the character of Herod is attested by Josephus (Antiq., 19, chapter 8, section 3): “This king (Herod Agrippa) was by nature very beneficent, and liberal in his gifts, and very ambitious to please the people with such large donations; and he made himself very illustrious by the many expensive presents he made them. He took delight in giving, and rejoiced in living with good reputation.”

To take Peter also - Peter was one of the most conspicuous men in the church. He had made himself particularly obnoxious by his severe and pungent discourses, and by his success in winning people to Christ. It was natural, therefore, that he should be the next object of attack.

The days of unleavened bread - The Passover, or the seven days immediately succeeding the Passover, during which the Jews were required to eat bread without leaven, Exo 12:15-18. It was some time during this period that Herod chose to apprehend Peter. Why this time was selected is not known. As it was, however, a season of religious solemnity, and as Herod was desirous of showing his attachment to the religious rites of the nation (Josephus, Antiq., Exo 19:7, Exo 19:3), it is probable that he chose this period to show to them more impressively his purpose to oppose all false religions, and to maintain the existing establishments of the nation.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The days of the azymes. By this we may know about the time when St. James was executed. Peter was to be reserved till after the Pasch, because it was not usual for the Jews to put any one to a violent death on a festival day. They would not damp the joy of the solemnity by such actions. (Menochius) --- Nothing can be more illiberal, nothing more unfounded, and unjust, than the accusation advanced by the translators of the Bible dedicated to King James. In their preface they say, that the Catholics keep the words, azymes, holocaust, pasch, &c. in their version, purposely "to darken the sense, that since they must needs translate the Bible, yet by the language thereof, it may be kept from being understood." See the splendid Oxford edit. an. 1770. --- So far from this, we open the window, to let in the light; we bread the shell, that the kernel may be eaten: we put aside the curtain, that a sight may be had into the holy place; we remove the cover of the well, that the good and humble may get to the water of life. If we retain certain words in the original tongue, it is for the same reason as our adversaries retain others, such as Amen, Sabaoth, Alleluia, Jehova, &c.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

All the posterity of Herod the Great, by his example, studied chiefly to please the Roman emperors, and to gratify the Jews, whether by right or wrong.

The days of unleavened bread; or the passover, which festival solemnity lasted eight days; and God overruled the hypocrisy of Herod (for he did not out of piety observe this time) for the preservation of Peter; and Herod might fear some tumult of the people, in so great a concourse, upon Peter’s death, for which he did defer it: however, the perverseness of the Jews is very remarkable, who were mad with rage against Christ and his apostles, at such times in which they pretended to serve the God of love and peace.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Pleased the Jews—Favour with the emperor of Rome, and popularity with the Jewish people, were the special objects for which the Herods were ready to sacrifice religion or right, the law, Moses, or Christianity.

Unleavened bread—The Passover. No criminal was executed during that week. (See next verse.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When for because, A.V.; that it pleased for it pleased, A.V.; proceeded for proceeded further, A.V.; seize for take, A.V.; and those for then, A.V. He proceeded to seize (proseqeto sullabein) is a Hebraism. This trait of his pleasing the Jews is in exact accordance with Josephus"s description of him, as tw bioun ejn aujfhmia cairwn, loving popularity, and as being very kind and sympathizing with the Jewish people, and liking to live much at Jerusalem. ("Ant. Jud:"19:7:3) The days of unleavened bread; i.e. as expressed by Luk_22:1, "The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover." It lasted seven days, (Exo_12:15-18) from the 14th to the 21st of Nisan, or Abib (Exo_12:18-20 Lev_23:5, Lev_23:6; Deu_16:1-4) the Passover being eaten on the night of the 14th.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then were the days of unleavened bread - At which the Jews came together from all parts.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

PETER’S MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE

3, 4. When Herod beheaded James, the Jews took great courage, congratulating themselves that their good king will soon exterminate that vexatious heresy in blood. Herod is more than willing to purchase popular favor by killing off the apostles; consequently he arrests Peter, committing him to sixteen soldiers to serve as a prison-guard till the Passover is ended, when he is going to bring him out and let the Jews see his gory head drop off.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3, 4. When a man engages in a wicked enterprise, his conscience makes him timid while left to himself; but the applause of the multitude enables him to drown the voice of conscience, and rush on madly to the end. Agrippa may have hesitated when he found his hands stained with the blood of an apostle; but when the people applauded, he hesitated no longer. (3) " And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. But it was in the days of unleavened bread. (4) And having apprehended him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending, after the Passover, to bring him out to the people. " A public execution during the feast of unleavened bread would have been exceedingly incongruous with the religious solemnities of the occasion: hence this delay.

The four quaternions of soldiers who guarded Peter consisted of sixteen men, each quaternion consisting of four. It was enough to keep four men on guard during each of the four watches of the night. They, together with the strength of the prison doors, were deemed sufficient for the utmost security.

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.

3, 4. He saw it pleased the Jews. He would rather please men than God. Hence, he seized Peter. The days of unleavened bread. The Passover week. See Exod. 12:15, 16. Called Easter in verse 4.

To four quaternions of soldiers. Sixteen soldiers divided into four watches, so that four would be on watch all the time, two in the prison and two at the door.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

General Information:

Here the word "he" refers to Herod. (See: Acts 12:1)

After he saw that this pleased the Jews

"When Herod realized that putting James to death pleased the Jewish leaders"

pleased the Jews

"made the Jewish leaders happy"

That was

"Herod did this" or "This happened"

the days of unleavened bread

This refers to a time of Jewish religious feast time during the Passover season. AT: "the festival when the Jewish people ate bread without yeast"

four squads of soldiers

"four groups of soldiers." Each squad had four soldiers that guarded Peter, one group at a time. The groups divided the 24 hour day into four shifts. Each time two soldiers would have been at his side and the other two soldiers by the entrance.

he was intending to bring him to the people

"Herod planned to judge Peter in the presence of the people" or "Herod planned to judge Peter before the Jewish people"

translationWords

Peter

unleavened bread

soldier

Passover

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

3. ἰδὼν δὲ ὅτι ἀρεστόν ἐστιν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, and because he saw it pleased the Jews, which with him was so great an object. Josephus, in contrasting Agrippa with the Herod who ruled before him, says the latter was ‘more friendly to the Greeks than to the Jews,’ but in this respect Agrippa ‘was not at all like him.’

προσέθετο συλλαβεῖν καὶ Πέτρον, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Literally, ‘he added to take &c.’ This is the literal rendering of a common Hebrew form. Cf. LXX. Gen 4:2, καὶ προσέθετο τεκεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ‘and she bare again his brother,’ and Gen 37:8, καὶ προσέθεντο ἔτι μισεῖν αὐτὸν ἕνεκεν τῶν ἐνυπνίων αὐτοῦ, ‘and they hated him yet the more for his dreams.’ Peter was the other most conspicuous figure among the Twelve, for John, as in his Gospel he keeps himself from view under the designation ‘that other disciple’ (Joh 20:2-3; Joh 21:20; Joh 21:23), so in the work of the early Church is but little noticed after the first persecution at Jerusalem.

ἦσαν δὲ ἡμέραι τῶν ἀζύμων, and those were the days of unleavened bread. The phrase refers to the whole Passover feast, as may be seen from Luk 22:1 ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν ἀζύμων ἡ λεγομένη πάσχα.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3.] See the character of Agrippa above.

προς. συλλ.] A Hebraism: see reff.

αἱ ἡμ. τ. ἀζ.] Wieseler (Chronol. der Apost. Zeit. pp. 215-220) regards the whole of the following narrative as having happened on one and the same day and night, viz. that of the 14th of Nisan (April 1), a.d. 44. He takes τὸ πάσχα in the strict meaning, ‘the passover,’ i.e. the eating of the passover on the evening of the 14th of Nisan, and thinks that Herod was intending to bring Peter forth on the next morning. He finds support for this in the four quaternions of soldiers, the guard for one night (see below), and maintains that the expression τὸ πάσ̇χα cannot apply to the whole festal period, which would have been τὴν ἑορτήν, or ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας. But Bleek (Beiträge zur Ev.-kritik, p. 144) calls this view most arbitrary and even unnatural; and I own, with all respect for Wieseler’s general acumen, I am disposed to agree with this criticism. The whole cast of the narrative,—the ἦσαν αἱ ἡμέραι, not ἦν ἡ ἡμέρα τῶν ἀζ., Luke’s own expression in his Gospel, 22:7,—the intimation of enduring custody in the παραδοὺς … φυλάσσειν αὐτ.,—the delay implied in the βουλόμενος,—in the imperfects ἐτηρεῖτο,—ἦν γινομένη (not ἐγένετο),—the specification of τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ as presupposing (notwithstanding what wieseler says to the contrary) more nights preceding,—all this would be unaccountable in the precise historical diction of Luke, unless he had intended to convey an impression that some days elapsed. But still more decisive is his own definition of πάσχα, Luk 22:1, ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν ἀζύμων, ἡ λεγομένη πάσχα. So that μετὰ τὸ πάσχα may well = μετὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων. The argument from the four quaternions of soldiers proves nothing: the same sixteen (see below) may have had him in permanent charge, that number being appointed as adequate to the duties required.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He proceeded to take [προσεθετο συλλαβειν] . Rev., seize. Lit., he added to take. A Hebrew form of expression. Compare Luk 19:11, he added and spake; Luk 20:12, again he sent a third; lit., he added to send.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.