Acts 12:9

Act 12:9 . ἐδόκει δὲ ὅραμα βλέπειν : even those who regard the narrative as unhistorical can scarcely say that the writer cannot understand how to distinguish between an actual fact and a vision; moreover, this same writer describes visions such as that of Peter, Act 10:10 , and of Paul, Act 22:17 , as ecstacies; once in Act 26:19 Paul speaks of the appearance of Christ vouchsafed to him before Damascus as a vision, ὀπτασία , but this word is not confined to appearances which the narrators regard as visions, cf. Luk 1:22 ; Luk 24:23 , cf. Beyschlag, Studien und Kritiken , p. 203, 1864; Witness of the Epistles (Longmans, 1892).

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

wist not that it was true; but thought he saw a vision--So little did the apostle look for deliverance!

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 9. He - wist not] He knew not; from the Anglo-Saxon, [A.S.], to know. He supposed himself to be in a dream.

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

9. He knew not that it was true. He did not think that it was a vain or false visor, as Satan doth oftentimes delude men with jugglings; but true is taken in this place for that which is done naturally and after the manner of men. For we must note the contrariety [antithesis] that is between the thing itself and the vision. Furthermore, though he think that it is a vision, yet doth he willingly obey; whereby his obedience is proved, whilst that being content with the commandment of the angel alone, he doth not inquire nor reason what he must de, but doth that which he is commanded to do.

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.

(9) And wist not that it was true . . .—The kind of introspective analysis of the Apostle’s consciousness suggests the thought that he was himself, possibly through some intermediate channel, St. Luke’s informant. As in the activity of somnambulism, the will directed the actions of the body, and yet was only half-conscious of what it did. It may be noted that his experience of the trance and vision narrated in Acts 10 would tend to suggest the impression that he was passing through phenomena of a like kind.

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

And he went out and followed him,.... He came out from between the two soldiers, and out of that apartment in the prison, in which he was, and followed the angel where he led him:

and wist not that it was true that was done by the angel; not that he thought the angel was a mere apparition, and all this that was done was a delusion; but he did not know whether this was matter of fact, or whether it was, not represented to him in a visionary way, as what could be, or would be done:

but thought he saw a vision; imagined he was in a dream or a trance, and only saw these things in a vision, and that they were not really done, the whole was so amazing and astonishing.

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

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

Ver. 9. And wist not that it was true] So Psa 126:1. God is often better to his than their hopes, and doth exceeding abundantly for them above all that they can ask or think, Eph 3:20. He will do so much more when they come to heaven; for then, oh, the unutterable ecstasies! At first sight, surely

" Claudicat ingenium, delirat linguaque, mensque."

Lucret.

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 wist not - Knew not.

That it was true - That it was real.

But thought he saw a vision - He supposed that it was a representation made to his mind similar to what he had seen before. Compare Act 10:11-12. It was so astonishing, so unexpected, so wonderful, that he could not realize that it was true.

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

The greatnesss and suddenness of the deliverance was such, as it amazed him, it seemed incredible unto him: not that he questioned God’s power or godliness; but knowing that he was to suffer for Christ’s name’s sake, he might the rather not look for such a deliverance, and when it came, be as one that dreams, as Psa 126:1; God therefore bringing his people to such extremities, that his salvation might be the more astonishing.

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

Followed for followed him, A.V. and T.R.; he wist for wist, A.V.

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

angel

See note, (See Scofield "Heb 1:4").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9-11. Peter thinks he is in a trance and sees a vision. Now they pass by the first and second guard and come to the great iron gate that leads out into the city. Peter is soliloquizing:

“Though I have escaped from the prison and passed the guards, what shall I do? It takes twenty men to open the great iron gate leading out of the prison-yard into the city. It is locked; I have no key and could not open it if I had; so, after all, my escape must prove a failure.”

But now he has reached the gate. Behold, it opens of its own accord, and he has nothing to do but walk out. Such is all Christian experience. We see difficulties like mountains impassable. Be courageous, go right on, as if nothing was in the way; rest assured God will take it out; the Pike’s Peak you saw will prove but a fog-bank and evanesce before the Sun of Righteousness. I know a preacher whose terrible conflict in getting sanctified was the thought of meeting his and-holiness presiding elder.

Behold, when he entered the experience and met the elder, he found him awfully convicted and crying to God to sanctify him; so he swept right over Jordan and helped the preacher shout down the walls of Jericho.

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

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.

9–11. Thought he saw a vision. All seemed so strange that, just aroused from sleep, he was uncertain whether it was real.

The first and second ward. Watches. The soldiers on watch seem to have been stationed apart, one near Peter's door, the other near the gate. The iron gate. The outer gate of the prison. It was after it was passed, and the angel had left him in the street, that Peter was first sure that it was no vision, but that the Lord had delivered him.

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 Peter. The words "they" and "They" refer to Peter and the angel.

He did not know

"He did not understand"

what was done by the angel was real

This could be changed to active form. AT: "the actions of the angel were real" or "what the angel did truly happened" (See: Active or Passive)

After they had passed by the first guard and the second

It is implied that the soldiers were not able to see Peter and the angel as they walked by. AT: "The first and second guards did not see them as they passed by, and then" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

had passed by

"had walked by"

and the second

The word "guard" is understood from the previous phrase. AT: "and the second guard" (See: Ellipsis)

they came to the iron gate

"Peter and the angel arrived at the iron gate"

that led into the city

"that opened to the city" or "that went from the prison to the city"

it opened for them by itself

Here "by itself" means neither Peter nor the angel opened it. AT: "the gate swung open for them" or "the gate opened itself for them" (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

went down a street

"walked along a street"

left him right away

"left Peter suddenly" or "suddenly disappeared"

translationWords

angel

vision

gate

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

9. αὐτῷ omitted with אABD. Vulg. represents it.

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.

9.] ἐξελθών, viz. from the οἴκημα.

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