Acts 12:16

16 But Peter was continuing to knock, and [when they] opened [the door] they saw him and were astonished.

Acts 12:16 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 12:16

But Peter continued knocking
That they might come to him, and let him in; beginning to be impatient, and being very desirous of seeing his friends, as well as being in danger of being taken up, and had to prison again, should any of his enemies come by, who knew him:

and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were
astonished:
they could hardly believe their own eyes; it was amazing to them, how it should be, that he should be delivered out of prison, when they knew there was such a strong guard about him.

Acts 12:16 In-Context

14 And recognizing Peter's voice, because of [her] joy she did not open the gate, but ran in [and] announced [that] Peter was standing at the gate.

15 But they said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she kept insisting it was so. And they kept saying, "It is his angel!"

16 But Peter was continuing to knock, and [when they] opened [the door] they saw him and were astonished.

17 But motioning to them with [his] hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these [things] to James and to the brothers," and he departed [and] went to another place.

18 Now [when] day came, there was not a little commotion among the soldiers [as to] what then had become of Peter.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("opened") which is understood as temporal
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation