Acts 12 14

Acts 12:14 kjv

And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

Acts 12:14 nkjv

When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.

Acts 12:14 niv

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!"

Acts 12:14 esv

Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.

Acts 12:14 nlt

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, "Peter is standing at the door!"

Acts 12 verses

Acts 12 14 Meaning

Rhoda's joyful proclamation that Peter was at the gate, following his miraculous escape from prison, highlights immediate and intense faith in God's power. Her certainty, despite the seemingly impossible, reveals a profound reliance on divine intervention and underscores the surprising reactions that divine acts can evoke, even among believers.

Acts 12 14 Context

Acts chapter 12 recounts a period of intense persecution against the early church by King Herod Agrippa I. Herod had James, the brother of John, killed with a sword (Acts 12:1-2). He then arrested Peter, intending to bring him to trial after the Passover feast (Acts 12:3-4). The church was fervently praying for Peter without ceasing (Acts 12:5). This verse occurs immediately after Peter's miraculous escape from a heavily guarded prison, facilitated by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:6-11). Peter, upon his release, went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many believers were gathered in prayer (Acts 12:12). Rhoda, a young servant girl, came to answer the door.

Acts 12 14 Word analysis

• Rhoda (Ῥοδῇ, Rhōdē): A Greek feminine given name, meaning "rose." This suggests a common Greek or Hellenistic background for the servant girl. The name itself does not carry significant theological weight but points to the cultural integration within the early church.
• παιδίσκη (paidiskē): Translates to "maidservant," "young girl," or "female slave." It denotes her status in the household, indicating she was likely a bondservant or a very young female employee. Her low social standing highlights that even individuals of humble position were part of the prayer meeting and witnesses to God's acts.
• ὑπακοῦσαι (hypakousai): The aorist infinitive of ὑπακούω (hypakouō), meaning "to listen to," "to obey," "to answer." Here, it signifies her action of going to the gate to listen for whoever was there.
• τῆς θύρας (tēs thyras): "The door" (gate). This refers to the main entrance of the house.
• προσαχούσης (prosachousēs): The genitive feminine singular participle of προσάγω (prosagō), meaning "to bring to," "to lead to," "to present." It functions here to describe the action of coming forward to the door.
• ἐπιγνόντι (epignonti): The dative masculine singular aorist active participle of ἐπιγιγνώσκω (epignōskō), meaning "to recognize," "to know well," "to distinguish." It describes the act of recognizing Peter's voice. This is significant as it implies familiarity with Peter's voice.
• τῆς φωνῆς (tēs phōnēs): "The voice" (genitive case, possessive).
• του Πέτρου (tou Petrou): "Of Peter" (genitive case).
• εὐθυμίας (euthymias): The genitive feminine singular noun from εὔθυμος (euthymos), meaning "cheerful," "joyful," "glad," "of good spirit." In this context, it describes the state of her heart or disposition due to her immense joy.
• χαράς (charas): The genitive feminine singular noun from χαρά (chara), meaning "joy," "gladness." This word strongly emphasizes the intense positive emotion.
• οὐκ ἀνέῳξεν (ouk anēixen): "Did not open" (aorist negative). The contrast with what she should have done is implicit.
• τὴν θύραν (tēn thyran): "The door" (accusative case, direct object).
• διὰ τὴν (dia tēn): "Because of," "on account of." This phrase indicates the reason for her not opening the door.
• προ corrigir (pro korrigin): This appears to be a typo or an unrelated word. In the original Greek text (e.g., Nestle-Aland 28), the phrase following "joy" is usually implicitly understood as her emotional state preventing the action. It is possible it might relate to an interpretive phrase about being overwhelmed or shocked, but not a standard word in common manuscript readings of Acts 12:14. Assuming the text intends to convey that her joy was so great, she neglected to open the door. The phrase that follows often refers to her excitement. If there was a word intended here related to surprise or overwhelm, it’s not clearly represented. The typical understanding is that her overwhelming joy prevented her immediate action.
• τὸ ἔτος (to etos): "The year" - this also seems like an out-of-context word insertion. The verse deals with a singular moment, not a duration of time.
• διαρπάζει (diarpazei): This word means "to tear apart," "to plunder." Again, this seems unrelated to the original Greek text of Acts 12:14.
• εἴπεν (eipen): The aorist indicative active of λέγω (legō), meaning "she said." This is how Rhoda communicates her realization to those inside.
• Πέτρου (Petrou): Peter.
• ἐστίν (estin): "is."
• Outside the gate, and was at the door: This confirms Peter's physical location and presence.
• Her own actions: Rhoda's failure to open the door stems directly from her disbelief (or astonishment) caused by overwhelming joy. Her logic dictates that Peter couldn't possibly be there, so her emotional response is denial and excitement rather than immediate action.

Group analysis: Rhoda’s inability to open the door was not due to disobedience or a lack of courage, but rather an overwhelming joy that momentarily incapacitated her logical action. Her first instinct was to report this unbelievable news, prioritizing the confirmation of the event to the praying community over immediately ushering the miraculously returned Peter into the safety of the house.

Acts 12 14 Bonus section

The narrative subtly emphasizes that God’s interventions often occur when His people are united in prayer. Rhoda's joy was shared by those within the house, demonstrating how answered prayer impacts the entire community. The incident also highlights the faithful service of even the youngest and humblest members of the church. While Herod intended to suppress the church, God’s power was visibly demonstrated through Peter's escape and Rhoda’s ecstatic witness, serving as a testimony to God's active involvement in the lives of His followers. Her disbelieving joy served as an early indicator to the other believers that God had indeed answered their earnest prayers.

Acts 12 14 Commentary

Rhoda’s reaction encapsulates the astonishment that can accompany answered prayer. When believers prayed for Peter's release, they expected God's intervention, yet the physical reality of his presence at the door caught them off guard. Rhoda’s joy was so profound that she momentarily forgot to open the door, a small detail that vividly portrays her emotional state. This highlights a key aspect of faith: believing in God’s power even when the answer seems miraculous and almost unbelievable. Her immediate thought was to share the news, allowing the gathered believers to experience the collective joy and astonishment of God's deliverance, rather than keeping the miracle a private moment. The disbelief of those inside also mirrors common human reactions to divine intervention; often, what God does seems too good or too impossible to be true.