Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 12]
about Jesus. {To bring him forth} (\anagagein auton\). Second
aorist active infinitive of \anag•\, to lead up, old verb, used
literally here. Peter was in the inner prison or lower ward and
so would be led up to the judgment seat where Herod Agrippa would
sit (cf. Joh 19:13). {To the people} (\t•i la•i\). Ethical
dative, in the presence of and for the pleasure of the Jewish
people.
12:5 {Therefore} (\men oun\). Because of the preceding situation.
{Was kept} (\et•reito\). Imperfect passive, continuously guarded,
waiting for the feast to be over. {But prayer was made earnestly}
(\proseuch• de •n ekten•s ginomen•\). Probably \de\ here is not
adversative (but), merely parallel (and) as Page argues. It was a
crisis for the Jerusalem church. James had been slain and Peter
was to be the next victim. Hence "earnestly" (late adverb from
\ekten•s\, strained, from \ektein•\, to stretch. In the N.T. only
here, Lu 22:44; 1Pe 1:22) prayer was {going up} (\ginomen•\,
present middle participle, periphrastic imperfect with \•n\). It
looked like a desperate case for Peter. Hence the disciples
prayed the more earnestly.
12:6 {Was about to bring him forth} (\•mellen prosagagein\ or
\proagagein\). The MSS. vary, but not \anagagein\ of verse 4.
{The same night} (\t•i nukti ekein•i\). Locative case, {on that
(very) night}. {Was sleeping} (\•n koim•menos\). Periphrastic
middle imperfect. {Bound with two chains} (\dedemenos halusesin
dusin\). Perfect passive participle of \de•\, to bind, followed
by instrumental case. One chain was fastened to each soldier (one
on each side of Peter). {Kept} (\et•roun\). Imperfect active,
were keeping. Two guards outside before the door and two inside,
according to Roman rule. Did Peter recall the prophecy of Jesus
that he should be put to death in his old age (Joh 21:18)?
Jesus had not said, as Furneaux does, that he would die by
crucifixion.
12:7 {Stood by him} (\epest•\). Ingressive second aorist active
indicative of \ephist•mi\, intransitive. This very form occurs in
Lu 2:9 of the sudden appearance of the angel of the Lord to the
shepherds. Page notes that this second aorist of \ephist•mi\
occurs seven times in the Gospel of Luke, eight times in the
Acts, and nowhere else in the N.T. Note also the same form
\apest•\ (departed from, from \aphist•mi\, stood off from) of the
disappearance of the angel in verse 10. {In the cell} (\en t•i
oik•mati\). Literally, a dwelling place or habitation (from
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC12.RWP.html (3 of 12) [28/08/2004 09:06:46 a.m.]