Atos 12:4

Almeida Revista e Atualizada

Tendo-o feito prender, lanou-o no crcere, entregando-o a quatro escoltas de quatro soldados cada uma, para o guardarem, tencionando apresent-lo ao povo depois da Pscoa.

Parallel Translations

A Biblia Sagrada
E, havendo-o prendido, o encerrou na priso, entregando-o a quatro quaternos de soldados, para que o guardassem, querendo apresent-lo ao povo depois da pscoa.

Almeida Revista e Corrigida
E, havendo-o prendido, o encerrou na priso, entregando-o a quatro quaternos de soldados, para que o guardassem, querendo apresent-lo ao povo depois da Pscoa.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he put: Acts 4:3, Acts 5:18, Acts 8:3, Matthew 24:9, Luke 21:12, Luke 22:33, John 13:36-38, John 21:18

delivered: Acts 16:23, Acts 16:24, Matthew 27:64-66

intending: Acts 4:28, Esther 3:6, Esther 3:7, Esther 3:13, Proverbs 19:21, Proverbs 27:1, Lamentations 3:37, Matthew 26:5

Easter: Rather, the Passover, פן [Strong's G3588], נבףקב [Strong's G3957].

Reciprocal: Leviticus 23:6 - General Numbers 28:16 - General Joshua 2:3 - Bring 1 Kings 19:2 - to morrow Psalms 69:33 - his prisoners Jeremiah 37:15 - put Daniel 2:18 - they would Daniel 3:20 - to bind Daniel 6:17 - a stone Acts 12:10 - the first Acts 12:19 - he examined 2 Corinthians 6:5 - imprisonments Hebrews 11:36 - bonds

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When he had apprehended him,.... When his officers he sent to take him had brought him:

he put him in prison; in the common prison, very likely where he had been once before, Acts 5:18

and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; each quaternion consisted of four soldiers, so that they were in all sixteen; and so the Syriac version renders it, "and delivered him to sixteen soldiers": how the Ethiopic version should make "seventeen" of them is pretty strange: these perhaps might take their turns to watch him by four at a time, two to whom he was chained, and two others to keep the doors; or all the sixteen together, being posted in one place or another for greater security: and it may be, that the reason of all this caution, and strong guard, might be, because it was remembered that he, and the rest of the apostles, when committed to the same prison some years ago, were delivered out of it:

intending after Easter, or the passover,

to bring him forth to the people; to insult and abuse him, and to put him to what death they should desire.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And when he had apprehended him - When he had taken or arrested him.

He put him in prison - During the solemnities of this religious festival, it would have been deemed improper to have engaged in the trial of a supposed criminal. The minds of the people were expected to be devoted solely to the services of religion; and hence, Herod chose to retain him in custody until the Passover had ended.

To four quaternions of soldiers - A “quaternion” was a company of “four”; consequently the whole number employed here was sixteen. The Romans divided the night into four watches so that the guards could be relieved; those who were on guard occupying three hours, and being then relieved. Of the four who were on guard, two were with Peter in the prison Acts 12:6, and two kept watch before the door of the prison. The utmost precaution was taken that he should not escape; and Herod thus gave the most ample assurance to the Jews of his intention to secure Peter, and to bring him to trial.

Intending after Easter - There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover (μετὰ τὸ πάσχα meta to pascha. The word “Easter” now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles. The word “Easter” is of Saxon origin, and is supposed to be derived from “Eostre,” the goddess of Love, or the Venus of the North, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated by our pagan ancestors in the month of April (Webster). Since this festival coincided with the Passover of the Jews, and with the feast observed by Christians in honor of the resurrection of Christ, the name came to be used to denote the latter. In the old Anglo-Saxon service-books the term “Easter” is used frequently to translate the word “Passover.” In the translation by Wycliffe, the word “paske,” that is, “Passover,” is used. But Tyndale and Coverdale used the word “Easter,” and hence, it has very improperly crept into our King James Version.

To bring him forth to the people - That is, evidently, to put him publicly to death to gratify them. The providence of God in regard to Peter is thus remarkable. Instead of his being put suddenly to death, as was James, he was reserved for future trial; and thus an opportunity was given for the prayers of the church, and for his consequent release.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 12:4. Four quaternions of soldiers — That is, sixteen, or four companies of four men each, who had the care of the prison, each company taking in turn one of the four watches of the night.

Intending after Easter to bring him forth — μετα το τασχα, After the passover. Perhaps there never was a more unhappy, not to say absurd, translation than that in our text. But, before I come to explain the word, it is necessary to observe that our term called Easter is not exactly the same with the Jewish passover. This festival is always held on the fourteenth day of the first vernal full moon; but the Easter of the Christians, never till the next Sabbath after said full moon; and, to avoid all conformity with the Jews in this matter, if the fourteenth day of the first vernal full moon happen on a Sabbath, then the festival of Easter is deferred till the Sabbath following. The first vernal moon is that whose fourteenth day is either on the day of the vernal equinox, or the next fourteenth day after it. The vernal equinox, according to a decree of the council of Nice, is fixed to the 21st day of March; and therefore the first vernal moon is that whose fourteenth day falls upon the 21st of March, or the first fourteenth day after. Hence it appears that the next Sabbath after the fourteenth day of the vernal moon, which is called the Paschal term, is always Easter day. And, therefore, the earliest Paschal term being the 21st of March, the 22d of March is the earliest Easter possible; and the 18th of April being the latest Paschal term, the seventh day after, that is the 25th of April, is the latest Easter possible.

The term Easter, inserted here by our translators, they borrowed from the ancient Anglo-Saxon service-books, or from the version of the Gospels, which always translates the το πασχα of the Greek by this term; e.g. Matthew 26:2: Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover. [Anglo-Saxon] Wite ye that aefter twam dagum beoth Eastro. Matthew 16:19: And they made ready the passover. [Anglo-Saxon] And hig gegearwodon hym Easter thenunga (i.e. the paschal supper.) Prefixed to Matthew 28:1, are these words: [Anglo-Saxon] This part to be read on Easter even. And, before Matthew 28:8, these words: [Anglo-Saxon] Mark 14:12: And the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the passover. [Anglo-Saxon] And tham forman daegeazimorum, tha hi Eastron offrodon. Other examples occur in this version. Wiclif used the word paske, i.e. passover; but Tindal, Coverdale, Becke, and Cardmarden, following the old Saxon mode of translation, insert Easter: the Geneva Bible very properly renders it the passover. The Saxon [Anglo-Saxon] are different modes of spelling the name of the goddess Easter, whose festival was celebrated by our pagan forefathers on the month of April; hence that month, in the Saxon calendar, is called [Anglo-Saxon] Easter month. Every view we can take of this subject shows the gross impropriety of retaining a name every way exceptionable, and palpably absurd.