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Monday, October 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Acts 12:16

Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were greatly astonished.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Herod;   Jerusalem;   Minister, Christian;   Persecution;   Peter;   Prayer;   Prisoners;   Rulers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Peter;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Herod Agrippa I.;   Knock;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Acts of the Apostles;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Herod;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mark, Gospel According to;   Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Astonishment, Astonished;   Boyhood of Jesus;   Herod;   House;   Knocking;   Peter;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Herod, Family of;   New Testament;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 3;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
King James Version (1611)
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the doore, and saw him, they were astonished.
King James Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
English Standard Version
But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
New American Standard Bible
But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
New Century Version
Peter continued to knock, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
Amplified Bible
But [meanwhile] Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were completely amazed.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
Legacy Standard Bible
But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were astounded.
Berean Standard Bible
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
Contemporary English Version
But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed.
Complete Jewish Bible
Meanwhile, Kefa kept knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
Darby Translation
But Peter continued knocking: and having opened, they saw him and were astonished.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Peter continued to knock. When the believers opened the door, they saw him. They were amazed.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened it, and sawe him, they were astonied.
George Lamsa Translation
But Simon Peter continued knocking at the door; and they went out, and saw him, and were astonished.
Good News Translation
Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed.
Lexham English Bible
But Peter was continuing to knock, and when they opened the door they saw him and were astonished.
Literal Translation
But Peter kept on knocking. And opening, they saw him and were amazed.
American Standard Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
Bible in Basic English
But Peter went on giving blows on the door: and when it was open and they saw him, they were full of wonder.
Hebrew Names Version
But Kefa continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
International Standard Version
Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking and knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.
Etheridge Translation
And Shemun knocked at the gate; and they went forth, and seeing him they were astonished.
Murdock Translation
And Simon was knocking at the gate; and they went out, saw him, and were astonished.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Peter continued knockyng: And when they had opened the doore, and sawe hym, they were astonyed.
English Revised Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
World English Bible
But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But Peter continued knocking. And opening the door, they saw him and were astonished.
Weymouth's New Testament
Meanwhile Peter went on knocking, until at last they opened the door and saw that it was really he, and were filled with amazement.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Petre abood stille, and knockide. And whanne thei hadden opened the dore, thei sayen hym, and wondriden.
Update Bible Version
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.
Webster's Bible Translation
But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened [the door], and saw him, they were astonished.
New King James Version
Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
New Living Translation
Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
New Life Bible
Peter kept knocking. When they opened the gate and saw him, they were surprised and wondered about it.
New Revised Standard
Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, Peter, continued knocking; and, opening, they saw him, and were amazed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him and were astonished.
Revised Standard Version
But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Peter cotynued knockinge. When they had opened the dore and sawe him they were astonyed.
Young's Literal Translation
and Peter was continuing knocking, and having opened, they saw him, and were astonished,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Peter contynued knockinge. Whan they opened the dore, they sawe him, and were astonnyed.
Mace New Testament (1729)
as Peter still continued knocking, they let him in, and seeing it was he, they were extremely surpriz'd:
Simplified Cowboy Version
Pete was still standing outside knocking. Then someone else opened the door and couldn't believe their eyes.

Contextual Overview

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly praying to God for him. 6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly!" And the chains fell off Peter's wrists. 8 The angel said to him, "Fasten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me." 9 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. 10 After they had passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, when at once the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting to happen." 12 When Peter realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told them that Peter was standing at the gate.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Acts 12:13 - knocked

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you."
Genesis 12:14
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
Genesis 12:15
When Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram's wife was taken into the household of Pharaoh,
Genesis 13:2
(Now Abram was very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold.)
Genesis 20:14
So Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.
Genesis 24:35
"The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 26:14
He had so many sheep and cattle and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.
Genesis 32:5
I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent this message to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.'"
Job 1:3
His possessions included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. Thus he was the greatest of all the people in the east.
Job 42:12
So the Lord blessed the second part of Job's life more than the first. He had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Peter continued knocking,.... That they might come to him, and let him in; beginning to be impatient, and being very desirous of seeing his friends, as well as being in danger of being taken up, and had to prison again, should any of his enemies come by, who knew him:

and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished: they could hardly believe their own eyes; it was amazing to them, how it should be, that he should be delivered out of prison, when they knew there was such a strong guard about him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Were astonished - They were now convinced that it was Peter, and they were amazed that he had been rescued. As yet they were of course ignorant of the manner in which it was done.


 
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