Acts 12:1

Ac 12:1-19. Persecution of the Church by Herod Agrippa I--Martyrdom of James and Miraculous Deliverance of Peter.

1-3. Herod the king--grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus. He at this time ruled over all his father's dominions. Paley has remarked the accuracy of the historian here. For thirty years before this there was no king at Jerusalem exercising supreme authority over Judea, nor was there ever afterwards, save during the three last years of Herod's life, within which the transactions occurred.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

CHAPTER 12

Verse 1. Now about that time. That is, during the time that the famine existed; or the time when Barnabas and Saul went up to Jerusalem. This was probably about the fifth or sixth year of the reign of Claudius, not far from A.D. 47.

Herod the king. This was Herod Agrippa. The Syriac so renders it expressly, and the chronology requires us so to understand it. He was a grandson of Herod the Great, and one of the sons of Aristobulus, whom Herod put to death. Josephus, Ant., b. xviii, chap. 5. Herod the Great left three sons, between whom his kingdom was divided--Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas. Mt 2:19. To Philip was left Iturea and Trachonitis, see Lk 3:1; to Antipas, Galilee and Perea; and to Archelaus, Judea, Idumea, and Samaria. Archelaus, being accused of cruelty, was banished by Augustus to Vienna in Gaul, and Judea was reduced to a province, and united with Syria. When Philip died, this region was granted by the emperor Caligula to Herod Agrippa. Herod Antipas was driven as an exile also into Gaul, and then into Spain, and Herod Agrippa received also his tetrarchy. In the reign of Claudius also, the dominions of Herod Agrippa were still farther enlarged. When Caligula was slain, he was at Rome; and having ingratiated himself into the favour of Claudius, he conferred on him also Judea and Samaria, so that his dominions were equal in extent to those of his grandfather, Herod the Great. See Josephus, Ant., b. xix., chap. 5,  1.

Stretched forth his hands. A figurative expression, denoting that he laid his hands on them, or that he endeavoured violently to oppress the church.

To vex. To injure, to do evil to. κακωσαι

Certain. Some of the church. Who they were the writer immediately specifies.

(1) "stretched forth his hands" "began" (*) "vex certain" "afflict some"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Introduction

Herod persecutes the Christians, Act 12:1. Kills James, Act 12:2. And casts Peter into prison, Act 12:3, Act 12:4. The Church makes incessant prayer for his deliverance, Act 12:5. An angel of God opens the prison doors and leads him out, Act 12:6-10. Peter rejoices, and comes to the house of Mary, where many were praying, and declares how he was delivered, Act 12:11-17. The soldiers who kept the prison are examined by Herod, and he commands them to be put to death, Act 12:18, Act 12:19. Herod is enraged against the people of Tyre, but is appeased by their submission, Act 12:20. He makes an oration to the people, receives idolatrous praises, and an angel of the Lord smites him, and he dies a miserable death, Act 12:21-23. The word of God increases, Act 12:24. Barnabas and Saul, having fulfilled their ministry, return from Jerusalem accompanied by John Mark, Act 12:25. Verse 1 Herod the king - This was Herod Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus, and grandson of Herod the Great; he was nephew to Herod Antipas, who beheaded John they Baptist, and brother to Herodias. He was made king by the Emperor Caligula, and was put in possession of all the territories formerly held by his uncle Philip and by Lysanias; viz. Iturea, Trachonitis, Abilene, with Gaulonitis, Batanaea, and Penias. To these the Emperor Claudius afterwards added Judea and Samaria; which were nearly all the dominions possessed by his grandfather, Herod the Great. See Luk 3:1; see also an account of the Herod family, in the note on Mat 2:1 (note). To vex certain of the Church - That is, to destroy its chief ornaments and supports.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

James was one of the sons of Zebedee, whom Christ told that they should drink of the cup that he was to drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that he was to be baptized with, Mt 20:23. Now the words of Christ were made good in him; and if we suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him. Herod imprisoned Peter: the way of persecution, as of other sins, is downhill; when men are in it, they cannot easily stop. Those make themselves an easy prey to Satan, who make it their business to please men. Thus James finished his course. But Peter, being designed for further services, was safe; though he seemed now marked out for a speedy sacrifice. We that live in a cold, prayerless generation, can hardly form an idea of the earnestness of these holy men of old. But if the Lord should bring on the church an awful persecution like this of Herod, the faithful in Christ would learn what soul-felt prayer is.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain