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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Acts 12:9

Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Herod;   Jerusalem;   Minister, Christian;   Miracles;   Persecution;   Peter;   Prayer;   Prisoners;   Rulers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Angels;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Miracle;   Peter;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Herod Agrippa I.;   Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Acts of the Apostles;   Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Angel;   Herod;   Prison, Prisoners;   Squad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Herod;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Angels;   Herod;   Peter;   Prison;   Vision;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Herod, Family of;   New Testament;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Quaternion;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Persecution;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision.
King James Version (1611)
And hee went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true which was done by the Angel: but thought he saw a vision.
King James Version
And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
English Standard Version
And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
New American Standard Bible
And he went out and continued to follow, and yet he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
New Century Version
So Peter followed him out, but he did not know if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he might be seeing a vision.
Amplified Bible
And Peter went out following the angel. He did not realize that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision.
Berean Standard Bible
So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He only thought he was seeing a vision.
Complete Jewish Bible
Going out, Kefa followed him but did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real — he thought he was seeing a vision.
Darby Translation
And going forth he followed [him] and did not know that what was happening by means of the angel was real, but supposed he saw a vision.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the angel went out and Peter followed. He did not know if the angel was really doing this. He thought he might be seeing a vision.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Peter came out and followed him, and knewe not that it was true, which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seene a vision.
George Lamsa Translation
And he went out, and followed the angel, not knowing that what was done by the angel was true, but thought he saw a vision.
Good News Translation
Peter followed him out of the prison, not knowing, however, if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
Lexham English Bible
And he went out and was following him. And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision.
Literal Translation
And going out, he followed him, and did not know that this happening through the angel was real, but he thought he saw a vision.
American Standard Version
And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.
Bible in Basic English
And he went out after him; and he was not certain if what was done by the angel was a fact, for it seemed to him that he was seeing a vision.
Hebrew Names Version
He went out, and followed him. He didn't know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.
International Standard Version
So he went out and began to follow him, not realizing that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.Psalm 126:1; Acts 10:3,17; 11:5;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And he went forth, and came after him; not knowing that what was done by the hand of the angel was reality, for he thought that he saw a vision.
Murdock Translation
And he went out and followed him, not knowing that what had been done by the angel was a reality; for he supposed, that he saw a vision.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he came out and folowed hym, and wyse not that it was trueth which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seene a vision.
English Revised Version
And he went out, and followed; and he wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.
World English Bible
He went out, and followed him. He didn't know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And going out, he followed him. And he knew not, that it was real which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.
Weymouth's New Testament
So Peter went out, following him, yet could not believe that what the angel was doing was real, but supposed that he saw a vision.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he yede out, and suede hym; and he wiste not that it was soth, that was don bi the aungel; for he gesside hym silf to haue sey a visioun.
Update Bible Version
And he went out, and followed; and he didn't know that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he went out, and followed him, and knew not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
New English Translation
Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
New King James Version
So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
New Living Translation
So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening.
New Life Bible
Peter followed him out. He was not sure what was happening as the angel helped him. He thought it was a dream.
New Revised Standard
Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel's help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, coming out, he began following, and knew not that it was true which was coming about through means of the messenger; but supposed that, a vision, he was beholding.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And going out, he followed him. And he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.
Revised Standard Version
And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he came oute and folowed him and wist not that it was truthe which was done by the angell but thought he had sene a vision.
Young's Literal Translation
and having gone forth, he was following him, and he knew not that it is true that which is done through the messenger, and was thinking he saw a vision,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he wente out, and folowed him, and wyst not, that it was trueth that was done by ye angell, but thoughte he had sene a vision.
Mace New Testament (1729)
so he went out after the angel without knowing that what the angel had done, was real; but thinking it was all a vision.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The angel led Pete out of the cell, but Pete didn't realize this was happening. He thought it was a vision the whole time.

Contextual Overview

5 While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him. 6 The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. 7 Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up. Then he said, "Quick! Get up!" The chains fell off his hands, 8 and the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, "Now put on your coat and follow me." 9 Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. 10 They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared. 11 Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, "I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me." 12 Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord's followers had come together there and were praying. 13 Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he went: Acts 26:19, Genesis 6:22, John 2:5, Hebrews 11:8

wist not: That is, he knew not; wist being the past tense of the obsolete verb to wis, from the Saxon wissan, in German wissen and Dutch wysen to think, imagine, know. Acts 10:3, Acts 10:17, Acts 11:5, Genesis 45:26, Psalms 126:1, 2 Corinthians 12:1-3

Reciprocal: Exodus 34:29 - wist Luke 24:11 - idle

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Please save my life by saying that you are my sister."
Genesis 12:14
As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was.
Genesis 13:1
Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.
Genesis 13:3
Abram moved from place to place in the Southern Desert. And finally, he went north and set up his tents between Bethel and Ai,
Genesis 24:62
At that time Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan near a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."
Psalms 105:13
We wandered from nation to nation, from one country to another.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he went out and followed him,.... He came out from between the two soldiers, and out of that apartment in the prison, in which he was, and followed the angel where he led him:

and wist not that it was true that was done by the angel; not that he thought the angel was a mere apparition, and all this that was done was a delusion; but he did not know whether this was matter of fact, or whether it was, not represented to him in a visionary way, as what could be, or would be done:

but thought he saw a vision; imagined he was in a dream or a trance, and only saw these things in a vision, and that they were not really done, the whole was so amazing and astonishing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And wist not - Knew not.

That it was true - That it was real.

But thought he saw a vision - He supposed that it was a representation made to his mind similar to what he had seen before. Compare Acts 10:11-12. It was so astonishing, so unexpected, so wonderful, that he could not realize that it was true.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 12:9. He - wist not — He knew not; from the Anglo-Saxon, [A.S.], to know. He supposed himself to be in a dream.


 
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