Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, May 25th, 2025
the <>Sixth Sunday after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New King James Version

Acts 12:5

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant [fn] prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Criminals;   Herod;   Jerusalem;   Minister, Christian;   Persecution;   Peter;   Prayer;   Prison;   Prisoners;   Rulers;   Soldiers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Delayed Blessings;   Importunity;   Prayer;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Afflicted, Duty toward the;   Angels;   Prayer, Answers to;   Prayer, Intercessory;   Prayer, Public;   Prisons;   Protection;   Providence of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Peter;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prayer;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Endurance;   Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Herod Agrippa I.;   Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Acts of the Apostles;   Prayer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Hebrews;   Herod;   Persecution in the Bible;   Prayer;   Prison, Prisoners;   Squad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Herod;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Peter;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Herod;   Intercession;   Peter;   Prayer;   Prison;   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 - Intercession;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 26;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.
King James Version (1611)
Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church vnto God for him.
King James Version
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
English Standard Version
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
New American Standard Bible
So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made to God intensely by the church.
New Century Version
So Peter was kept in jail, but the church prayed earnestly to God for him.
Amplified Bible
So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent and persistent prayer for him was being made to God by the church.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
Legacy Standard Bible
So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
Berean Standard Bible
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
Contemporary English Version
While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.
Complete Jewish Bible
So Kefa was being held under watch in prison, but intense prayer was being made to God on his behalf by the Messianic community.
Darby Translation
Peter therefore was kept in the prison; but unceasing prayer was made by the assembly to God concerning him.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Peter was kept in jail, but the church was constantly praying to God for him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer was made of ye Church vnto God for him.
George Lamsa Translation
And while Simon Peter was kept in the prison, continual prayer was offered for him to God by the church.
Good News Translation
So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the church were praying earnestly to God for him.
Lexham English Bible
Thus Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer was fervently being made to God by the church for him.
Literal Translation
Then Peter was indeed kept in the prison, but fervent prayer was made by the assembly to God on his behalf.
American Standard Version
Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.
Bible in Basic English
So Peter was kept in prison: but the church made strong prayer to God for him.
Hebrew Names Version
Kefa therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.
International Standard Version
So Peter was being kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was being offered by the church.
Etheridge Translation
And while Shemun was kept in the house of the bound, constant prayer was offered by the church on his behalf unto Aloha.
Murdock Translation
And while Simon was in custody in the prison, continual prayer to God in his behalf, was offered to God by the church.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Peter was kept in pryson: But prayer was made without ceassyng of the Churche, vnto God for hym.
English Revised Version
Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.
World English Bible
Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So Peter was kept in the prison; but continual prayer was made to God by the church for him.
Weymouth's New Testament
So Peter was kept in prison; but long and fervent prayer was offered to God by the Church on his behalf.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Petre was kept in prisoun; but preier was maad of the chirche with out ceessing to God for hym.
Update Bible Version
Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church to God for him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing by the church to God for him.
New English Translation
So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly praying to God for him.
New Living Translation
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
New Life Bible
So Peter was held in prison. But the church kept praying to God for him.
New Revised Standard
While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Peter, therefore, was kept in the prison; but, prayer, was, earnestly, being made by the assembly, unto God, concerning him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.
Revised Standard Version
So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then was Peter kepte in preson. But prayer was made with out ceasynge of the congregacion vnto God for him.
Young's Literal Translation
Peter, therefore, indeed, was kept in the prison, and fervent prayer was being made by the assembly unto God for him,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Peter was kepte in the preson But prayer was made without ceassinge of the congregacion, vnto God for him.
Mace New Testament (1729)
thus Peter was kept in prison, but the Church prayed to God, without ceasing, for him,
THE MESSAGE
All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But while Pete was locked up, everyone who rode for the Lord prayed for him constantly.

Contextual Overview

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant [fn] prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 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. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people." 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

prayer was made without ceasing: or, instant and earnest prayer was made, Acts 12:12, Isaiah 62:6, Isaiah 62:7, Matthew 18:19, Luke 18:1, 1 Corinthians 12:26, 2 Corinthians 1:11, Ephesians 6:18-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Hebrews 13:3, James 5:16

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 12:23 - God forbid Psalms 10:17 - cause Psalms 18:6 - distress Psalms 34:17 - cry Psalms 102:2 - in the day Psalms 127:2 - for so he Isaiah 65:24 - General Jeremiah 37:21 - Thus Daniel 3:20 - to bind Acts 5:18 - General Romans 1:9 - that Romans 12:12 - continuing 2 Corinthians 6:5 - imprisonments Colossians 1:9 - do

Cross-References

Genesis 10:19
And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
Genesis 11:31
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
Genesis 12:5
Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
Genesis 12:8
And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Genesis 12:9
So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. [fn]
Genesis 14:14
Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Genesis 14:21
Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself."
Acts 7:4
Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Peter therefore was kept in prison,.... Till the feast of the passover was at an end:

but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him; this was not done by them as a body together, but either by them in several bands at different places, or by some of the principal of the church at some one certain place, and where they might frequently change companies, and keep on a continual incessant prayer for days together; and whereas it is very likely it might be at the beginning of the passover, when Peter was taken up, and it was now at the close of it, when he was delivered, the church might be engaged by companies alternately, a whole week together, in prayer, on this occasion.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But prayer was made - The church was apprised of his imprisonment and danger, and had no resource but to apply to God by prayer. In scenes of danger there is no other refuge; and the result shows that even in most discouraging circumstances God can hear prayer. Nothing scarcely could appear more hopeless than the idea of rescuing Peter out of the hands of Herod, and out of the prison, and out of the custody of sixteen men, by prayer. But the prayer of faith Was prevalent with God.

Without ceasing - Intense, steady, ardent prayer. The word used here ἐκτενής ektenēs is found in only one other place in the New Testament, 1 Peter 4:8, “Have fervent charity among yourselves.” The word has rather the idea that their prayer was earnest and fervent than that it was constant.

Of the church - By the church.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 12:5. Prayer was made without ceasing — The Greek word εκτενης signifies both fervour and earnestness, as well as perseverance. These prayers of the Church produced that miraculous interference mentioned below, and without which Peter could not have thus escaped from the hands of this ruthless king.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile