Apostlagärningarna 12:19

Svenska Bibel

När så Herodes ville hämta honom, men icke fann honom, anställde han rannsakning med väktarna och bjöd att de skulle föras bort till bestraffning. Därefter for han ned från Judeen till Cesarea och vistades sedan där.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sought for him: 1 Samuel 23:14, Psalms 37:32, Psalms 37:33, Jeremiah 36:26, Matthew 2:13

he examined: Acts 12:4, Acts 12:6, Matthew 28:11-15

commanded: Daniel 2:11-13, Matthew 2:16, John 12:10, John 12:11

he went: Acts 21:8, Acts 25:13, 1 Kings 20:43, Esther 6:12

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 22:16 - Thou shalt 1 Kings 18:12 - he shall slay me 2 Kings 1:10 - consumed Daniel 3:22 - slew Matthew 28:14 - we Acts 5:21 - sent

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Herod had sought for him and found him not,.... Neither in the prison, nor in any part of the city:

he examined the keepers; of the prison, and those that were upon the watch, whether they had not been accessary to his escape:

and commanded that they should be put to death: or brought forth, not before a judge to be tried and judged, because they had been examined by Herod already; but either that they should be carried and laid in bonds, or be led forth to suffer punishment; and so our version directs, and which is confirmed by the Syriac; and the Greeks say n, that απαγωγη is a kind of punishment:

and he went down from Judea to Caesarea; not Peter, but Herod:

and there abode; of this journey of Agrippa's to Caesarea, Josephus makes mention o; this place was distant from Jerusalem six hundred furlongs, or seventy five miles p.

n Harpocratian. Lex. p. 32. o Antiqu. l. 19. c. 2. sect. 2. p De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 3. sect. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He examined the keepers - The soldiers who were entrusted with his custody. Probably only those who had the special care of him at that watch of the night. The word “examine” here means “to inquire diligently, to make investigation.” He subjected them to a rigid scrutiny to ascertain the manner of his escape; for it is evident that Herod did not mean to admit the possibility of a miraculous interposition.

Should be put to death - For having failed to keep Peter. This punishment they had a right to expect for having suffered his escape.

And he went down ... - How soon after the escape of Peter he went down to Caesarea, or how long he abode there, is not known. Caesarea was rising into magnificence, and the Roman governors made it often their abode. See the notes on Acts 8:40. Compare Acts 25:1, Acts 25:4. This journey of Herod is related by Josephus (Antiq., book 19, chapter 8, section 2). He says that it was after he had reigned over all Judea for three years.

And there abode - That is, until his death, which occurred shortly after. We do not learn that he made any further inquiry after Peter, or that he attempted any further persecutions of the Christians. The men on guard were undoubtedly put to death; and thus Herod used all his power to create the impression that Peter had escaped by their negligence; and this would undoubtedly be believed by the Jews. See Matthew 28:15. He might himself, perhaps, have been convinced, however, that the escape was by miracle, and afraid to attempt any further persecutions; or the affairs of his government might have called off his attention to other things; and thus, as in the case of the. “persecution that arose about Stephen,” the political changes and dangers might divert the attention from putting Christians to death. See the notes on Acts 9:31. Thus, by the providence of God, this persecution, that had been commenced, not by popular tumult, but by royal authority and power, and that was aimed at the very pillars of the church, ceased. The prayers of the church prevailed; and the monarch was overcome, disappointed, bummed, and, by divine judgment, soon put to death.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 12:19. Commanded that they should be put to death. — He believed, or pretended to believe, that the escape of Peter was owing to the negligence of the keepers: jailers, watchmen, &c., ordinarily suffered the same kind of punishment which should have been inflicted on the prisoner whose escape they were supposed to have favoured.

He went down from Judea to Caesarea — How soon he went down, and how long he stayed there, we know not.