Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 12:17
But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
17. the Lord had brought him out of the prison ] Which had been his exclamation when he came to himself, “The Lord hath sent his angel.”
Go shew ] There is only one verb in the Greek, which signifies “to bear word.” This the A.V. has attempted to render fully by the two verbs.
unto James ] This is no doubt the James who is afterwards (Act 15:13) described as presiding over the council at Jerusalem concerning circumcision, and giving his sentence on that question. Thus he seems to have been at the head of the Church at Jerusalem, and to him it was natural for Peter to send the first news of his deliverance.
This James must have been either the son of Alphus or the James who is one of the Lord’s brethren, but it is not easy to decide whether the persons called by these names were one and the same. It seems however safest not to identify the Apostle, James the son of Alphus, with the Lord’s brother, for these brethren of Jesus did not believe in Him till a very late period of His ministerial life, long after the twelve were chosen. But the James in our narrative is probably the Lord’s brother, because St Paul gives to the James who was one of the pillars of the Church at Jerusalem (Gal 2:9) when St Paul visited that city, the express title of “the Lord’s brother” (Gal 1:19). This James, bishop of Jerusalem, was, as we learn from a tradition preserved by Eusebius ( H. E. ii. 23), cast down from the pinnacle of the Temple, whither the Jews had brought him, in the expectation that he would disown Christ. When, on the contrary, he still held to his belief, he was thrown down, and not being killed by the fall, was slain by a blow from the club of a fuller.
and to the brethren ] Though it was in the middle of the night when his deliverance took place, Peter sends to the various centres where, as in the house of Mary, prayer was also being offered to God for his deliverance.
went into another place ] The peril of death was so imminent, if he had been seized, that he takes refuge by hiding where he cannot be found. The times are altered since the day when after his former deliverance he could dare to go and speak in the day-dawn to the people in the Temple. Then the populace were a protection to the Church, and saved them from violence of the authorities, now the Jewish people are in expectation of a second execution.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But he, beckoning … – To prevent the noise, and tumult, and transport which was likely to be produced. His wish was, not that there should be clamorous joy, but that they should listen in silence to what God had done. It was sufficient to awe the soul, and produce deep, grateful feeling. A noise might excite the neighboring Jews, and produce danger. Religion is calm and peaceful; and its great scenes and surprising deliverances are rather suited to awe the soul to produce calm, sober, and grateful contemplation, than the noise of rejoicing, and the shoutings of exultation. The consciousness of the presence of God, and of his mighty power, does not produce rapturous disorder and tumult, but holy, solemn, calm, grateful emotion.
Go, show these things … – Acquaint them that their prayer is heard, and that they may rejoice also at the mercy of God.
Unto James – James, the son of Alpheus, commonly called the Less. See Act 12:2 note; Act 1:13 note; Mat 10:2 note.
And to the brethren – Particularly to the other apostles.
And went into another place – Probably a place of greater safety. Where he went is not known. The papists pretend that he went to Rome. But of this there is no evidence. He is mentioned as in Jerusalem again in Acts 15. The meaning is evidently that he went into some place of retirement until the danger was past.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. Declared-how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.] He still persisted in the belief that his deliverance was purely supernatural. It seems that some modern critics could have informed him of his mistake. See Ac 12:11.
Show these things unto James, and to the brethren] That is, in one word, show them to the Church, at the head of which James undoubtedly was; as we may clearly understand by the part he took in the famous council held at Jerusalem, relative to certain differences between the believing Jews and Gentiles. See Ac 15:13-21. There is still no supremacy for Peter. He who was bishop or overseer of the Church at Jerusalem was certainly at the head of the whole Church of God at this time; but James was then bishop or inspector of the Church at Jerusalem, and, consequently, was the only visible head then upon earth.
He departed – into another place.] Some popish writers say that he went to Rome, and founded a Christian Church there. Those who can believe any thing may believe this. Where he went we know not; but it is probable that he withdrew for the present into a place of privacy, till the heat of the inquiry was over relative to his escape from the prison; for he saw that Herod was intent on his death.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Beckoning; it was usual by the motion of the hand both to desire silence and to crave audience.
How the Lord had brought him out; Peter gives God the glory, though an angel had been the means of his delivery.
James; this James was the son of Alpheus, Mat 10:3; Mar 3:18, and succeeded the other James, (the brother of John, of whom, Act 12:2), in governing the church at Jerusalem.
Went into another place; Peter could not but know he should be sought after, and therefore durst not abide in one place, lest he should ruin himself, and endanger his friends that should harbour him. Thus the great apostle, as David formerly, was hunted, as one hunteth a partridge in the mountains, 1Sa 26:20.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. But he, beckoning . . . with hishand to hold their peacea lively touch this. In the hubbub ofjoyful and wondering interrogatories there might mingle reflections,thrown out by one against another, for holding out so long againstthe testimony of Rhoda; while the emotion of the apostle’s own spiritwould be too deep and solemn to take part in such demonstrations orutter a word till, with his hand, he had signified his wish forperfect silence.
Go show these things untoJames and to the brethrenWhether James the son of Alpheus, oneof the Twelve, usually known as “James the Less,” and”James the Lord’s brother” (Ga1:19), were the same person; and if not, whether the James herereferred to was the former or the latter, critics are singularlydivided, and the whole question is one of the most difficult. To us,it appears that there are strong reasons for thinking that they werenot the same person, and that the one here meant, andthroughout the Acts, is the apostle James. (But on this morehereafter). James is singled out, because he had probably begun totake the oversight of the Church in Jerusalem, which we afterwardsfind him exercising (Ac15:1-29).
And he departed, and wentinto another placeaccording to his Lord’s express command (Mt10:23). When told, on a former miraculous liberation from prison,to go and speak unto the people (Ac5:20), he did it; but in this case to present himself in publicwould have been to tempt God by rushing upon certain destruction.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he beckoning unto them with the hand,…. This is what the Jews call , “an hint” m, which is a beckoning, or making signs, either with the head or hand: and this was now made, to hold their peace; to be silent, and not clamorous in their expressions of joy and wonder, lest it should alarm the neighbourhood, and the consequence be bad both to him and them; as also that he might have an opportunity of relating the whole affair to them; which he did, after he had entered into the house; which though not expressed is understood, and is added in Beza’s ancient copy, and in the Syriac version:
and he went in; that is, into the house: and declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of prison: how he had sent his angel to him in prison, what a light shone about him, how his chains fell from his hands, and how the angel conducted him through the several wards, till they came to the iron gate, which opened of itself; and how when he had brought him into the public streets, he left him; he ascribes this wonderful deliverance not to the angel, but to the Lord himself:
and he said, go show these things to James; the son of Alphaeus, sometimes called the brother of our Lord; for James the son of Zebedee, the brother of John, Herod had lately killed with the sword, Ac 12:2 and this other James very likely succeeded him as pastor of the church at Jerusalem, or at least had the superintendency of affairs there:
and to the brethren; the rest of the apostles, and even all the members; whom he would have acquainted with these things, which he knew would be matter of joy unto them, and a means of strengthening them in the ways of the Lord:
and he departed, and went into another place; to Rome, say the Papists, but without any foundation; if he went out of the city, and to any distant place for more safety, very likely he went to Antioch; but the words do not necessarily oblige us to conclude, that he went out of the city at that time, only that he went from Mary’s house; “and went”, as the Ethiopic version reads, “to another house”: where another company of saints might be assembled, and where he might be more private and secure.
m Bartenora in Misn. Gittin, c. 5. sect. 7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
There were probably loud exclamations of astonishment and joy.
Beckoning with the hand ( ). First aorist active participle of , old verb to signal or shake down with the hand (instrumental case ). In the N.T. only in Acts 12:17; Acts 13:16; Acts 19:33; Acts 21:40. The speaker indicates by a downward movement of the hand his desire for silence (to hold their peace, , present active infinitive, to keep silent). Peter was anxious for every precaution and he wanted their instant attention.
Declared (). First aorist middle of , old verb to carry through a narrative, give a full story. See also Ac 9:27 of Barnabas in his defence of Saul. Peter told them the wonderful story.
Unto James and the brethren ( ). Dative case after (first aorist active imperative). Evidently “James and the brethren” were not at this meeting, probably meeting elsewhere. There was no place where all the thousands of disciples in Jerusalem could meet. This gathering in the house of Mary may have been of women only or a meeting of the Hellenists. It is plain that this James the Lord’s brother, is now the leading presbyter or elder in Jerusalem though there were a number (Acts 11:30; Acts 21:18). Paul even terms him apostle (Gal 1:19), though certainly not one of the twelve. The twelve apostles probably were engaged elsewhere in mission work save James now dead (Ac 12:2) and Peter. The leadership of James is here recognized by Peter and is due, partly to the absence of the twelve, but mainly to his own force of character. He will preside over the Jerusalem Conference (Ac 15:13).
To another place ( ). Probably Luke did not know the place and certainly it was prudent for Peter to conceal it from Herod Agrippa. Probably Peter left the city. He is back in Jerusalem at the Conference a few years later (Ac 15:7) and after the death of Herod Agrippa. Whether Peter went to Rome during these years we do not know. He was recognized later as the apostle to the circumcision (Gal 2:7; 1Pet 1:1) and apparently was in Rome with John Mark when he wrote the First Epistle (1Pe 5:13), unless it is the real Babylon. But, even if Peter went to Rome during this early period, there is no evidence that he founded the church there. If he had done so, in the light of 2Co 10:16 it would be strange that Paul had not mentioned it in writing to Rome, for he was anxious not to build on another man’s foundation (Ro 15:20). Paul felt sure that he himself had a work to do in Rome. Unfortunately Luke has not followed the ministry of Peter after this period as he does Paul (appearing again only in chapter Ac 15). If Peter really left Jerusalem at this time instead of hiding in the city, he probably did some mission work as Paul says that he did (1Co 9:5).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Beckoning [] . Lit., having shaken downward with his hand, in order to bespeak silence and attention. It was a familiar gesture of Paul. See ch. Act 21:40; Act 26:1.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But he, beckoning unto them,” (kataseisas de autois) “Then he beckoned to them,” gestured toward them to quiet down, to avoid a night-time disturbance.
2) “With the hand to hold their peace,” (te cheiri sigan) “With the hand to be quiet,” to quiet down and listen, Heb 13:3; Heb 13:5.
3) “Declared unto them how,” (diegesato autois pos) “Related or recounted to them how,” the manner in which, gave a narrative detail to them of the step by step procedure thru which the angel had set him free, Act 12:6-10.
4) “The Lord had brought him out of the prison,” (ho kurios auton eksegagen ek tes phulakes) “The Lord had led him out of the prison place,” where he had been under high security guard, chained between two soldiers, Act 12:6-7.
5) “And he said, go shew these things unto James,” (eipen te apangeilate lakobo) “And he said, you all report (this) these things to James the less,” Gal 1:19; Act 21:18. Go tell James what has happened. The James yet living was pastor of the Jerusalem church, Act 15:4; Act 15:13; Act 15:22.
6) “And to the brethren,” (kai tois adelphoistauta) “And report these things to the brethren,” of the church in the Judean area, report the good news that Jesus answers prayer and cares for His own, 1Pe 5:7.
7) “And he departed and went into another place, (kai ekselthon eporeuthe eis herteron topon) “And he went away, by choice, to another kind of location,” lest those at the home might be arrested the next day for giving him shelter.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
17. Tell James and the brethren: By brethren I understand not every one that was of the Church but the apostles and elders. For though it were requisite that the miracle should be made known to all, yet will Peter worthily for honor’s sake, have his fellows in office to be certified thereof. Ecclesiastical writers after Eusebius report that this James was one of the disciples; but forasmuch as Paul reckoneth him in the number of the three pillars of the Church, (Gal 2:9,) I do not think that a disciple was advanced to that dignity, and the apostles set aside. Wherefore, I do rather conjecture, that this was James the son of Alpheus, whose holiness was such, that it caused the Jews to wonder at it. And there be two reasons for which Peter would have this joyful message brought unto the brethren; to wit, that he might rid them of that care which did vex them; secondly, that they might be encouraged with such an example of God’s goodness to be the more bold. Whereas he passeth into another place, I think it was done for this cause, because, forasmuch as the house was well known and famous, because many of the brethren resorted thither, he might lie hid elsewhere with less danger. Therefore, he sought a place which was not so much suspected of the enemy, and that he might not only save himself, but also his hostess and others.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren.The James, or Jacob, thus spoken of may have been either James the son of Alphus or James the brother of the Lord. Many writers have maintained the identity of the person described under these two names; but reasons have been given in the Notes on Mat. 10:3; Mat. 12:47; Mat. 13:55, for believing that they were two distinct persons, and that the brother of the Lord was therefore not an Apostle. It is obvious that about this time, probably in consequence of the death of his namesake, the son of Zebedee, James the brother of the Lord comes into a fresh prominence. He is named as receiving St. Paul in Gal. 1:19, and as being, with Peter and John, one of the pillars of the Church (Gal. 2:9). Probably about this time (but see Introduction to the Epistle of St. James) he addressed the letter that bears his name to the Twelve Tribes that were scattered abroad. He presides at the Council of Jerusalem in Act. 15:13, and acted as bishop of the Church at Jerusalem. According to the statement of Hegesippus, a Jewish Christian writer of the second century, preserved by Eusebius (Hist. ii. 23). he led the life of a Nazarite in all its rigour, was regarded by the Jews as having a priestly character, wore the linen ephod, and the golden petalon or plate, fitting on the brow of the priests, and as such was admitted to the Holy Place in the Temple. In A.D. 62 or 63 he was tempted by the priestly rulers, especially by the high-priest Ananias, to declare that the Christ was a deceiver, and on proclaiming his faith in Him was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple, and as he lay on the ground, received a coup de grace from a fullers club. The way in which St. Peter here speaks of him implies that he was, in some way, the head and representative of the Christian community at Jerusalem.
He departed, and went into another place.The act was in accordance with the precept which had been given to the Twelve in Mat. 10:23. What the other place was we can only conjecture. Some Romish writers have hazarded the wild guess that he went to Rome, and having founded the Church there, returned to Jerusalem in time for the council in Acts 15. Others have assumed Antioch, which is, perhaps, less improbable; but there are no traces of his presence there till after the council (Gal. 2:12). Some nearer city, such as Lydda or Joppa, might, however, have been sufficient as a place of refuge, and the absence of the name of the place suggests the inference that it was comparatively unimportant, and that Peter had carried on no conspicuous work there.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. With the hand Because their clamour was so great that he could not make them hear his voice to hush them.
Unto James The apostle James is slain, Peter is banished, the entire apostolic body has probably disappeared, and the supervision of the Christian cause seems to devolve upon the Lord’s brother. (See note on Mat 10:3.)
Into another place Commentators have been as much exercised to tell where Peter went on this occasion as Herod Agrippa doubtless was, and with quite as little success. The Romanists say that he went to Rome and there founded the popedom; had the which been true, Luke would have known it and told it. Luke simply means that Peter sought some other locality than Jerusalem for safety.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘But he, beckoning to them with the hand to hold their peace, declared to them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James, and to the brethren.” ’
Then Peter beckoned to them to be quiet for a few moments, and recounted how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison, after which he gave instructions that James, the Lord’s brother and elders of the Jerusalem church, should be informed, along with the whole church, and left. Once again the captive of the mighty had been delivered (Isa 45:13; Isa 49:25-26; Isa 61:1; Luk 4:18). The Anointed One had triumphed.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
‘And he departed, and went to another place.’
There is a finality about these words which suggests that they are intended to be seen as significant. Jerusalem had lost its opportunity, and now Peter (and his fellow Apostles if any remained there) were departing from Jerusalem for other horizons. Jerusalem was being left to its unbelief. He was going ‘to another place’. This is backed up by a comparison with Act 5:25. There the response to release was to return to the Temple to proclaim the name of Jesus at the command of God. Here it is the opposite. It is to depart, to simply to disappear. Jerusalem had refused its second chance.
Of course it was important that Peter vanish immediately, for once his escape was discovered he would be sought for, and must not be found with the people of God, or they would suffer too. But the lack of mention of any destination (it need only have been vague) is surely indicative of a symbolic significance. It is no coincidence that the coming spread of the Good News to the Gentiles also takes place from another place, from Antioch. We do not know where Peter went. It was not considered important. What mattered was that he had left Jerusalem.
And it will be noted how much from this point on, wherever Paul went, although many Jews welcomed him, it was the intransigent Jews who soon incited trouble against him, beginning almost immediately with the Jewish Bar-jesus (Act 13:6). See Act 13:45; Act 13:50; Act 14:2; Act 14:5; Act 14:19; Act 15:1; Act 17:5; Act 17:13; Act 18:12; Act 20:3.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Peter leaves Jerusalem:
v. 17. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
v. 18. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers what was become of Peter.
v. 19. And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and there abode. Peter was now again completely master of himself and of the situation. He realized that any outburst of joy might not only attract attention in the neighborhood, but would also result in the loss of valuable time. So he raised his hand in a gesture commanding silence, and quickly narrated to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison by a supernatural deliverance through His angel. Then he asked them to tell, notify, James and the other brethren of the turn of events. This James was most likely not James the son of Alphaeus, but James the brother of the Lord, who was associated with Peter in Jerusalem at the time of Paul’s first visit and was very prominent among the elders of the congregation, Gal 1:19; Gal 2:9. But Peter, acting upon God’s plain suggestion, went away and journeyed to another place. His presence was no longer required in Jerusalem, but the Lord had need of him and his services elsewhere. When the morning dawned, there was great commotion and excitement among the soldiers. They had been given a prisoner to guard, very likely with instructions that they must vouch for his presence the next morning with their lives, and now the prisoner was gone; they had no idea what had become of Peter. Naturally the report had to be made to the officer in charge of the prison, who, in turn, brought it to the attention of Herod. And it may well be that the tyrant, indignant at being foiled in the very last moment, came to the prison in person to make a thorough investigation. But it availed him nothing; he did not find Peter. And so, after the peevish manner of unreasonable tyrants, he examined the guards once more and then ordered them to be put to death, very likely for gross negligence of duty or for connivance in liberating a dangerous prisoner. Just the same, Jerusalem did not seem to Herod a safe place to stay after this. Whether his conscience bothered him, or whether he dreaded the reproachful and probably triumphant glances of the Jewish leaders, does not appear. He left Judea proper and spent some time in Caesarea. The conscience of a tyrant, willfully guilty of unjustifiable crimes, will not permit him much rest. In the midst of luxury he feels ill at ease and is driven from one place to another.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Act 12:17. Unto James, As James the brother of John was dead, Act 12:2 the person here referred to, must have been St. James the Less, the son of Alpheus, who was probably the only apostle then at Jerusalem, except St. Peter. He was in great esteem among the apostles, and wrote the epistle which bears his name. The papists will have it that St. Peter, at this time retiring fromJerusalem, went to Rome, to found a Christian church there; but they say so, only because they apprehend that it makes for their purpose to have men believe so: for they have no ancient or authentic history to support their assertion of his going thither so early, if at all.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 12:17 . ] to make a shaking motion with the hand generally, and in particular, as here (comp. Act 13:16 , Act 19:33 , Act 21:40 ), to indicate that there is a wish to bring forward something, for which one bespeaks the silence and attention of those present. See Polyb. i. 78. 3; Heliod. x. 7; Krebs and Wetstein in loc. The infinitive , as also often with and the like, by which a desire is made known. Comp. Joseph. Antt. xvii. 10. 2.
The three clauses of the whole verse describe vividly the haste with which Peter hurried the proceedings, in order to betake himself as soon as possible into safe concealment . Baumgarten invents as a reason: because he saw that the bond between Jerusalem and the apostles must be dissolved . As if it would have required for that purpose such haste, even in the same night! His regard to personal safety does not cast on him the appearance of cowardly anxiety; but by the opposite course he would have tempted God . How often did Paul and Jesus Himself withdraw from their enemies into concealment!
.] who were not along with them in the assembly.
] is wholly indefinite. Even whether a place in or out of Palestine (Ewald, p. 607) is meant, must remain undetermined. Luke, probably, did not himself know the immediate place of abode, which Peter chose after his departure. To fix without reason on Caesarea , or, on account of Gal 2:11 , with Heinrichs, Kuinoel, and others, on Antioch (but see on Act 12:25 ), or indeed, after Eusebius, Jerome, and many Catholics, [274] on Rome (so also Thiersch, K. im apost. Zeit. p. 96 ff., comp. Ewald), is all the more arbitrary, as from the words it is not even distinctly apparent that the is to be placed outside of Jerusalem (although this is probable in itself); for the common explanation of , relicta urbe , is entirely at variance with the context (Act 12:16 ), which requires the meaning, relicta domo (into which he was admitted).
The James mentioned in this passage is not the son of Alphaeus, a traditional opinion, which has for its dogmatic presupposition the perpetual virginity of Mary (see Hengstenberg on Joh 2:12 ; Th. Schott, d. zweite Br. Petr. und d. Br. Jud , p. 193 ff.), but the real brother of the Lord , [275] , Constit. ap . 8.35. [276] It is the same also at Act 15:13 , Act 21:18 . See on 1Co 9:4-5 ; Gal 1:19 . Peter specially names him , because he was head of the church in Jerusalem. The fact that Peter does not name the apostles also, suggests the inference that none of the twelve was present in Jerusalem. The Clementines and Hegesippus make James the chief bishop of the whole church. See Ritschl, altkathol. Kirche , p. 415 ff. This amplification of the tradition as to his high position goes (in opposition to Thiersch) beyond the statements of the N. T. (Gal 2:12 ; 1Co 15:7 ; Act 15 ; Act 21:18 ; Epistle of James).
[274] Even in the present day the reference to Rome is, on the part of the Catholics (see Gams, d. Jahr. d. Mrtyrertodes der Ap. Petr. u. Paul. , Regensb. 1867), very welcome, because a terminus a quo is thereby thought to be gained for the duration, lasting about twenty-five years, of the episcopal functions of Peter at Rome. Gams, indeed, places this Roman journey of Peter as early as 41, and his martyrdom in the year 65.
[275] Lange ( apost. Zeitalt. I. p. 193 ff., and in Herzog’s Encykl. VI. p. 407 ff.) has declared himself very decidedly on the opposite side of the question, and that primarily on the basis of the passages from Hegesippus in Eusebius ii. 23 and iv. 22; but erroneously. Credner, Einl. II. p. 574 f., has already strikingly exhibited the correct explanation of these passages, according to which Jesus and James appear certainly as brothers in the proper sense. Comp. Huther on James , Introd. p. 5 ff.; Bleek, Einl. p. 543 ff. James the Just is identical with this brother of the Lord ; see, especially, Euseb. H. E. ii. 1, where the opinion of Clem. Al., that James the Just was the son of Alphaeus , is rejected by Eusebius (against Wieseler on Gal. p. 81 f.), although it was afterwards adopted by Jerome. See, generally, also Ewald, p. 221 ff. Bttger, d. Zeug. des Joseph. von Joh. d. T. , etc., 1863. Plitt in the Zeitschr. f. Luth. Theol. 1864, I. p. 28 ff.; Laurent, neut. Stud. p. 184 ff. According to Mar 6:3 , James was probably the eldest of the four brethren of Jesus.
[276] The Constit. ap. throughout distinguish very definitely James of Alphaeus, as one of the twelve, from the brother of the Lord, whom they characterize as . See ii. 55. 2, vi. 12. 1, 5, 6, vi. 14. 1, viii. 4. 1, viii. 23 f., viii. 10. 2, viii. 35, viii. 46. 7, v. 8, vii. 46. 1.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
Ver. 17. And he departed and went ] Cedendum quidem interdum furori, sed ita ut nihilo negligentius fiat opus Domini, saith Beza here; who also proves that he went not now to Rome, as the Papists would have it; though Bellarmino holds it not de fide, concerning the faith, that he was ever there.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
17. ] see reff. His motive was haste : he tells briefly the particulars of his deliverance, and, while it was yet night, hastily departs.
] James, the brother of the Lord , whom we find presiding over the church at Jerusalem, ch. Act 15:13 ; Act 21:18 ; Gal 2:12 . See Gal 1:19 ; Gal 2:9 . He appears also to be mentioned in 1Co 15:7 . I believe him to have been one of those mentioned Mat 13:55 ; Joh 7:5 ; ch. Act 1:14 ; 1Co 9:5 , of whom I have in the note on the first of these passages maintained, that they were His real maternal brethren, sons of Joseph and Mary: to have been an Apostle , as Paul and Barnabas, but not of the number of the twelve (see note on ch. Act 14:4 ): and to have been therefore of course distinct from James the son of Alphus, enumerated (Mat 10:3 [61] ) among the twelve. The reasons for this belief I reserve for the Prolegomena to the Epistle of James.
[61] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25 , the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified , thus, ‘ Mk.,’ or ‘ Mt. Mk.,’ &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others .
] I see in these words a minute mark of truth in our narrative. Under the circumstances, the place of Peter’s retreat would very naturally at the time be kept secret. It probably was unknown to the person from whom the narrative came, or designedly left indefinite. And so it has remained, the narrative not following Peter’s history any longer. We find him again at Jerusalem in ch. 15. Whether he left it or not on this occasion is uncertain. It is not asserted in , which only implies that be left the house .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 12:17 . : only in Act 13:16 ; Act 19:33 ; Act 21:40 , prop. to shake down (as fruit from trees), thus to shake up and down (the hand), to beckon with the hand for silence, used with accusative, and later with dat [253] instrument. : so in classical Greek and Josephus, cf. Ovid, Met. , i., 206; neid , xii., 692, and instances in Wetstein; not in LXX as parallel to this; on the phrase, and also on , as characteristic of Luke, see further Friedrich, pp. 26, 79. , Act 9:27 , only in Luke and Mark (except Heb 11:32 ). : “tell,” R.V., characteristic of Luke, eleven times in his Gospel, thirteen or fourteen in Acts. : “the Lord’s brother,” Gal 1:19 ; Gal 2:9 , 1Co 15:7 (from Mar 6:3 it has been inferred that he was the eldest of those so called). This James may have become more prominent still since the murder of James the son of Zebedee. On his position in the Church at Jerusalem see below on Act 15:13 , and also on Act 11:30 . For arguments in favour of the identification of this James with James the son of Alphus, see B.D., 1 2 , p. 1512; Felten, Apostelgeschichte , p. 239; and, on the other hand, Mayor, Introd. to Epistle of St. James ; Zahn, Didache 1 N. T. , i., 72; Lightfoot, Galatians , pp. 252 ff. and 364; Hort, Ecclesia , pp. 76, 77. In this mention of James, Feine points out that a knowledge as to who he was is evidently presupposed, and that therefore we have another indication that the “Jerusalem tradition” is the source of St. Luke’s information here. : all conjectures as to the place, whether it was Antioch, Rome, Csarea, are rendered more arbitrary by the fact that it is not even said that the place was outside Jerusalem (however probable this may have been); need not mean that he went out of the city, but out of the house in which he had taken refuge, cf. Act 12:9 . For all that can be said in support of the view that he went to Rome, see Felten, u. s. , pp. 240 244, Knabenbauer, p. 214. Harnack, Chronol. , i., p. 243, apparently is prepared to regard the visit to Rome in the reign of Claudius, A.D. 42, as not impossible, although unprovable. But see the whole question treated from the opposite side by Zckler, Apostelgeschichte , pp. 233, 234 (second edition). The notice is so indefinite that we cannot build anything upon it, and we can scarcely go beyond Wendt’s view that if Peter left Jerusalem at all, he may have undertaken some missionary journey, cf. 1Co 9:5 .
[253] dative case.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Acts
PETER AFTER HIS ESCAPE
Act 12:17
When the angel ‘departed from him,’ Peter had to fall back on his own wits, and they served him well. He ‘considered the thing,’ and resolved to make for the house of Mary. He does not seem to have intended to remain there, so dangerously near Herod, but merely to have told its inmates of his deliverance, and then to have hidden himself somewhere, till the heat of the hunt after him was abated. Apparently he did not go into the house at all, but talked to the brethren, when they came trooping after Rhoda to open the gate. The signs of haste in the latter part of the story, where Peter has to think and act for himself, contrast strikingly with the majestic leisureliness of the action of the angel, who gave his successive commands to him to dress completely, as if careless of the sleeping legionaries who might wake at any moment. There was need for haste, for the night was wearing thin, and the streets of Jerusalem were no safe promenade for a condemned prisoner, escaped from his guards.
We do not deal here with the scene in Mary’s house and at the gate. We only note, in a word, the touch of nature in Rhoda’s forgetting to open ‘for gladness,’ and so leaving Peter in peril, if a detachment of his guards had already been told off to chase him. Equally true to nature, alas, is the incredulity of the praying ‘many,’ when the answer to their prayers was sent to them. They had rather believe that the poor girl was ‘mad’ or that, for all their praying, Peter was dead, and this was his ‘angel,’ than that their intense prayer had been so swiftly and completely answered. Is their behaviour not a mirror in which we may see our own?
Very like Peter, as well as very intelligible in the circumstances, is it that he ‘continued knocking,’ Well he might, and evidently his energetic fusillade of blows was heard even above the clatter of eager tongues, discussing Rhoda’s astonishing assertions. Some one, at last, seems to have kept his head sufficiently to suggest that perhaps, instead of disputing whether these were true or not, it might be well to go to the door and see. So they all went in a body, Rhoda being possibly afraid to go alone, and others afraid to stay behind, and there they saw his veritable self. But we notice that there is no sign of his being taken in and refreshed or cared for. He waved an imperative hand, to quiet the buzz of talk, spoke two or three brief words, and departed.
I. Note Peter’s account of his deliverance.
II. Note Peter’s message to the brethren.
III. Note Peter’s disappearance.
But we must not omit to note that here Peter is dropped out of the history, and is scarcely heard of any more. We have a glimpse of him in Act 15:1 – Act 15:41 , at the Council in Jerusalem, but, with that exception, this is the last mention of him in Acts. How little this Book cares for its heroes! Or rather how it has only one Hero, and one Name which it celebrates, the name of that Lord to whom Peter ascribed his deliverance, and of whom he himself declared that ‘there is none other Name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.’
END OF VOL. I.
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
beckoning. Literally shaking down. Greek. kataseio. Only in Acts, here, Act 13:16; Act 19:33; Act 21:40. The action suggested he was in haste and must not be interrupted.
hold their peace = be silent.
declared. Greek. diegeomai. See Act 8:33.
had. Omit.
shew. Same as “told” in Act 12:14.
James. The Lord’s brother. See Gal 1:1, Gal 1:19, and App-182.
another. Greek. heteros. App-124.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
17. ] see reff. His motive was haste: he tells briefly the particulars of his deliverance, and, while it was yet night, hastily departs.
] James, the brother of the Lord, whom we find presiding over the church at Jerusalem, ch. Act 15:13; Act 21:18; Gal 2:12. See Gal 1:19; Gal 2:9. He appears also to be mentioned in 1Co 15:7. I believe him to have been one of those mentioned Mat 13:55; Joh 7:5; ch. Act 1:14; 1Co 9:5, of whom I have in the note on the first of these passages maintained, that they were His real maternal brethren, sons of Joseph and Mary:-to have been an Apostle, as Paul and Barnabas, but not of the number of the twelve (see note on ch. Act 14:4):-and to have been therefore of course distinct from James the son of Alphus, enumerated (Mat 10:3 [61]) among the twelve. The reasons for this belief I reserve for the Prolegomena to the Epistle of James.
[61] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25, the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified, thus, Mk., or Mt. Mk., &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others.
] I see in these words a minute mark of truth in our narrative. Under the circumstances, the place of Peters retreat would very naturally at the time be kept secret. It probably was unknown to the person from whom the narrative came, or designedly left indefinite. And so it has remained, the narrative not following Peters history any longer. We find him again at Jerusalem in ch. 15. Whether he left it or not on this occasion is uncertain. It is not asserted in ,-which only implies that be left the house.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 12:17. , having made a motion to them with his hand) modestly: that a cry might not be raised. They were speaking much, through astonishment.-, unto James) the surviving apostle of that name.-, these things) that they may know, what has taken place.-, he departed) In persecution, often one person in particular is aimed at by the persecutors; and it is allowable for him to escape, rather than the rest: ch. Act 17:14. Peter afterwards returned: ch. Act 15:7.- , into another place) not very distant.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
beckoning: Act 13:16, Act 19:33, Act 21:40, Luk 1:22, Joh 13:24
declared: Psa 66:16, Psa 102:20, Psa 102:21, Psa 107:21, Psa 107:22, Psa 116:14, Psa 116:15, Psa 146:7
James: Act 15:13, Act 21:18, 1Co 15:7, Gal 1:19, Gal 2:9, Gal 2:12, Jam 1:1
And he: Act 16:40, Mat 10:23, Joh 7:1, Joh 8:59, Joh 10:40, Joh 11:54
Reciprocal: Mat 10:3 – James Act 1:13 – James Act 14:20 – came Act 24:10 – had
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
Act 12:17. Peter indicated with his hand that he wished them to be quiet and listen. He then rehearsed the manner in which he was released from prison. He asked them to tell the good news, first to James and then to the other brethren. This was James the Lord’s brother, and the writer of the epistle that bears his name. Special mention is made of him because of his prominence in the work at Jerusalem. (See chapter 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cortinthians 16:7; Gal 1:19 Gal 2:9 Gal 2:12.) After giving the group his request, Peter went into another place. That meant some spot in Jerusalem, for in chapter 15:7 we find him in the city and speaking to the assembly on the issue before it.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 12:17. Beckoning onto them with the hand. These are evidently the words of an eye-witness of Peters visit to the house of Mary after his escape from prison.
Go show these things unto James. James the brother of the Lord is here specially mentioned, as he held a peculiar position of authority among the Jerusalem Christians (Act 15:13). For a full account of this eminent man, see note on chap. Act 15:12.
And he departed and went into another place. It is most probable that he left the city for a time, as after his miraculous deliverance he would not needlessly expose himself to fresh danger. We find Peter again at Jerusalem a few years after this: the bitter persecution was doubtless stopped after the death of King Herod Agrippa, which took place in the summer of this same year, 44. Very many Romish writers believe that Peter after leaving Jerusalem proceeded to Rome, and there laid the foundations of the Church in that city. The total absence, however, of any reference to Peter and his work in the Epistle to the Roman Church, written by Paul about the year 58, seems fatal to any such theory. Peter must have visited Rome at a much later period.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
17. Apprehensive of a pursuit, Peter did not remain long with the brethren in the house of Mary. (17) “But, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, Tell these things to James and the brethren. And going out, he went to another place.” Whether this other place was a place of concealment in the city, or an entirely new field of labor, is not known.
The prominence given to the name of the surviving James, in this speech of Peter, shows that he already occupied a prominent position among the brethren. We will, hereafter, see that he continued to occupy this position.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 17
James; James the less, the son of Alpheus.–Another place. Some other retreat,–perhaps one of greater retirement and safety. This expression, as well as the precaution of the damsel, (Acts 12:13,) indicates the state of anxiety and fear which Herod’s cruelty produced, at this time, among all the disciples in Jerusalem. Peter is mentioned once after this time, (Acts 15:7,) and then he finally disappears from the sacred history. Henceforth, Paul rises to a higher prominence, and the chief interest of the narrative, in relation to the prosperity and extension of the church, centres in him. In after ages, the metropolitan bishops of Rome, having gradually come into possession of vast ecclesiastical power, the rightfulness of which it became very important to defend, found traces of a tradition that Peter went to Rome, and was the first of the Christian bishops there; and the authority, which has since been wielded by the long line of Roman pontiffs, they profess to hold as successors of Peter in the bishopric of Rome.–It is perhaps worthy of notice that John is no more named, after this, in the sacred history; so that these three distinguished disciples, Peter, James, and John, who have hitherto been the foremost actors in the scenes which have been described, and the most prominent objects of attention and interest to the reader, now disappear together.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
12:17 {7} But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
(7) We may sometimes give place to the rage of the wicked, but yet only in such a way that our diligence which ought to be used in God’s business does not slacken in the least.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The James Luke mentioned here was the half brother of Jesus (cf. Act 15:13; Act 21:18; Gal 1:19; Gal 2:9; Gal 2:12: Jas 1:1). He became the foremost leader of the Jerusalem church after Peter’s departure. Peter proceeded to disappear from Jerusalem. Scripture does not tell us where he went immediately. Probably he left Judea (cf. 1Co 9:5). Many other believers in Jerusalem were not present in Mary’s house that night. Peter wanted to be sure they learned of his release, too.
Earlier Peter had returned from prison to the temple to resume preaching at the Lord’s command (Act 5:19-21). Now the Jews were much more hostile to the Christians. Saul had previously left Jerusalem for his own safety (Act 9:29-30), and this time Peter followed his example. Peter had become infamous among the Jews in Jerusalem for associating with Samaritans and Gentiles as well as for being the leader of the Christians. Corinth and Rome are two places that Peter evidently visited (1Co 1:12; 1Co 9:5; 1Pe 5:13), and various church fathers wrote that he ministered throughout the Jewish Diaspora. [Note: For many sources, see Longenecker, p. 411.] Peter also may have been in Antioch (Gal 2:11-21), and he was in Jerusalem again for the Jerusalem Council (Act 15:7-11; Act 15:14), though perhaps only as a visitor.