Acts 12:10-11

12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ¹  they came to the iron ²  gate leading into the city. It ³  opened for them by itself, ⁴  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ⁵  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ⁶  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ⁷  me from the hand ⁸  of Herod ⁹  and from everything the Jewish people ¹⁰  were expecting to happen.”

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¹ tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”

² sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).

³ tn Grk “which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

⁴ tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).

⁵ tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).

⁶ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

⁷ tn Or “delivered.”

⁸ sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.

⁹ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

¹⁰ sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).