Acts 12:17

He motioned to them ¹  with his hand to be quiet and then related ²  how the Lord had brought ³  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ⁴ 

Ps 66:16; Ps 102:20,21; Ps 107:21,22; Ps 116:14,15; Ps 146:7; Mt 10:23; Lu 1:22; Joh 7:1; Joh 8:59; Joh 10:40; Joh 11:54; Joh 13:24; Ac 13:16; Ac 15:13; Ac 16:40; Ac 19:33; Ac 21:18; Ac 21:40; 1Co 15:7; Ga 1:19; Ga 2:9,12; Jas 1:1

¹ tn Or “He gave them a signal.” Grk “Giving them a signal…he related to them.” The participle κατασείσας (kataseisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

² tc ‡ Most mss, including some of the most important ones (B D E Ψ Ï sy), read αὐτοῖς (autoi", “to them”) here, while some excellent and early witnesses (Ì^45vid,74vid א A 33 81 945 1739 pc) lack the pronoun. Although it is possible that the pronoun was deleted because it was seen as superfluous, it is also possible that it was added as a natural expansion on the text, strengthening the connection between Peter and his listeners. Although a decision is difficult, the shorter reading is slightly preferred. NA²⁷ puts the pronoun in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

³ tn Or “led.”

⁴ sn He…went to another place. This is Peter’s last appearance in Acts with the exception of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.