Acts 12:4-5

12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ¹  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ²  planned ³  to bring him out for public trial ⁴  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ⁵  praying to God for him. ⁶ 

[12:4]  ¹ sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.

[12:4]  ² tn Grk “guard him, planning to bring him out.” The Greek construction continues with a participle (βουλόμενος, boulomeno") and an infinitive (ἀναγαγεῖν, anagagein), but this creates an awkward and lengthy sentence in English. Thus a reference to Herod was introduced as subject and the participle translated as a finite verb (“Herod planned”).

[12:4]  ³ tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”

[12:4]  ⁴ tn Grk “to bring him out to the people,” but in this context a public trial (with certain condemnation as the result) is doubtless what Herod planned. L&N 15.176 translates this phrase “planning to bring him up for a public trial after the Passover.”

[12:5]  ⁵ tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.

[12:5]  ⁶ tn Grk “but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God for him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to follow English style, and the somewhat awkward passive “prayer was being made” has been changed to the simpler active verb “were praying.” Luke portrays what follows as an answer to prayer.