Acts 12 · Verse 2

Acts 12:2

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
Acts 12:2, King James Version

Acts 12:2 in other translations

BSBHe had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
WEBHe killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
ASVAnd he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
YLTand he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword,
DARBYand slew James, the brother of John, with the sword.
BBEAnd he put James, the brother of John, to death with the sword.
WebsterAnd he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

What does Acts 12:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 12:1-3

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…

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. And he killed, etc. He caused to be put to death with a sword, either by beheading, or piercing him through. The Roman procurators were entrusted with authority over life, though in the time of Pilate the Jews had not this authority. James the brother of John. This was the son of Zebedee, Mt 4:21. He is commonly called James the Greater, in contradistinction from James the son of Alpheus, who is called James the Less, Mt 10:3. In this manner were the predictions of our Saviour respecting him fulfilled. Mt 20:23, "Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with."

(c) "James the brother" Mt 4:21, 20:23

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword - This was James the greater, son of Zebedee, and must be distinguished from James the less, son of Alpheus. This latter was put to death by Ananias the high priest, during the reign of Nero. This James with his brother John were those who requested to sit on the right and left hand of our Lord, see Mat 20:23; and our Lord's prediction was now fulfilled in one of them, who by his martyrdom drank of our Lord's cup, and was baptized with his baptism. By the death of James, the number of the apostles was reduced to eleven; and we do not find that ever it was filled up. The apostles never had any successors: God has continued their doctrine, but not their order. By killing with the sword we are to understand beheading. Among the Jews there were four kinds of deaths: 1. Stoning; 2. burning; 3. killing with the sword, or beheading; and, 4. strangling. The third was a Roman as well as a Jewish mode of punishment. Killing with the sword was the punishment which, according to the Talmud, was inflicted on those who drew away the people to any strange worship, Sanhedr. fol. iii. James was probably accused of this, and hence the punishment mentioned in the text.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 12:1-5

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…

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Acts 12:2 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.

ἀνεῖλενaneilenHe executedG337
δὲdethenG1161
ἸάκωβονIakōbonJamesG2385
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀδελφὸνadelphonbrotherG80
ἸωάννουIōannouof JohnG2491
μαχαίρῃ.machairēwith the sword.G3162

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

Cross references for Acts 12:2

  • Hebrews 11:37

    They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

  • Matthew 20:23

    And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

  • Matthew 4:21-22

    And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

  • Mark 10:38

    But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

  • Mark 10:35

    And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

  • 1 Kings 19:10

    And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

  • 1 Kings 19:1

    And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
James.
Mt 4:21,22; 20:23; Mr 10:35,38
with.
1Ki 19:1,10; Jer 26:23; Heb 11:37

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

Context

  • Acts 12:1

    Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

  • Acts 12:2

    And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

  • Acts 12:3

    And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Read all of Acts 12

Acts 12:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y mató á cuchillo á Jacobo, hermano de Juan.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et il fit mourir par l’épée Jacques, le frère de Jean.
German
Elberfelder 1871		er tötete aber Jakobus, den Bruder des Johannes, mit dem Schwerte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Occidit autem Jacobum fratrem Joannis gladio.