7 And a great light was seen shining in the room, and an angel of the Lord came to Peter and, touching him on his side so that he came out of his sleep, said, Get up quickly. And his chains came off his hands.
And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved: and all the doors came open, and everyone's chains came off.
But in the night an angel of the Lord, opening the doors of the prison, took them out and said,
He was shining like the light; he had rays coming out from his hand: there his power was kept secret.
After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was bright with his glory.
For this reason he says, Be awake, you who are sleeping, and come up from among the dead, and Christ will be your light.
For this night there came to my side an angel of the God who is my Master and whose servant I am, Saying, Have no fear, Paul, for you will come before Caesar, and God has given to you all those who are sailing with you.
And when Herod was about to take him out, the same night Peter was sleeping in chains between two armed men, and the watchmen were keeping watch before the door of the prison.
And Cornelius said, Four days from now I was in my house in prayer at the ninth hour; and I saw before me a man in shining clothing,
But God gave him back to life, having made him free from the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be overcome by it.
And while they were in doubt about it, they saw two men in shining clothing by them:
At the light of your arrows they went away, at the shining of your polished spear.
And when morning came, the angels did all in their power to make Lot go, saying, Get up quickly and take your wife and your two daughters who are here, and go, for fear that you come to destruction in the punishment of the town. But while he was waiting, the men took him and his wife and his daughters by the hand, for the Lord had mercy on them, and put them outside the town.
Then Daniel said to the king, O King, have life for ever.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar, full of fear and wonder, got up quickly, and said to his wise men, Did we not put three men in cords into the fire? and they made answer and said to the king, True, O King. He made answer and said, Look! I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not damaged; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
Up! let your face be bright, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is shining on you.
And this will be the sign to you: you will get your food this year from what comes up of itself, and in the second year from the produce of the same; and in the third year you will put in your seed, and get in the grain, and make vine-gardens, and take of their fruit.
Give ear to my cry, for I am made very low: take me out of the hands of my haters, for they are stronger than I. Take my soul out of prison, so that I may give praise to your name: the upright will give praise because of me; for you have given me a full reward.
O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of her who is your servant; by you have my cords been broken.
His feet were fixed in chains; his neck was put in iron bands; Till the time when his word came true; he was tested by the word of the Lord. The king sent men to take off his chains; even the ruler of the people, who let him go free.
The sinners are watching the upright man, desiring to put him to death. The Lord will not give him into their hands, or be against him when he is judged.
And stretching himself on the earth, he went to sleep under the broom-plant; but an angel, touching him, said to him, Get up and have some food.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 12
Commentary on Acts 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
In this chapter we have the story,
Act 12:1-4
Ever since the conversion of Paul, we have heard no more of the agency of the priests in persecuting the saints at Jerusalem; perhaps that wonderful change wrought upon him, and the disappointment it gave to their design upon the Christians at Damascus, had somewhat mollified them, and brought them under the check of Gamaliel's advice-to let those men alone, and see what would be the issue; but here the storm arises from another point. The civil power, not now, as usual (for aught that appears) stirred up by the ecclesiastics, acts by itself in the persecution. But Herod, though originally of an Edomite family, yet seems to have been a proselyte to the Jewish religion; for Josephus says he was zealous for the Mosaic rites, a bigot for the ceremonies. He was not only (as Herod Antipas was) tetrarch of Galilee, but had also the government of Judea committed to him by Claudius the emperor, and resided most at Jerusalem, where he was at this time. Three things we are here told he did-
Act 12:5-19
We have here an account of Peter's deliverance out of prison, by which the design of Herod against him was defeated, and his life preserved for further service, and a stop given to this bloody torrent. Now,
Act 12:20-25
In these verses we have,