Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 12]
die and John probably the last. He is not James the Lord's
brother (Ga 1:19). We do not know why Luke tells so little
about the death of James and so much about the death of Stephen
nor do we know why Herod selected him as a victim. Eusebius
(_H.E_. ii. 9) quotes Clement of Alexandria as saying that a Jew
made accusations against James and was converted and beheaded at
the same time with him. {Killed with the sword} (\aneilen
machair•i\). The verb is a favourite one with Luke (Ac 2:33;
5:33,36; 7:28; 9:23-29; 10:39, etc.). Instrumental case and
Ionic form of \machaira\. The Jews considered beheading a
shameful death as in the case of the Baptist (Mt 14:10).
12:3 {That it pleased the Jews} (\hoti areston estin tois
Ioudaiois\). Indirect assertion with the present tense \estin\
retained. \Areston\ is the verbal adjective from \aresk•\
followed by the dative as in Joh 8:29. {Proceeded to seize}
(\prosetheto sullabein\). A patent Hebraism in Lu 20:11f.
already, and nowhere else in the N.T. It occurs in the LXX (Ge
4:2; 8:12; 18:29, etc.). Second aorist middle indicative of
\prostith•mi\ and the second aorist active infinitive of
\sullamban•\. Literally, he added to seize, he seized Peter in
addition to James. {The days of unleavened bread} (\h•merai t•n
azum•n\). By this parenthesis Luke locates the time of the year
when Peter was arrested, the passover. It was a fine occasion for
Agrippa to increase his favour among the crowds of Jews there by
extra zeal against the Christians. It is possible that Luke
obtained his information about this incident from John Mark for
at his Mother's house the disciples gathered (12:12).
12:4 {When he had taken him} (\piasas\). See on ¯3:7 for same
form. {He put him in prison} (\etheto eis phulak•n\). Second
aorist middle indicative of \tith•mi\, common verb. This is the
third imprisonment of Peter (4:3; 5:18). {To four quaternions
of soldiers} (\tessarsin tetradiois strati•t•n\). Four soldiers
in each quaternion (\tetradion\ from \tetras\, four), two on the
inside with the prisoner (chained to him) and two on the outside,
in shifts of six hours each, sixteen soldiers in all, the usual
Roman custom. Probably Agrippa had heard of Peter's previous
escape (5:19) and so took no chances for connivance of the
jailors. {After the passover} (\meta to pascha\). The passover
feast of eight days. "The stricter Jews regarded it as a
profanation to put a person to death during a religious festival"
(Hackett). So Agrippa is more scrupulous than the Sanhedrin was
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