Acts 12:17

¹⁵ “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶ But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.

Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

¹⁸ At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

¹⁹ After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
KJV: But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
WEB: But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
ASV: But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place.
DARBY: And having made a sign to them with his hand to be silent, he related [to them] how the Lord had brought him out of prison; and he said, Report these things to James and to the brethren. And he went out and went to another place.
BLB: And having motioned to them with the hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and to the brothers.” And having gone out, he went to another place.

ÅB: Han vinket da til dem med hånden at de skulle tie stille, og han fortalte dem hvordan Herren hadde ført ham ut av fengslet, og sa: Fortell dette til Jakob og brødrene! Så gikk han bort og dro til et annet sted.
OTB: Peter gjorde tegn med hånden for at de skulle være stille og forklarte hvordan Herren hadde ført ham ut av fengselet. "Fortell dette til Jakob og brødrene," sa han, og så dro han til et annet sted.
B1930: Han vinket da til dem med hånden at de skulde tie stille, og han fortalte dem hvorledes Herren hadde ført ham ut av fengslet, og sa: Fortell dette til Jakob og brødrene! Så gikk han bort og drog til et annet sted.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 21:40
Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:
Read in context
Acts 13:16
Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
Read in context
Acts 19:33
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
Read in context
Acts 15:13
When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!
Read in context
Acts 21:18
The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present.
Read in context
Galatians 2:12
For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.
Read in context
Galatians 1:19
But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
Read in context
Galatians 2:9
And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
Read in context