Acts 12:7

12:7 Suddenly ¹  an angel of the Lord ²  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ³  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ⁴  wrists. ⁵ 

Acts 12:11

12:11 When ⁶  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ⁷  me from the hand ⁸  of Herod ⁹  and from everything the Jewish people ¹⁰  were expecting to happen.”

[12:7]  ¹ tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ³ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ⁵ tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[12:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[12:11]  ⁷ tn Or “delivered.”

[12:11]  ⁸ sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.

[12:11]  ⁹ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:11]  ¹⁰ sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).