Acts 12:19
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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.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
examined the keepers--who, either like the keepers of our Lord's sepulchre, had "shaken and become as dead men" (Mat 28:4), or had slept on their watch and been divinely kept from awaking. commanded that they should be put to death--Impotent vengeance!
Open source ↗In this chapter we have the story, I. Of the martyrdom of James the apostle, and the imprisonment of Peter by Herod Agrippa, who now reigned as king in Judea (Act 12:1-4). II. The miraculous deliverance of Peter out of prison by the ministry of an angel, in answer to the prayers of the church for him (Act 12:6-19). III. The cutting off of Herod in the height of his pride by the stroke of an angel, the minister of God's justice (Act 12:20-23); and this was done while Barnabas and Saul were at Jerusalem, upon the errand that the church of Antioch sent them on, to carry their charity; and therefore in the close we have an account of their return to Antioch (Act 12:24, Act 12:25).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”
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.
And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.
Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.