Acts 12:13

13 When he knocked at the wicket in the door, a maidservant named Rhoda came to answer the knock;

Acts 12:13 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 12:13

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate
The lesser door in the great gate, or the door of the porch through which they entered into the house. So the Jews distinguish between (xtp) , "the door", and (rev) , "the gate"; see ( Judges 18:16 Judges 18:17 ) ( Ezekiel 40:11 ) where the Septuagint use the same words as here. Kimchi


FOOTNOTES:

F8 says,

``(xtp) , "the door" is what is of the gate, without the folding doors; for all is called (rev) , "the gate", whether within or without, with the folding doors, and the outward threshold, as that is joined to the side posts and lintel.''

The door was kept shut, for fear of the Jews, lest they should be disturbed: here Peter stood and knocked:

a damsel came to hearken;
hearing a knocking, she came out to the door, and listened, to try if she could know who it was, a friend or a foe, before she opened; or she came "to answer", as the Syriac version renders it, to know who was there, and what he or she wanted, and to give an answer. And the damsel was

named Rhoda,
which signifies a rose in the Greek language: so the Jewish women often had their names, in the Hebrew tongue, from flowers and trees, as Susanna from a lily, or rose: and which, perhaps, was the Hebrew name of this damsel; and Esther was called Hadassah, from the myrtle tree.


F8 Sepher Shorash. rad. (xtp)

Acts 12:13 In-Context

11 Peter coming to himself said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has rescued me from the power of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating."
12 So, after thinking things over, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John surnamed Mark, where a large number of people were assembled, praying.
13 When he knocked at the wicket in the door, a maidservant named Rhoda came to answer the knock;
14 and recognizing Peter's voice, for very joy she did not open the door, but ran in and told them that Peter was standing there.
15 "You are mad," they said. But she strenuously maintained that it was true. "It is his guardian angel," they said.
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