“You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
Parallel translations
- WEB They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”
- 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.
- 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.”
- NASB They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”
- NLT “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The praying believers tell Rhoda she is mad, then suppose it must be Peter's angel. Even faithful intercessors struggle to believe their prayer is answered.
Overview
The church had prayed earnestly, yet when the answer arrives they doubt it. Their suggestion that it is his angel reflects a contemporary Jewish belief but mainly shows their reluctance to accept the obvious. Luke does not scold them; he gently exposes how weak our faith can be even as God is faithful, and the scene quietly encourages persistent prayer despite small faith.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Matt 18:10See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
- Mark 16:14Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
- Luke 24:11But their words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.
- Luke 24:37–38But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.
- Mark 16:11And when they heard that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe it.
- Acts 26:24At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
- Job 9:16If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
- Gen 48:16the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 12:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.