Acts 12 · Verse 11

Acts 12:11

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

Acts 12:11, King James Version

Acts 12:11 in other translations

BSB	Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
WEB	When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”
ASV	And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
YLT	And Peter having come to himself, said, ‘Now I have known of a truth that the Lord did sent forth His messenger, and did deliver me out of the hand of Herod, and all the expectation of the people of the Jews;'
DARBY	And Peter, being come to himself, said, Now I know certainly that the Lord has sent forth his angel and has taken me out of the hand of Herod and all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
BBE	And when Peter came to his senses he said, Now, truly, I am certain that the Lord has sent his angel and taken me out of the hands of Herod, against all the hopes of the Jews.
Webster	And when Peter had come to himself, he said, Now I know with certainty, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

What does Acts 12:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 12:7-11

7-11. the angel of the Lord--rather, "an angel." came upon him--so in Lu 2:9, expressive of the unexpected nature of the visit. smote Peter on the side ... Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off ... Gird thyself ... And so he did ... Cast thy garment--tunic, which he had thrown off for the night.

Read the full comment on Acts 12:7-11 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 11. And when Peter was come to himself. This expression naturally means, when he had overcome his amazement and astonishment at the unexpected deliverance, so as to be capable of reflection. He had been amazed by the whole transaction. He thought it was a vision; and in the suddenness and rapidity with which it was done, he had no time for cool reflection. The events of Divine Providence often overwhelm and amaze us; and such are their suddenness, and rapidity, and unexpected character in their development, as to confound us, and prevent calm and collected reflection.

Of a surety. Certainly; surely. He considered all the circumstances; he saw that he was actually at liberty and that it could have been effected only by Divine interposition.

The expectation of the people. From this it appears that the people earnestly desired his death; and it was to gratify that desire that Herod had imprisoned him.

(**) "surety" "Certainty" (e) "his angel" 2Chr 16:9, Ps 34:7, Dan 3:28, 6:22, Heb 1:14 (f) "hath delivered" Ps 33:18,19, 97:10, 2Cor 1:10, 2Pet 2:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11 When Peter was come to himself - Every thing he saw astonished him; he could scarcely credit his eyes; he was in a sort of ecstasy; and it was only when the angel left him that he was fully convinced that all was real. Now I know - that the Lord hath sent his angel - The poor German divine is worthy of pity, who endeavored to persuade himself and his countrymen that all this talk about the angel was mere illusion; that Peter was delivered in a way which he could not comprehend, and therefore was led to attribute to a particular providence of God what probably was done by the prefect of the prison, who favored him! But it is the study of this writer to banish from the word of God all supernatural influence; and to reduce even the miracles of Christ to simple operations of nature, or to the workings of imagination and the prejudices of a weak and credulous people. Such men should at once cast off the mask which so thinly covers their infidelity, and honestly avow themselves to be, what they are, the enemies of revelation in general, and of the Christian religion in particular. Peter could say, Now I know of a certainty that the Lord hath sent his angel, and delivered me, etc. No such thing, says Mr. E., Peter was deceived; it was not the Lord, it was the prefect or some other person. Now we know that Peter spoke by the Holy Ghost; but we have no much testimony of Mr. E. nor of any of his associates. And all the expectation of the - Jews - It seems they had built much on the prospect of having him sacrificed, as they already had James.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 12:6-11

A peaceful conscience, a lively hope, and the consolations of the Holy Spirit, can keep men calm in the full prospect of death; even those very persons who have been most distracted with terrors on that account. God's time to help, is when things are brought to the last extremity. Peter was assured that the Lord would cause this trial to end in the way that should be most for his glory. Those who are delivered out…

Read the full comment on Acts 12:6-11 →

Acts 12:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532

ὁho<the>G3588

ΠέτροςPetrosPeterG4074

ἐνentoG1722

ἑαυτῷhe'autōhimselfG1438

γενόμενοςgenomenoshaving comeG1096

εἶπεν·eipensaid;G2036

νῦνnunNowG3568

οἶδαoidaI know

ἀληθῶςalēthōstrulyG230

ὅτιhotithatG3754

ἐξαπέστειλενexapesteilenhas sent forthG1821

κύριοςkuriosLordG2962

τὸνtontheG3588

ἄγγελονangelonangelG32

αὐτοῦautouof HimG846

καὶkaiandG2532

ἐξείλατόexeilatodeliveredG1807

μεmemeG3165

ἐκekout ofG1537

χειρὸςcheiros[the] handG5495

ἩρῴδουHērōdouof HerodG2264

καὶkaiandG2532

πάσηςpasēsallG3956

τῆςtēstheG3588

προσδοκίαςprosdokiasexpectationG4329

τοῦtouof theG3588

λαοῦlaoupeopleG2992

τῶνtōnof theG3588

Ἰουδαίων.IoudaiōnJews.G2453

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 12:11

Daniel 6:22
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Daniel 3:28
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
2 Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Psalms 34:7
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psalms 33:18
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
Psalms 97:10
Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Acts 5:19
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Psalms 41:2
The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
Psalms 109:31
For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Luke 15:17
And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Psalms 34:22
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
2 Samuel 22:1
And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

was come.He was in an ecstasy; and it was only when the angel left him, that he was fully convinced that all was real.
Lu 15:17
I know.
Ge 15:13; 18:13; 26:9
that the.
7; 5:19; 2Ch 16:9; Ps 34:7; Da 3:25,28; 6:22; Heb 1:14
and hath.
2Sa 22:1; Job 5:19; Ps 33:18; 34:22; 41:2; 97:10; 109:31; 2Co 1:8-10
2Pe 2:9
all.
23:12-30; 24:27; 25:3-5,9; Job 31:31

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Acts 12:10
When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
Acts 12:11
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Acts 12:12
And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

Read all of Acts 12

Acts 12:11 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces Pedro, volviendo en sí, dijo: Ahora entiendo verdaderamente que el Señor ha enviado su ángel, y me ha librado de la mano de Herodes, y de todo el pueblo de los Judíos que me esperaba.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Pierre, étant revenu à lui, dit: Je connais à présent certainement que le Seigneur a envoyé son ange, et m’a délivré de la main d’Hérode et de toute l’attente du peuple des Juifs.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und als Petrus zu sich selbst kam, sprach er: Nun weiß ich in Wahrheit, daß der Herr seinen Engel gesandt und mich gerettet hat aus der Hand des Herodes und aller Erwartung des Volkes der Juden.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et Petrus ad se reversus, dixit: Nunc scio vere quia misit Dominus angelum suum, et eripuit me de manu Herodis, et de omni exspectatione plebis Judæorum.