KJV: 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.
YLT: and having passed through a first ward, and a second, they came unto the iron gate that is leading to the city, which of its own accord did open to them, and having gone forth, they went on through one street, and immediately the messenger departed from him.
Darby: And having passed through a first and second guard, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city, which opened to them of itself; and going forth they went down one street, and immediately the angel left him.
ASV: And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.
| διελθόντες | Having passed through |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: διέρχομαι Sense: to go through, pass through. |
|
| πρώτην | a first |
|
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: πρῶτος Sense: first in time or place. |
|
| φυλακὴν | guard |
|
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: φυλακή Sense: guard, watch. |
|
| δευτέραν | a second |
|
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: δεύτερον Sense: the second, the other of two. |
|
| ἦλθαν | they came |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: ἔρχομαι Sense: to come. |
|
| πύλην | gate |
|
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: πύλη Sense: a gate. |
|
| τὴν | - |
|
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
|
| σιδηρᾶν | iron |
|
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: σιδήρεος Sense: made of iron. |
|
| φέρουσαν | leading |
|
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: φέρω Sense: to carry. |
|
| εἰς | into |
|
Parse: Preposition Root: εἰς Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among. |
|
| πόλιν | city |
|
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: πόλις Sense: a city. |
|
| αὐτομάτη | by itself |
|
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: αὐτόματος Sense: moved by one’s own impulse, or acting without the instigation or intervention of another. |
|
| ἠνοίγη | opened |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἀνοίγω Sense: to open. |
|
| αὐτοῖς | to them |
|
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
|
| ἐξελθόντες | having gone out |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: ἐξέρχομαι Sense: to go or come forth of. |
|
| προῆλθον | they went on through |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: προέρχομαι Sense: to go forward, go on. |
|
| ῥύμην | street |
|
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ῥύμη Sense: a swing, rush, force, trail, of a body in motion. |
|
| μίαν | one |
|
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: εἷς Sense: one. |
|
| εὐθέως | immediately |
|
Parse: Adverb Root: εὐθέως Sense: straightway, immediately, forthwith. |
|
| ἀπέστη | departed |
|
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἀφίστημι Sense: to make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove. |
|
| ἄγγελος | angel |
|
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ἄγγελος Sense: a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God. |
|
Greek Commentary for Acts 12:10
Second aorist active participle of διερχομαι dierchomai transitive with δια dia in composition. [source]
It is not clear to what this language refers. Some take it to mean single soldiers, using πυλακην phulakēn in the sense of a guard (one before the door, one at the iron gate). But it seems hardly likely that the two soldiers with whom Peter had been stationed are meant. Probably the “first ward” means the two soldiers of the quaternion stationed by the door and the second ward some other soldiers, not part of the sixteen, further on in the prison by the iron gate. However understood, the difficulties of escape are made plain. Unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city (επι την πυλην την σιδηραν την περουσαν εις την πολιν epi tēn pulēn tēn sidērān tēn pherousan eis tēn polin). Note the triple use of the article (the gate the iron one the one leading into the city). For this resumptive use of the article see Robertson, Grammar, pp. 762, 764. This iron gate may have opened from a court out into the street and effectually barred escape. Opened to them Second aorist passive indicative of ανοιγω anoigō the usual later form though ηνοιχτη ēnoichthē (first aorist passive) occurs also, was opened. Of its own accord (αυτοματη automatē). Old compound adjective (αυτος autos self, obsolete μαω maō to desire eagerly, feminine form though masculine αυτοματος automatos also used as feminine). In the N.T. only here and Mark 4:28. It was a strange experience for Peter. The Codex Bezae adds here “went down the seven steps” (κατεβησαν τους επτα βατμους katebēsan tous hepta bathmous), an interesting detail that adds to the picture. One street The angel saw Peter through one of the narrow streets and then left him. We have no means of knowing precisely the location of the prison in the city. On “departed” (απεστη apestē) see note on Acts 12:7. [source]
Note the triple use of the article (the gate the iron one the one leading into the city). For this resumptive use of the article see Robertson, Grammar, pp. 762, 764. This iron gate may have opened from a court out into the street and effectually barred escape. [source]
Second aorist passive indicative of ανοιγω anoigō the usual later form though ηνοιχτη ēnoichthē (first aorist passive) occurs also, was opened. Of its own accord (αυτοματη automatē). Old compound adjective (αυτος autos self, obsolete μαω maō to desire eagerly, feminine form though masculine αυτοματος automatos also used as feminine). In the N.T. only here and Mark 4:28. It was a strange experience for Peter. The Codex Bezae adds here “went down the seven steps” (κατεβησαν τους επτα βατμους katebēsan tous hepta bathmous), an interesting detail that adds to the picture. One street The angel saw Peter through one of the narrow streets and then left him. We have no means of knowing precisely the location of the prison in the city. On “departed” (απεστη apestē) see note on Acts 12:7. [source]
Old compound adjective In the N.T. only here and Mark 4:28. It was a strange experience for Peter. The Codex Bezae adds here “went down the seven steps” (κατεβησαν τους επτα βατμους katebēsan tous hepta bathmous), an interesting detail that adds to the picture. [source]
The angel saw Peter through one of the narrow streets and then left him. We have no means of knowing precisely the location of the prison in the city. On “departed” (απεστη apestē) see note on Acts 12:7. [source]
Better, watch: the soldiers on guard. Explanations of thefirst and second watch differ, some assuming that the first was the single soldier on guard at the door of Peter's cell, and the second, another soldier at the gate leading into the street. Others, that two soldiers were at each of these posts, the two in Peter's cell not being included in the four who made up the watch. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 12:10
Lit., self-acting. It occurs in only one other passage of the New Testament, Acts 12:10; of the city gate which opened to Peter of its own accord. [source]
Automatically, we say. The secret of growth is in the seed, not in the soil nor in the weather nor in the cultivating. These all help, but the seed spontaneously works according to its own nature. The word αυτοματη automatē is from αυτος autos (self) and μεμαα memaa desire eagerly from obsolete μαω maō Common word in all Greek history. Only one other example in N.T., in Acts 12:10 when the city gate opens to Peter of its own accord. “The mind is adapted to the truth, as the eye to the light” (Gould). So we sow the seed, God‘s kingdom truth, and the soil (the soul) is ready for the seed. The Holy Spirit works on the heart and uses the seed sown and makes it germinate and grow, “first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear” This is the law and order of nature and also of grace in the kingdom of God. Hence it is worth while to preach and teach. “This single fact creates the confidence shown by Jesus in the ultimate establishment of his kingdom in spite of the obstacles which obstruct its progress” (Gould). [source]
Ingressive second aorist active indicative of επιστημι ephistēmi intransitive. This very form occurs in Luke 2:9 of the sudden appearance of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds. Page notes that this second aorist of επιστημι ephistēmi occurs seven times in the Gospel of Luke, eight times in the Acts, and nowhere else in the N.T. Note also the same form απεστη apestē (departed from, from απιστημι aphistēmi stood off from) of the disappearance of the angel in Acts 12:10. [source]