Acts 12 verses 1 - 3

Acts 12 verse 1 -3

(1)   Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church.

(2)   And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

(3)   And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)  (KJV)

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(1)   And at that time Herod the king threw on the hands to oppress some of the church.

(2)   And he did away with James the brother of John, with a sword.

(3)   And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he added also to seize Peter----and they were the days of unleavened bread-----

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Retranslation (1):  And in the world of time (illusion), where there seems to be a proper time, or a suitable occasion, for oppression of others, Herod, the king of the Jews, reflecting upon his sovereign ability, protects his rule by oppressing some of those who have been called of God.

Retranslation (2): And he tried to abolish this budding Christ-movement, of men-who-are called-of-God and spread knowledge of God’s Science, by killing it’s practitioners, including James, the one whose name is associated with the struggle with the self and victory over it (this is “the Way” to God), whose brother is John, whose name means the one who stands in God’s light and bends to help others (this is the Way of Prayer for Others). Herod, the “hero” who supports material foundations, opposes these practitioners of Christ, the divine foundation; and Herod's dark or unenlightened 'law' would  punish this impudent new foundation.

Retranslation (3):  Herod understands that the punishment of these practitioners of a new foundation is viewed by the Jews as fit punishment for their sin (mistake), and so Herod proceeds to further arrest the spreading of the Christ Science by taking away the practitioner whose name is synonymous with revelation, Peter, the one who hears the truth directly from God. [If petitioners can hear God any time, any where, then temples and priests become less important.] Practitioners,These are the times to be in earnest.

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NOTE about “vexing and oppressing”:  The Greek word kakoo 2559 means to injure,  exasperate or irritate.  My favorite part of this word search was finding the meaning “In physiology, irritation is the effect of stimulus applied to an irritable part.” So, Herod’s stimulus is murder and arrest, but can he apply his stimulus to an irritable part?  Does the Christ-man have such a part?  Herod hopes, of course, that the effect of his stimulus will be anger and then rebellion, which he will crush. But his stimulus has no such effect on the Christ-people who “love their enemies.”  They are not easily inflamed nor susceptible of anger. Luke encourages his readers, “these are the days of unleavened bread” meaning this is the time for earnestness, purity of thought, more listening to God. What but the baptism of the Presence of God could have kept these people continuing to spread the Word about the Science of Spiritual Advancement that leads into this Presence?

NOTE on the practicing Jews of Jesus’ time:  As you can see, the very meaning of Jew is “to keep holy, to distinguish by ceremonies and solemn rites.” The Torah held God’s Law: I AM ALL. Yet, how many people really understood what it means? Before we judge the Jews of Jesus’ time, we need to think about: 

(1) How many centuries had passed since the Torah was written? How many people could read over those centuries?  (2) Even if they could read, how many people had access to the Torah?  (certainly few, if any, women! Am I wrong about this? Kathleen?  Anyone?) (3) If only priests or rabbis could read, these few set the standard, perhaps developing simplistic rites, like Moses did for those uneducated about the steps of spiritual advancement. 

Could you imagine that over the centuries those rites became more important than reading and praying directly to God for information about God? Perhaps the common person was only told about the rites and ceremonies, but was never indoctrinated into the full meaning of the Word. Would the priesthood, who grew larger in number and power, have gradually discouraged anyone from deviating from the interpretation of the priesthood over those centuries? It certainly seemed to have happen that way in the Christian religion over time. 

I AM ALL and there is none else repeats throughout the Torah. It is there for all to read and understand. Moses, Jacob, Elisha, Elijah, Ruth, Job, David, Zechariah, Nehemiah, Jesus, Mary, Paul and others understood the reality of that law. They saw it. They experienced it. They knew it. These people were Jews. They all grasped certain aspects of the divine. None more than Jesus who walked on water, talked with Moses and Elijah, turned water into wine, crossed seas without the involvement of time, healed lepers and raised the dead,----in direct opposition to physics, time and space. 

Just think . . . despite centuries of Jewish tradition, God’s direct revelation to Peter “Do not call unholy what I have called holy!” changed Peter’s mind immediately.  Can’t we have faith that God’s direct revelation to us can immediately change our minds about centuries-old laws that we might believe today that contradict God’s law? 

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And 

at 2596 kata

that 1565

time 2540 karios, of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. set or proper time:----always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.

Herod 2264 Herodes, compound of heros (a “hero”) and 1491; heroic; Herodes, the name of four Jewish kings:----Herod.

hero (Origins Dict.): Gr. heros, stem hero-, root her-, is akin to L. seruare, to safeguard, stem seru-, root ser-: compare SERVANT. Akin is the Gr. goddess Hera, apparently for Herwa, precisely as heros is for herowos: compare Av. haurvaiti, he keeps guard over. The basic sense of both Hera and hero would therefore be ‘protector.’

king 935 basileus, probably from 939 (through the notion of a foundation of power); a sovereign (abstract, relative or figurative):---king.

threw on 1911 epiballo, from 1909 and 906; to throw upon (literally or figuratively, transitive or reflexive; usually with more or less force); specifically (with 1438 implied) to reflect; impersonally to belong to:----beat into, cast upon, fall, lay (on), put (unto), stretch forth, think on.

1438 heautou (including all the other cases); from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive (dative or accusative) of 846; himself, herself, itself, themselves, also [in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons] myself, thyself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, etc.:----alone, her (own), herself, (he) himself, his (own), itself, one (to) another, our (thine) own, ourselves, that she had, their (own, own selves), (of) them, themselves, they thyself, you, your (own, own conceits, own selves, yourselves).

the hands 5495 cheir, perhaps from the base of 5494 in the sense of its cogener the base of 5490 (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand (literal or figurative [power]; especially [by Hebrew] a means or an instrument):----hand.

5494 cheimon, from a derivative of cheo (to pour; akin to the base of 5490 through the idea of a channel), meaning a storm (as pouring rain); by implication the rainy season, i.e. winter:----tempest, foul weather, winter.

5490 chasm, from a form of an obsolete primary, cheao (to “gape” or “yawn”); a “chasm” or vacancy (impassable interval):----gulf.

to oppress 2559 kakoo, from 2556; to injure; figuratively to exasperate:---make evil affected, entreat evil, harm, hurt, vex.

injure v.t. (1828 Dict. def.): [From injury, L. injuria, in and jus, juris, right.] 

1. To hurt or wound, as the person; to impair soundness, as of health.
2. To damage or lessen the value of, as of goods or estate.
3. To slander, tarnish or impair, as reputation or character.
4. To impair or diminish; to annoy; as happiness.
5. To give pain to; to grieve; as sensibility or feelings.
6. To impair, as the intellect or mind.
7. To hurt or weaken; as, to injure a good cause.
8. To impair; to violate; as, to injure rights.
9. To make worse; as, great rains injure the roads.
10. In general, to wrong the person, to damage the property, or to lessen the happiness of ourselves or others. A man injures his person by wounds, his estate by negligence or extravagance, and his happiness by vices. He injures his neighbor by violence to his person, by fraud, by calumny, and by non-fulfillment of his contracts.

exasperate v.t. (ibid.): [L. exaspero, to irritate, ex and aspero, from asper, rough, harsh.]

1. To anger; to irritate to a high degree; to provoke to rage; to enrage; to excite anger, or to inflame it to an extreme degree. We say, to exasperate a person, or to exasperate the passion of anger or resentment. 
2. To aggravate; to embitter; as, to exasperate enmity.
3. To augment violence; to increase malignity; to exacerbate; as, to exasperate pain or a part inflamed.

exasperating (ibid.): Exciting keen resentment; inflaming anger; irritating; increasing violence.

irritation n. (ibid.):[From irriate, L. irrito, in and ira, wrath.]

1. The operation of exciting heat, action and redness in the skin or flesh of living animals, by friction or other means.
2. The excitment of action in the animal system by the application of food, medicines and the like.
3. Excitement of anger or passion; provocation; exasperation; anger.
4. In physiology, irritation is the effect of stimulus applied to an irritable part.

irritable adj. (ibid.):

1. susceptible of excitement, or of heat and action, as animal bodies.
2. Very susceptible of anger or passion; easily inflamed or exasperated; as an irritable temper.
3. In physiology, susceptible of contraction, in consequence of the appulse [sp.] of an external body. In general, there is nothing irritable in the animal body, but the muscular fibers. Haller. Encyc.

some of those 5100

from 575

the church 1577 ekklesia, from a compound of 1537 and a derivative of 2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of member on earth or saints in heaven or both):---assembly, church.

1537  ek or ex, a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds); from, out (of place, time or cause; literally or figuratively; direct or remote). In compounds, with the same general import; often of completion:-----are, at, by, for, on, unto, forth, from (among, forth, up), betwixt, beyond, by (the means of), exceedingly, (abundantly, above), heartily, heavenly, hereby, very highly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), among (from, of), over, since, thenceforth, through, vehemently, with, without.

2564 kaleo, akin to the base of 2573; to “call” (properly aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise):-----bid, call (forth), (whose) name (was [called]), (whose) surname (was [called]).

THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE FROM VERSE 2:   “And he did away with James the brother of John, with a sword.”

He did away 337 anaireo, from 303 and (the active of) 138; to take up, i.e. adopt; by implication to take away (violently), i.e. abolish, murder:---put to death, kill, slay, take away, take up.

James 2385 Iakobos, the same as 2384 Graecized; Jacobus, the name of three Israelites:

-----James.

2384 Iakob of Hebrew origin [H3290]; Jacob (i.e. Jaaeakob), the progenitor of the Israelites; also an Israelite:----Jacob.

H3290 yaaqob, from 6117; heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter); Jaakob, the Isaelitish patriarch:

----Jacob.

6117 aqab, a primitive root; properly to swell out or up; used only as denominative from H6119, to seize by the heel; figuratively to circumvent (as if by tripping up the heels); also to restrain (as if holding by the heel):---take by the heel, stay, supplant, utterly.

brother 80 adelphos, from G1 (as a connective particle) and delphys (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote [much like H1]:----brother.

John 2491 Joannes of Hebrew origin [H3110]; Joannes (i.e. Jochanan), the name of four Israelites:-----John.

H3110 yohanan, a form of H3076; Jochanan, the name of nine Israelites:----Johanan.

H3076 yehohanan, from H3068 and H2603; Jehovah-favored; Jehochanan, the name of eight Israelites:-----Jehohanan, Johanan. Compare H3110.

H2603 hanan, a primitive root [compare H2583]; properly to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):----beseech, fair, favour, find favour, shew favour, be favourable, be gracious, deal graciously, give graciously, grant graciously, intreat, merciful, be merciful, have mercy, have mercy on, shew mercy, have pity upon, pray, make supplication, very.

sword 3162 machaira, probably feminine of a presumed derivative of 3163; a knife, i.e. dirk; figuratively war, judicially punishment:-----sword.

dirk n. (1828 Dict. def.): A kind of dagger or poniard.

dirk a. (ibid.): Dark.

dirk v.t. (ibid.): 1.  To darken.  2.  to poniard; to stab. 

THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE FROM VERSE 3:    And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he added also to seize Peter----and they were the days of unleavened bread-----

And seeing 1492  eido, a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent 3700 and 3708; properly to see (literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only) to know:------be aware, behold, can (+ not tell), consider, know, have knowledge, look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, wot. Compare 3700.

that 3754

was 2076

pleasing 701 arestos, from 700; agreeable; by implication fit:----(things that) please, pleasing, reason.

700 aresko, probably from 142 (through the idea of exciting emotions); to be agreeable (or by implication to see to be so):-----please.

142  airo, a primary verb; to lift; by implication to take up or away; figuratively to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind); specifically to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebrew [compare H5375] to expiate sin:-----away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).

to the Jews 2453 Ioudaios, from 2448 (in the sense of 2455 as a country); Judaean, i.e. belonging to Jehudah:----Jew, Jewess, of Judaea.

2455 Ioudas of Hebrew origin [H3063]; Judas (i.e. Jdhudah), the name of ten Israelites; also of the posterity of one of them and its region:---Juda, Judah, Judas, Jude.

H3063 yehuda, from H3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory:---Judah.

H3034 yada, a primitive root; used only as denominative from H3027; literally to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively to bemoan (by wringing the hands):----cast, cast out, confess, make confession, praise, shoot, thank, give thanks, be thankful, thanksgiving.

H3027 yad, a primitive word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from H3709, the closed one); used (as a noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]:----be able, about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, bounty, broad, brokenhanded, by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, enough, fellowship, force, from, hand, handstaves, handy work, he himself, in, labour, large, ledge, lefthanded, means, mine, ministry, near, of, order, ordinance, our, parts, pain, power, presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, thee, by them, themselves, thine own, thou, through, throwing, thumb, times, to, under, us, wait on, side, wayside, where, wide, with, with him, with me, with you, work, yield, yourselves.

celebrate v.t. (1828 Dict. def.): 

1. To praise; to extol; to commend; to give praise to; to make famous; as, to celebrate the name of the Most High.  “The grave cannot celebrate thee.” Is. xxxviii.
2. To distinguish by solemn rites; to keep holy. “From even to even shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” Lev. xxiii.
3. To honor or distinguish by ceremonies and marks of joy and respect; as, to celebrate the birth day of Washington; to celebrate a marriage.
4. To mention in a solemn manner, whether of joy or sorrow. 

he added 4369 prostithemi, from 4314 and 5087; to place additionally, i.e. lay beside, annex, repeat:----add, again, give more, increase, lay unto, proceed further, speak to any more.

to seize 4815 syllambano, form 4862 and 2983; to clasp, i.e. seize (arrest, capture); specifically to conceive (literally or figuratively); by implication to aid:----catch, conceive, help, take.

Peter 4074 Petros, apparently a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than 3037); as a name, Petrus, an apostle:------Peter, rock. Compare 2786.

NOTE on the meaning of Peter’s name:  “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God,” Peter states (Matt 16:16), and Jesus gives meaning to his name: “for flesh and blood did not reveal this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven.”  It was upon this “rock” of revelation, i.e. direct communion with the Holy Spirit, that Jesus said his “church” would be built upon. 

             Remember, church, ekklesia, means “calling out, a meeting, an assembly” by, with, and for God. Church is the structure of God, Her divine creation, Her divine movement, Her divine communing with Her own divine ideas. 

             To the Samaritans, baptized in the water, the intellectual acceptance of their daughter-ship with God, church may have seemed to come from “outside” in the form of the persons Peter and John. But with the second baptism, the Holy Spirit calls you from within, and you receive church without the intermediary of books or buildings.

were 2258 

days 2250  hemera, feminine (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and ark, or the whole twenty-four hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):---age, alway, day (by day), daily, midday, for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.

unleavened 106 azymos, from G1 (as a negative particle) and 2219; unleavened, i.e. (figuratively) uncorrupted; (in the neuter plural) specifically (by implication) the Passover week:----unleavened (bread).

2219 zyme, probably from 2204; ferment (as if boiling up):---leaven.

2204 zeo, a primary verb; to be hot (boil, of liquids; or glow, of solids), i.e. (figuratively) be fervid (earnest):---be fervent.