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Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
Acts 12:18 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
  • BSB At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
  • NKJV Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
  • NASB Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.
  • NLT At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.

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

At daybreak there is great commotion among the soldiers over Peter's disappearance. The miracle has tangible, alarming consequences for his guards.

Overview

The soldiers' uproar confirms that Peter really has vanished and that no human escape can explain it. Under Roman practice, guards who lost a prisoner faced the prisoner's own penalty. Luke's note heightens the reality of the deliverance and sets up the contrast between Herod's helpless rage and God's unstoppable purpose.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Acts 5:22–25But the officers who came didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported,
  • Acts 19:23About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.
  • Acts 16:27The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 12:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 12:18 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.