Lectionary Calendar
Friday, December 26th, 2025
the First Day after Christmas
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Acts 12:16

But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

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 English Translation
Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were greatly 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.
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 earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. 6 The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; 7 and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your mantle around you and follow me." 9 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. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. 11 And Peter came to himself, and said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and told 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
Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account."
Genesis 12:14
When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
Genesis 12:15
And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
Genesis 13:2
Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Genesis 20:14
Then Abim'elech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah his wife to him.
Genesis 24:35
The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and asses.
Genesis 26:14
He had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.
Genesis 32:5
and I have oxen, asses, flocks, menservants, and maidservants; and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'"
Job 1:3
He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
Job 42:12
And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile