“And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.”
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.'—the angel's appearance (with light) is sudden and gracious; the tactile wake-up ('struck Peter on the side') is a physical sign of angelic presence. The chains fall away (automatically, perhalon apo tōn cheirōn autou) suggests divine power transcending physical laws. The command 'Quick, get up!' (exegeire en tachei) is urgent and imperative; deliverance requires cooperation.
Church Fathers on Acts 12:7
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him. Acts 12:5 For the contest was now for life and death: both the slaying of the one made them fearful, and the casting of the other into prison. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!