John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. When he had apprehended him , etc.] When his officers he sent to take him had brought him: he put him in prison ; in the common prison, very likely where he had been once before, ( Acts 5:18) and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; each quaternion consisted of four soldiers, so that they were in all sixteen; and so the Syriac version renders it, and delivered him to sixteen soldiers: how the Ethiopic version should make seventeen of them is pretty strange: these perhaps might take their turns to watch him by four at a time, two to whom he was chained, and two others to keep the doors; or all the sixteen together, being posted in one place or another for greater security: and it may be, that the reason of all this caution, and strong guard, might be, because it was remembered that he, and the rest of the apostles, when committed to the same prison some years ago, were delivered out of it: intending after Easter , or the passover, to bring him forth to the people ; to insult and abuse him, and to put him to what death they should desire.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - James was one of the sons of Zebedee, whom Christ told that they shoul 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 shal 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 Those make themselves an easy prey to Satan, who make it their busines to please men. Thus James finished his course. But Peter, being designed for further services, was safe; though he seemed now marke out for a speedy sacrifice. We that live in a cold, prayerles generation, can hardly form an idea of the earnestness of these holy men of old. But if the Lord should bring on the church an awfu persecution like this of Herod, the faithful in Christ would learn what soul-felt prayer is.
Greek Textus Receptus
ον 3739 R-ASM και 2532 CONJ πιασας 4084 5660 V-AAP-NSM εθετο 5087 5639 V-2AMI-3S εις 1519 PREP φυλακην 5438 N-ASF παραδους 3860 5631 V-2AAP-NSM τεσσαρσιν 5064 A-DPN τετραδιοις 5069 N-DPN στρατιωτων 4757 N-GPM φυλασσειν 5442 5721 V-PAN αυτον 846 P-ASM βουλομενος 1014 5740 V-PNP-NSM μετα 3326 PREP το 3588 T-ASN πασχα 3957 ARAM αναγαγειν 321 5629 V-2AAN αυτον 846 P-ASM τω 3588 T-DSM λαω 2992 N-DSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Quaternions. A quaternion was a body of four soldiers; so that there were sixteen guards, four for each of the four night-watches.The passover. The whole seven days of the feast.
Bring him forth (anagagagein auton). Lit., lead him up; i.e., to the elevated place where the tribunal stood, to pronounce sentence of death before the people. See John xix. 13.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
12:4 {When he had taken him} (piasas). See on 3:7 for same form. {He put him in prison} (eqeto eis fulaken). Second aorist middle indicative of tiqemi, common verb. this is the third imprisonment of Peter (#4:3; 5:18). {To four quaternions of soldiers} (tessarsin tetradiois stratiwtwn). Four soldiers in each quaternion (tetradion from tetras, four), two on the inside with the prisoner (chained to him) and two on the outside, in shifts of six hours each, sixteen soldiers in all, the usual Roman custom. Probably Agrippa had heard of Peter's previous escape (#5:19) and so took no chances for collusion of the jailors. {After the passover} (meta to pasca). The passover feast of eight days. "The stricter Jews regarded it as a profanation to put a person to death during a religious festival" (Hackett). So Agrippa is more scrupulous than the Sanhedrin was about Jesus. {To bring him forth} (anagagein auton). Second aorist active infinitive of anagw, to lead up, old verb, used literally here. Peter was in the inner prison or lower ward and so would be led up to the judgment seat where Herod Agrippa would sit (cf. #Joh 19:13). {To the people} (twi lawi). Ethical dative, in the presence of and for the pleasure of the Jewish people.
