Acts 12:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Peter is locked in prison under sixteen soldiers, to be brought out for public judgment when the feast ends.
What Does Acts 12:4 Mean?
A quaternion was a squad of four soldiers; four squads rotated the watches, so Peter was guarded around the clock — chained between two men, with sentries at the door (verse 6). Herod remembered that apostles had slipped out of prison before (Acts 5:19), and he would not repeat the embarrassment. The public spectacle would wait until the holy days were over.
Luke counts the guards so that we feel how impossible escape is — sixteen soldiers against one sleeping fisherman. The stage is set deliberately: when deliverance comes, no one will be able to credit luck or human cunning. Whatever is arranged against the purposes of God holds only as long as he permits it to hold.
Acts 12:4 in the Original Language
pascha (πάσχα), 'Easter' -- the Passover, the feast of Israel's deliverance from Egypt.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 12:4
What does Acts 12:4 mean?
Peter is locked in prison under sixteen soldiers, to be brought out for public judgment when the feast ends.