Herod, Agrippa I, whose successor was King Agrippa (II) in Acts 25:13. Both were different from Herod the tetrarch in Acts 13:1. Thus far the church had suffered persecution only from the Jewish religion. Now Gentile politics began to participate in the persecution in cooperation with the Jewish religion (v. 11).

A quaternion was a group of four soldiers.

Perhaps Peter felt that he had gone out of himself as in a trance; now he came to himself, that is, became sober. Cf. note Acts 10:10^3a.

Not only the apostle Peter had an angel; even the little ones among the believers have their angels (Matt. 18:10). Angels are servants to the believers who inherit God's salvation (see note Heb. 1:14¹). This is an arrangement in God's eternal economy.

This indicates that James was a leader among the apostles and among the elders of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12).

One who takes care of the bed chamber.

See note Acts 5:5¹.

Some MSS read, the Lord.

Verses Acts 12:1-24 are a parenthetical section, a record of Peter's persecution. This verse is a continuation of 11:30, which, with the preceding verses from Acts 11:22, is a narration of Paul's initiation into his apostolic ministry (see note Acts 11:22²). The passage from Acts 11:19-30; 12:1-25 is a transitional record between Peter's apostolic ministry to the Jews in chs. 2—11 and Paul's apostolic ministry to the Gentiles in chs. 13—28 (cf. Gal. 2:7-8).