Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 12:9
And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
And wist not – Knew not.
That it was true – That it was real.
But thought he saw a vision – He supposed that it was a representation made to his mind similar to what he had seen before. Compare Act 10:11-12. It was so astonishing, so unexpected, so wonderful, that he could not realize that it was true.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. He – wist not] He knew not; from the Anglo-Saxon, [A.S.], to know. He supposed himself to be in a dream.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The greatnesss and suddenness of the deliverance was such, as it amazed him, it seemed incredible unto him: not that he questioned Gods power or godliness; but knowing that he was to suffer for Christs names sake, he might the rather not look for such a deliverance, and when it came, be as one that dreams, as Psa 126:1; God therefore bringing his people to such extremities, that his salvation might be the more astonishing.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. wist not that it was true; butthought he saw a visionSo little did the apostle look fordeliverance!
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he went out and followed him,…. He came out from between the two soldiers, and out of that apartment in the prison, in which he was, and followed the angel where he led him:
and wist not that it was true that was done by the angel; not that he thought the angel was a mere apparition, and all this that was done was a delusion; but he did not know whether this was matter of fact, or whether it was, not represented to him in a visionary way, as what could be, or would be done:
but thought he saw a vision; imagined he was in a dream or a trance, and only saw these things in a vision, and that they were not really done, the whole was so amazing and astonishing.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Wist not ( ). Past perfect of used as imperfect, did not know.
Followed (). Imperfect active, kept on following as the angel had directed (verse 8). That it was true ( ). Indirect assertion and so present tense retained. Note “true” () in the sense of reality or actuality.
Which was done ( ). Present middle participle, that which was happening.
Thought he saw a vision ( ). Imperfect active, kept on thinking, puzzled as he was. is the infinitive in indirect assertion without the pronoun (he) expressed which could be either nominative in apposition with the subject as in Ro 1:22 or accusative of general reference as in Acts 5:36; Acts 8:9 (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1036-40). Peter had had a vision in Joppa (10:10) which Luke describes as an “ecstasy,” but here is objective fact, at least Luke thought so and makes that distinction. Peter will soon know whether he is still in the cell or not as we find out that a dream is only a dream when we wake up.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And he went out, and followed him; (kai ekselthon ekloluthei) “And going out of his own choice, will, or accord, he followed,” the angel, in or toward the direction the angel led him; It is a comforting thought the Lord goes with and before His children in every trial, 1Co 10:13; Heb 4:15-16; Heb 13:5.
2) “And wist not,” (kai ouk hedei) “And did not realize, recognize, or comprehend,” while he was doing this, following the direction of the angel, really did not know that it was an angel from God, even as Joseph did not recognize God’s way for him, in Egypt, till later, Gen 49:20; Gen 45:5; Gen 45:7.
3) “That it was true which was done by the angel,” (hoti alethes estin to ginomenon dia tou angelou) “That it is (was) true or real what was happening (or occurring) through the instrumental help of the angel,” who came to deliver him as surely as Daniel was delivered from the lion’s mouths, Dan 6:22.
4) “But thought he saw a vision,” (edokei de hoorama blepein) “Instead he thought he saw (was seeing during this period) a vision,” as in Act 10:17. Yet he yielded, in that surrendered moment, to do exactly what God’s angel bid him do. Let it be realized that angels are still “sent forth,” commissioned or mandated to serve children of the Lord in the realm of the leadership of the Holy Spirit in service in harmony with the word of God, Heb 1:14; Act 11:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
9. He knew not that it was true. He did not think that it was a vain or false visor, as Satan doth oftentimes delude men with jugglings; but true is taken in this place for that which is done naturally and after the manner of men. For we must note the contrariety [antithesis] that is between the thing itself and the vision. Furthermore, though he think that it is a vision, yet doth he willingly obey; whereby his obedience is proved, whilst that being content with the commandment of the angel alone, he doth not inquire nor reason what he must de, but doth that which he is commanded to do.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) And wist not that it was true . . .The kind of introspective analysis of the Apostles consciousness suggests the thought that he was himself, possibly through some intermediate channel, St. Lukes informant. As in the activity of somnambulism, the will directed the actions of the body, and yet was only half-conscious of what it did. It may be noted that his experience of the trance and vision narrated in Acts 10 would tend to suggest the impression that he was passing through phenomena of a like kind.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And he went out, and followed, and he did not know that what was done by the angel was true, but thought he saw a vision.’
Peter did as he was bid as though in a dream. He went out and followed the angel, totally unconvinced that it was really happening. He knew that it could not be true. Soon he would wake up and it would be all a dream. Luke is bringing out that his escape was totally due to God. Peter, as it were, just stood by, half asleep, and watched the salvation of God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 12:9. And wist not And knew not.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
Ver. 9. And wist not that it was true ] So Psa 126:1 . God is often better to his than their hopes, and doth exceeding abundantly for them above all that they can ask or think, Eph 3:20 . He will do so much more when they come to heaven; for then, oh, the unutterable ecstasies! At first sight, surely
” Claudicat ingenium, delirat linguaque, mensque. “
Lucret.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] , viz. from the .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 12:9 . : even those who regard the narrative as unhistorical can scarcely say that the writer cannot understand how to distinguish between an actual fact and a vision; moreover, this same writer describes visions such as that of Peter, Act 10:10 , and of Paul, Act 22:17 , as ecstacies; once in Act 26:19 Paul speaks of the appearance of Christ vouchsafed to him before Damascus as a vision, , but this word is not confined to appearances which the narrators regard as visions, cf. Luk 1:22 ; Luk 24:23 , cf. Beyschlag, Studien und Kritiken , p. 203, 1864; Witness of the Epistles (Longmans, 1892).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
him. The texts omit.
wist = knew. Greek. oida. App-132.
true. Greek. alethes. App-175.
by = through. Greek. dia.
thought = was thinking.
saw. Greek. blepo. App-133.
vision. Greek. horama, as in Act 7:31.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] , viz. from the .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
angel
See note, (See Scofield “Heb 1:4”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
he went: Act 26:19, Gen 6:22, Joh 2:5, Heb 11:8
wist not: That is, he knew not; wist being the past tense of the obsolete verb to wis, from the Saxon wissan, in German wissen and Dutch wysen to think, imagine, know. Act 10:3, Act 10:17, Act 11:5, Gen 45:26, Psa 126:1, 2Co 12:1-3
Reciprocal: Exo 34:29 – wist Luk 24:11 – idle
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
Act 12:9. Wist [knew] not that it was true. The last word is from ALETHES, which Thayer defines with the same word used in the text, and adds by way of explanation, “an actual occurrence.” Peter thought he was in a trance and was seeing a vision only.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 12:9-10. And he went out, and followed him. . . . When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city. Silently, without a word, the radiant Messenger from heaven and the amazed apostle passed through the galleries of the fortress (the prison in which Peter was confined was most probably the tower of Antonia), past the first sleeping guard, then past the second, then through the great gates of iron which communicated with the city beyond, down a flight of seven steps, as one most ancient MS. (Codex D) tells us, into the street; and there the angel passed back into the unseen, leaving Peter alone, but free.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes one verse 7
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
9-11. Peter thinks he is in a trance and sees a vision. Now they pass by the first and second guard and come to the great iron gate that leads out into the city. Peter is soliloquizing:
Though I have escaped from the prison and passed the guards, what shall I do? It takes twenty men to open the great iron gate leading out of the prison-yard into the city. It is locked; I have no key and could not open it if I had; so, after all, my escape must prove a failure.
But now he has reached the gate. Behold, it opens of its own accord, and he has nothing to do but walk out. Such is all Christian experience. We see difficulties like mountains impassable. Be courageous, go right on, as if nothing was in the way; rest assured God will take it out; the Pikes Peak you saw will prove but a fog-bank and evanesce before the Sun of Righteousness. I know a preacher whose terrible conflict in getting sanctified was the thought of meeting his and-holiness presiding elder.
Behold, when he entered the experience and met the elder, he found him awfully convicted and crying to God to sanctify him; so he swept right over Jordan and helped the preacher shout down the walls of Jericho.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 9
Wist; knew.