Acts 12:9

9 And he went out [and] was following [him]. And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking [he] was seeing a vision.

Acts 12:9 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 12:9

And he went out and followed him
He came out from between the two soldiers, and out of that apartment in the prison, in which he was, and followed the angel where he led him:

and wist not that it was true that was done by the angel;
not that he thought the angel was a mere apparition, and all this that was done was a delusion; but he did not know whether this was matter of fact, or whether it was, not represented to him in a visionary way, as what could be, or would be done:

but thought he saw a vision;
imagined he was in a dream or a trance, and only saw these things in a vision, and that they were not really done, the whole was so amazing and astonishing.

Acts 12:9 In-Context

7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood near [him], and a light shone in the prison cell. And striking Peter's side, he woke him up, saying, "Get up {quickly}!" And his chains fell off of [his] hands.

8 And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals!" And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me!"

9 And he went out [and] was following [him]. And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking [he] was seeing a vision.

10 And [after they] had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened for them by itself, and they went out [and] went forward [along] one narrow street, and at once the angel departed from him.

11 And [when] Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know truly that the Lord has sent out his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and all {that the Jewish people expected}!"

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("went out") has been translated as a finite verb
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation