Acts 12:4

² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

³ And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.

⁶ On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.

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: He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
KJV: And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
WEB: When he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
ASV: And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
DARBY: whom having seized he put in prison, having delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep, purposing after the passover to bring him out to the people.
BLB: whom also having arrested, he put in prison, having delivered [him] to four sets of four soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

ÅB: og da han hadde grepet ham, kastet han ham i fengsel, og overlot til fire vaktskifter av stridsmenn, hvert på fire mann, å passe på ham, da han etter påsken ville føre ham fram for folket.
OTB: Etter å ha arrestert ham, satte han ham i fengsel og overlot ham til å bli voktet av fire vaktskifter med soldater. Herodes planla å føre ham fram for offentlig rettssak etter påsken.
B1930: og da han hadde grepet ham, kastet han ham i fengsel, og overlot til fire vaktskifter av stridsmenn, hvert på fire mann, å passe på ham, da han efter påsken vilde føre ham frem for folket.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
Read in context
Luke 22:33
“Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.”
Read in context
Luke 21:12
But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors.
Read in context
John 13:36–38
“Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked. Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”
Read in context
Acts 4:28
They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.
Read in context
John 21:18
Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
Read in context
Esther 3:6–7
And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.
Read in context
Esther 3:13
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
Read in context