Verse1: “In that season King Herod cast the hands to do evil on certain ones from the congregation.”

To do evil: Persecution against believers. Evil is not God’s will, but He can use it. Evil does not thwart the purposes of God.

Verse 2: “And he killed Jacob, the brother of John, with a sword.”

Jacob: James

Verse 3: “Seeing that it was pleasing to the Judeans he continued to do more by apprehending Peter. The days were of unleavened bread.”

Judeans: This term does not mean the Jewish people in general. Rather, it is a term that speaks about those who primarily lived in Judea and followed the traditions of the elders – the oral tradition, rather than the law of Moses.

Days were of unleavened bread: It was around this period of time, very close to the days of unleavened bread. Unleavened bread speaks about purity – a removal of that which is unclean. What makes believers unclean is our lack of belief.


Verse 4: “He arrested him and set him in prison, and delivered a four-soldier battalion, intending after the Passover to bring him to the people.”

Four-soldier battalion: Probably four different shifts, with four soldiers at a time guarding on each shift.

After the Passover: On Passover there would be an opportunity for the people to request one of the prisoners to be set free. Herod did not want Peter to be set free. Passover is the festival of redemption – being set free from bondage.

Bring him to the people: For judgement.

Verse 5: “Therefore Peter was kept in the prison, and prayer was happening by the congregation, up to God, on behalf of him.”

Verse 6: “When Herod was about to bring him (Peter) before (the people), it was that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers- having been bound with two chains, there was also a guard that was before the door, keeping the prison.”

That very night: It was either the day after or the evening of Passover.

Peter was sleeping: At Peace, even though it was the night before his trial.

Two: This number is emphasised. Two speaks frequently, in the Scripture, to two different opinions. What we see here is that Herod had one opinion, but God had a different one.

A guard: High security

Verse 7: “Behold! An angel of the L-rd stood and light shone in the cell. And he (the angel) struck the side of Peter and woke him up saying, ‘Rise up in haste!’ And his chains fell off from his hands.”

Struck: Normally when this word is used for striking someone it is a blow to death. This word is used here to show us how soundly Peter was sleeping.

Verse 8: “The angel said to him, ‘Gird your clothes and put on your sandals.’ And Peter did thus. And he said to him, ‘Put on your garment and follow me.’”

Gird: A word that implies getting ready for service.

Verse 9: “He went out and followed him. He did not know that this happening was real; he was thinking that it was a vision that he was seeing.”

Verse 10: “Going through the first guard and then the second they came unto the gate, the iron gate, the one that led into the city, which opened up for them automatically. And going out they went to the first street and immediately the angel departed from him.”

The angel departed: The angel got him out of the prison and into the street and then he left Peter