ACT 12:5-19

The Rescue of Peter

5So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer was being made fervently to God for him by the assembly. [12:6] When Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were keeping watch over the prison. [12:7] And suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and raised him, saying, "Rise quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. [12:8] The angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your outer garment around yourself and follow me." [12:9] He went out and was following, and he did not know that what was being done through the angel was real — he thought he was seeing a vision. [12:10] Passing through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them by itself. Going out, they went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. [12:11] When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." [12:12] When he had recognized this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John called Mark, where a considerable number was gathered together and praying. [12:13] When he knocked at the door of the gate, a young female slave named Rhoda came to answer. [12:14] Recognizing Peter's voice, from her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing before the gate. [12:15] They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting it was so. They were saying, "It is his angel." [12:16] Peter continued knocking, and when they opened they saw him and were astonished. [12:17] Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Report these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place. [12:18] When day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers — what had become of Peter? [12:19] Herod searched for him and not finding him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to death. Then going down from Judea to Caesarea, he stayed there.

In the world it was spoken into

In the first century, Roman prisons were places of severe confinement and control, often guarded by soldiers to prevent escape. Peter’s imprisonment under Herod Agrippa I reflects the political tension between Jewish leaders and the early Christian movement. Herod, seeking to consolidate his power, targeted prominent figures like Peter to suppress dissent. The mention of Peter being bound with chains between two soldiers underscores the high-security measures taken, as Roman prisons often used chains and guards to ensure prisoners remained in custody. The church’s fervent prayer for Peter aligns with Jewish and early Christian practices of communal intercession, reflecting their belief in divine intervention. The appearance of an angel, a common motif in Jewish and Christian narratives, signifies God’s direct involvement in human affairs. Rhoda, described as a (young female slave), highlights the social hierarchy of the time, where slaves were integral to households but often overlooked. The disbelief of the gathered believers at Rhoda’s report mirrors the skepticism common in such miraculous accounts.

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How other translations render this

ACT 12:5

KJV: Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
BSB: So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
Koinōnos: So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer was being made fervently to God for him by the assembly.

ACT 12:6

KJV: And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
BSB: On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.
Koinōnos: When Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were keeping watch over the prison.

ACT 12:7

KJV: And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
BSB: Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
Koinōnos: And suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and raised him, saying, "Rise quickly." And his chains fell off his hands.

ACT 12:8

KJV: And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
BSB: “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
Koinōnos: The angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your outer garment around yourself and follow me.

ACT 12:9

KJV: 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.
BSB: So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.
Koinōnos: He went out and was following, and he did not know that what was being done through the angel was real — he thought he was seeing a vision.

ACT 12:10

KJV: 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.
BSB: They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.
Koinōnos: Passing through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them by itself. Going out, they went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

ACT 12:11

KJV: And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
BSB: Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herodʼs grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
Koinōnos: When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.

ACT 12:12

KJV: And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
BSB: And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
Koinōnos: When he had recognized this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John called Mark, where a considerable number was gathered together and praying.

ACT 12:13

KJV: And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
BSB: He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.
Koinōnos: When he knocked at the door of the gate, a young female slave named Rhoda came to answer.

ACT 12:14

KJV: And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
BSB: When she recognized Peterʼs voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”
Koinōnos: Recognizing Peter's voice, from her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing before the gate.

ACT 12:15

KJV: And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
BSB: “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
Koinōnos: They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting it was so. They were saying, "It is his angel.

ACT 12:16

KJV: But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
BSB: But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
Koinōnos: Peter continued knocking, and when they opened they saw him and were astonished.

ACT 12:17

KJV: But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
BSB: Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
Koinōnos: Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Report these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.

ACT 12:18

KJV: Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
BSB: At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
Koinōnos: When day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers — what had become of Peter?

ACT 12:19

KJV: And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.
BSB: After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.
Koinōnos: Herod searched for him and not finding him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to death. Then going down from Judea to Caesarea, he stayed there.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

ACT 12:5

prison;:The word translated 'prison' here often referred to a place of custody or a guard post, and could also mean the act of guarding itself, especially during the night.

ACT 12:6

bound:The word translated 'bound' indicates a physical restraint, often with chains or ropes, and was a common term for being held captive.

ACT 12:13

came:The word translated 'came' is actually a term for a young female servant or slave, often a 'maidservant,' highlighting her social status.

ACT 12:19

to be led away [to death],:The phrase 'to be led away [to death]' uses a word that specifically means to lead someone away, often to execution or punishment, implying a forced removal.