Acts 12:15 kjv
And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
Acts 12:15 nkjv
But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel."
Acts 12:15 niv
"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."
Acts 12:15 esv
They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!"
Acts 12:15 nlt
"You're out of your mind!" they said. When she insisted, they decided, "It must be his angel."
Acts 12 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 12:5 | "So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made..." | The context of the church's fervent prayer |
| Acts 12:13 | "When he knocked at the door... Rhoda came to answer." | The immediate lead-up to the event |
| Mt 7:7 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock..." | Persistence in prayer |
| Lk 11:8 | "...yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs." | The power of persistent petition |
| Ja 5:16 | "...The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." | Efficacy of believing prayer |
| Isa 65:24 | "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." | God's readiness to answer |
| Psa 126:1 | "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream." | Feeling of unreality after a great deliverance |
| Mk 16:11 | "When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it." | Disbelief even in the face of evidence (Resurrection) |
| Lk 24:11 | "but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." | Skepticism towards miraculous news |
| Rom 4:19-21 | "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body... and the barrenness..." | Abraham's strong faith despite odds |
| Heb 11:6 | "without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would approach God must believe..." | Necessity of faith |
| Lk 1:20 | "...because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." | Consequence of unbelief (Zechariah) |
| Heb 1:14 | "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" | Angelic ministry |
| Psa 34:7 | "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them." | Protection by God's angels |
| Mt 18:10 | "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels constantly behold..." | Belief in guardian angels (though distinct) |
| Gen 19:1 | "The two angels came to Sodom in the evening..." | Angels appearing in human form |
| Lk 2:13 | "...a multitude of the heavenly host praising God..." | Angels in a corporate capacity |
| Acts 3:10 | "...and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened..." | Amazement at a healing miracle |
| Acts 9:21 | "And all who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who in Jerusalem attacked those..."" | Amazement at a surprising turn of events (Paul) |
| Eph 3:20 | "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..." | God's ability beyond human comprehension |
| Jer 32:27 | "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" | God's omnipotence |
| Mk 2:12 | "...And they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"" | General amazement at God's works |
Acts 12 verses
Acts 12 15 Meaning
Acts 12:15 illustrates a profound moment of ironic human disbelief despite earnest prayer. While believers gathered to pray for Peter's miraculous release from prison, their immediate response to the news that he was at the door was not joyful acceptance, but rationalized doubt, attributing the voice to Peter's guardian angel. This reveals the struggle of even faithful individuals to comprehend and accept the extraordinary when God's answer materializes in a form beyond their immediate expectation. Peter's persistent knocking ultimately compelled them to confront the reality of divine intervention, leading to their profound astonishment.
Acts 12 15 Context
This verse is set immediately after Peter's miraculous release from prison, orchestrated by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:6-10). The early Christian community, particularly the group gathered at Mary's house, had been earnestly praying for Peter (Acts 12:5). Peter, having realized the reality of his liberation (Acts 12:11), then proceeds to this very house, knocking at the door (Acts 12:12). Rhoda, a servant girl, answers, recognizes Peter's voice, and in her overwhelming joy, forgets to open the door, running back to tell the others. Acts 12:15 then captures the ensuing dialogue of disbelief from the praying congregation. Historically, this occurs under the persecution of Herod Agrippa I, who had already executed James, solidifying the believers' sense of vulnerability and the critical nature of their prayer for Peter's life. The prevailing Jewish belief in guardian angels, and angels acting as proxies for individuals, informs their immediate, though incorrect, explanation for the voice at the door.
Acts 12 15 Word analysis
- But they kept insisting: (Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον - Hoi de elegon) The imperfect tense signifies a continuous or repeated action, emphasizing their persistent and unwavering assertion. They didn't just state it once; they kept on saying it, reflecting a firm conviction in their alternative explanation despite Rhoda's testimony.
- it was his angel: (Ὁ ἄγγελός ἐστιν αὐτοῦ - Ho angelos estin autou)
- ἄγγελος (angelos): Means "messenger" and refers to a celestial being in this context. It also points to the common Jewish belief in guardian angels, or even a person's "double" or spirit that could appear or speak on their behalf. This highlights the early church's theological framework and cultural understanding.
- αὐτοῦ (autou): "Of him," specifying that they believed it to be Peter's particular angel, demonstrating a personalized belief.
- But Peter continued knocking: (ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἐπέμενεν κρούων - Ho de Petros epemenen krouōn)
- ἐπέμενεν (epemenen): An imperfect tense verb meaning "continued," "persisted," or "persevered." It contrasts their insistent speaking with Peter's persistent action. He was not deterred by the lack of an immediate response.
- κρούων (krouōn): A present participle meaning "knocking," also conveying ongoing action. Peter's relentless knocking underscored the reality of his presence.
- And when they opened: (ἀνοίξαντες δὲ - Anoixantes de) An aorist participle, indicating a completed, decisive action after a period of resistance. This was the moment their prior belief system was challenged and ultimately overcome.
- they saw him: (εἶδον αὐτὸν - eidon auton) A clear, definitive act of seeing. This visual confirmation was irrefutable evidence, abruptly ending all speculation.
- and were amazed: (καὶ ἐξέστησαν - kai exestēsan) From the Greek ἐξίστημι (existēmi), meaning to "stand out of oneself," to be utterly astonished, dumbfounded, or bewildered, often implying a state of shock or loss of composure. It's a stronger reaction than mere surprise, reflecting an overwhelming sense of wonder at an unexpected and miraculous reality.
Acts 12 15 Bonus section
This episode is frequently highlighted for its humanizing portrayal of early Christian leaders and their community. Despite their deep faith and engagement in fervent prayer, they demonstrate a very relatable human tendency: when the answer to their impossible prayer came, it was too good, too direct, too tangible to be immediately believed. This challenges any perception of early Christians as having superhuman faith devoid of human doubt. Furthermore, the irony is profound: they prayed for Peter's freedom, Peter was free and at their door, and yet they delayed his entry by arguing that it couldn't be him. This provides a valuable lesson that true faith does not necessarily mean an absence of initial doubt, but a willingness to confront that doubt when presented with God's undeniable reality. It's a reminder that even when God works spectacularly, human reception can still be colored by skepticism until undeniable proof emerges.
Acts 12 15 Commentary
Acts 12:15 is a remarkably human scene embedded within a divine miracle. It vividly portrays the disconnect that can occur between earnest prayer for a specific outcome and the struggle to accept that outcome when it arrives in an utterly unexpected and overwhelming way. The believers' insistence on it being Peter's angel, rather than Peter himself, is a testament to the powerful influence of pre-existing beliefs, even spiritual ones. They could fathom a proxy angel, a common belief in their culture, but not the direct, physical return of someone so tightly imprisoned and scheduled for execution. Peter's tenacious knocking serves as a poignant metaphor for divine persistence – the Lord often continues to "knock" at the door of our hearts, urging us to move beyond our logical or limited expectations to fully embrace His greater realities. Their subsequent astonishment (exestēsan) captures the awe that accompanies true encounters with God's power, reminding believers that His answers often surpass human imagination and sometimes even outpace their faith. This incident encourages perseverance in prayer and openness to God's miraculous work in whatever form it manifests, however unbelievable it may initially seem.