Acts 12:9
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
wist not that it was true; but thought he saw a vision--So little did the apostle look for deliverance!
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 LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.
So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
“Joseph is still alive,” they said, “and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.
One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me.
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.