Discovery BoxActs 12:7 
Context12:7 Suddenly 1 an angel of the Lord 2 appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck 3 Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s 4 wrists. 5
Acts 12:10
Context12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, 6 they came to the iron 7 gate leading into the city. It 8 opened for them by itself, 9 and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, 10 when at once the angel left him.
1 tn Grk “And behold.” 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. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.
2 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
3 tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
4 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.
6 tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”
7 sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).
8 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.
9 tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).
10 tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).
