Acts 12: of Herod vs Jesus’ Apostles

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

Acts of the Apostles 12:1 King James Version

A contest is about to begin between: King Herod Agrippa verses the Apostles of Jesus.
Today we'll read the King James Version of the Bible for our look at Acts 12. Like me you'll probably have to look up some of these 'kingly' 17th c. 'Olde English'  words like "vex."

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

Score one for Agrippa (ten to go)

And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.

(Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Acts 12:3-4 of Herod Agrippa – King James Version

πάσχα – pascha

King James of the 17th century translates the Pascal Feast as Easter. Jews of the first century church celebrate the same Passover Feast before which the Messiah Jesus had been hurriedly convicted as “KING OF THE JEWS” then hung on a Cross as our Pascal Lamb of Sacrifice for sin.

Lexicon :: Strong’s G3957 – pascha

Source: BlueLetterBible.org –

1. the paschal sacrifice (which was accustomed to be offered for the people’s deliverance of old from Egypt)
2. the paschal lamb, i.e. the lamb the Israelites were accustomed to slay and eat on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan (the first month of their year) in memory of the day on which their fathers, preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and to sprinkle their door posts with its blood, that the destroying angel, seeing the blood, might pass over their dwellings; Christ crucified is likened to the slain paschal lamb
3. the paschal supper
4. the paschal feast, the feast of the Passover, extending from the 14th to the 20th day of the month Nisan

If you think of the Easter Jesus rose from death as ~A.D. 30, then this Pascal Feast takes place in ~A.D. 44, some fourteen years later.

the Herod’s Vex their Opponents

‘Who will be king of the Jews’ becomes a question of self-preservation and obsession of most of the Herod’s who consequently eliminated other heirs and vexed ANY potentially popular opponents such as John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.

κακῶσαί – to vex

Lexicon :: Strong’s G2559 – kakoō

• to oppress, afflict, harm, maltreat
• to embitter, render evil affected

Jerusalem’s religious leaders had harassed these little Christs by stoning Stephen [A.D. 32] and sending their most zealous Pharisee Saul of Tarsus after them for nearly five years. But then on his way to Damascus, Saul miraculously became a Christian and disappears in Arabia [in AD 37] just as Agrippa comes to power in Jerusalem.

So now Jerusalem’s political king begins with Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles.

Peter, James, John and the other Apostles have challenged authority of the Herod’s ever since their bold appearance in the Temple during Pentecost more than a decade ago [A.D 30].

Ἡρῴδης

A Hero Conquers (and changes the maps)

As you know, the Herod’s are not a particularly nice family. Agrippa’s grandfather, King Herod the Great, tried to kill Jesus as soon as Israel’s Messiah was born. Agrippa is not quite so powerful, but his grandpa had built many of Judah’s great buildings (with Roman taxes and adept political action of Herod intermingling with Rome’s unpredictable leaders).

King Agrippa’s grandfather also had five wives! Herod’s wives had ten sons in the line of kingly succession. So everyone’s question: Which one will become king?

What you may not understand about the ‘maps’ of your Bible is this:

Several subtle shifts in the political winds of Rome blurred boundaries of the landscape of what was once Israel and corrupted Jerusalem’s Jewish rulers who have been under Rome’s control during this half century since the death of Herod the Great in 4 B.C. until now [A.D. 44].

The Jerusalem of Agrippa is looking back at Herod the Great’s glory days and the Jews want to make Jerusalem great again.

Herod had Agrippa’s mother Mariamne killed.

Herod charged his sons Alexander and Aristobulus (Agrippa’s father) with treason and received Caesar Augustus’ permission to execute them.

Antipater II (his son not listed here) was executed just days before Herod died. 

Judea had been annexed to Rome in AD 6. No Herod’s had any authority in Jerusalem until AD 37 when Agrippa I became a king cooperating with his Roman Prefect.

Antipas, ruler of Galilee who had beheaded John the Baptist (and questioned Jesus at his trial even though he was NOT a king of the Jews or had any authority in Judea) was now dead, as was Herod Philip. King Agrippa prevails.

Source for a great read about the Herod's - Who was Herod? by Jayson Bradley - Overview Bible .com

Herod the Great (whose father Antipater was a son of Esau, not a son of Jacob {Israel}) chose his successor son with the same cunning and ruthlessness by which he ruled as king.

BUT, Jerusalem is still all abuzz with the boldness of these Apostles of Jesus.

The killing of James:

And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also…

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Acts of the Apostles 12:5 King James Version

Next? The Apostle Peter

And when Herod [Agrippa I] would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Do you recall the much earlier embarrassment of the Temple's religious officials questioning Peter and John?
Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day.. 

.. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. - Acts of the Apostles 4:21

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church…

Agrippa makes certain that this leading Apostle of Jesus will not elude his Roman authority to execute any who cause them trouble. There will be no turning Peter loose to his crowds of disciples while Herod sits on the throne of Jerusalem.

BUT, a messenger of One with more authority than a mere king comes to Christ’s Apostle.

Acts 12:7

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly.

And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals.

And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord:

and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

Peter's Escape from Herod:  +To be continued