| Geneva Study Bible Now {1} about that time {a} Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. (1) God gives his Church peace only for a short time. (a) This name Herod was common to all those that come from the stock of Herod Ascalonites, whose surname was Magnus: but he that is spoken of here was nephew to Herod the great, son to Aristobulus, and father to the Agrippa who is spoken of afterwards. People's New Testament 12:1 Persecutions in Judea SUMMARY OF ACTS 12: The First Apostolic Martyr. Peter Seized by Herod. The Prayers of the Church. Peter's Prison Opened by an Angel. His Appearance to the Praying Disciples. Herod Pronounced a God. His Pitiful Death. About that time. While Saul and Barnabas were at Antioch. Herod the king. Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great. See PNT Mt 2:1. In the year 41, the Emperor Claudius had added Judea and Samaria to his former dominions, so that, at this time, Herod ruled over all Palestine. While voluptuous, and exhibiting in life none of the restrains of religion, he was a strict observer of the Jewish ceremonies, and hostile to Christianity, because it was subversive to Judaism. To vex certain of the church. Some of its leaders. Wesley's Notes 12:1 About that time - So wisely did God mix rest and persecution in due time and measure succeeding each other. Herod - Agrippa; the latter was his Roman, the former his Syrian name. He was the grandson of Herod the Great, nephew to Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist; brother to Herodias, and father to that Agrippa before whom St. Paul afterward made his defence. Caligula made him king of the tetrarchy of his uncle Philip, to which he afterward added the territories of Antipas. Claudius made him also king of Judea, and added thereto the dominions of Lysanias. King James Translators' Notes stretched...: or, began Scofield Reference Notes Margin Herod Herod Agrippa I., grandson of Herod the Great, See Scofield Note: "Mt 2:1", a strict observer of the law, and popular with the Jews, see Acts 12:21. Herod Agrippa II., Paul's Agrippa, was his son. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary CHAPTER 12 Ac 12:1-19. Persecution of the Church by Herod Agrippa I-Martyrdom of James and Miraculous Deliverance of Peter. 1-3. Herod the king-grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus. He at this time ruled over all his father's dominions. Paley has remarked the accuracy of the historian here. For thirty years before this there was no king at Jerusalem exercising supreme authority over Judea, nor was there ever afterwards, save during the three last years of Herod's life, within which the transactions occurred. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 12:1-5 James was one of the sons of Zebedee, whom Christ told that they should drink of the cup that he was to drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that he was to be baptized with, Mt 20:23. Now the words of Christ were made good in him; and if we suffer with Christ, we shall reign with him. Herod imprisoned Peter: the way of persecution, as of other sins, is downhill; when men are in it, they cannot easily stop. Those make themselves an easy prey to Satan, who make it their business to please men. Thus James finished his course. But Peter, being designed for further services, was safe; though he seemed now marked out for a speedy sacrifice. We that live in a cold, prayerless generation, can hardly form an idea of the earnestness of these holy men of old. But if the Lord should bring on the church an awful persecution like this of Herod, the faithful in Christ would learn what soul-felt prayer is. | 
