Acts 12 verses 4 - 5

Acts 12 verse 4 - 5

(1)   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.

(5)   Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.  (KJV)

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(4)  . . . whom capturing, he put him into prison, delivering him to four sets of of four soldiers to guard him; intending to bring him up to the people after the Passover.

(5)   Then Peter was indeed kept in the prison; but fervent prayer was made by the church to God on his behalf.   (IB)

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Retranslation (4):  Pursuant to the powers vested in him, through proper officers and with proper authority, Herod arrests Peter, isolates him, and stops, or checks, his motion. In a figurative sense he would keep him unmarried, preventing union, i.e. no revelation, no communion with God. Herod, instead of wanting the God Who is Love to flow through him, chooses instead to maintain his pride, his “self”, and prefers to use his power to defend his belief in “God”, sacrificing his brother (Peter) rather than himself, and doing this during the festival memorializing God’s way to liberty: self-sacrifice! thus attempting to further obscure its meaning and keep pesky Spirit well out of sight.

Alternate (4):  Pursuant to the powers vested in him, through proper officers and with proper authority, Herod arrests Peter, isolates him, and stops, or checks, his motion. In a figurative sense he would keep him unmarried, preventing union. Herod entrusts Peter to four sets of four soldiers to prevent him from moving. Herod, representing the dis-ordered consciousness which ignorantly or willfully sees only matter, solves the pesky problem of Spirit by sacrificing its messenger rather than himself. Willfully or ignorantly determined to remain in the presence of matter, he would destroy his only avenue of escape from his ignorance,----Revelation, direct communion with God, represented by Peter. Determined to cleave to the world, he attempts to hide the truth from himself by frustrating the meaning of the Passover,---self-sacrifice. See! he is saying, I, mortal mind, and my supporter, matter, have the power to kill this man who is troublesome to my God.

Retranslation (5):   Luke concedes that Peter was in prison, but those that had been called of God, and were awake, God having raised them from the dead to be partakers of his light, fixed their minds steadfastly on Mind; they were still and listened; they strained to hear. Sacrificing all thought for self and the world, they waited to hear what God would reveal on behalf of Peter.

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Note on “guarding”: Herod represents the belief that matter is foundational, thus sovereign. The belief that matter is sovereign includes the belief that matter has the right to make laws, and that it can and does,----and that it is, right now!---- enforcing those laws. There can be only one sovereign. If you have two, you “practically have none.” Usurpers to the throne must be constantly guarded against and, if found out, they must be put down; else there is no sovereign. Herod would quash this impudent new rival foundation. God created matter and instituted laws which Herod upholds. The Levites are God’s priests. They have interpreted the Torah. The foundation is laid.

Note on the “four sets of four”:

Could the four sets of four represent the opposite of the four corners represented in Peter’s vision?  Are the four sets of four significant of the four pillars of matter, e.g. earth, wind, water and fire, or the building blocks of matter? Matter’s principles?

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whom 3739

capturing 4084 piazo, probably another form of 971; to squeeze, i.e. seize (gently by the hand [press]), or officially [arrest], or in hunting [capture]):----apprehend, catch, lay hand on, take. Compare 4085.

971 biazo, from 970; to force, i.e. (reflexive) to crowd oneself (into), or (passive) to be seized:----press, suffer violence.

970 bia, probably akin to 979 (through the idea of vital activity); force:----violence.

979 bios, a primary word; life, i.e. (literally) the present state of existence; by implication the means of livelihood:----good, life, living.

officially adv. (1828 Dict. def.): [From office, L. officium, ob and facio, to make or do.]

1. By the proper officer; by virtue of the proper authority; in pursuance of the special powers vested; as accounts or reports officially verified or rendered; letter officially communicated; persons officially notified.

arrest v.t. (1828 Dict. def.): [L. resto, to stop.]

1. To obstruct; to stop; to check or hinder motion; as, to arrest the current of a river; to arrest the senses.
2. To take, seize or apprehend by virtue of a warrant from authority; as, to arrest one for debt or crime.
3. To seize and fix; as, to arrest the eyes or attention. “The appearance of such a person in the world, and at such a period, ought to arrest the consideration of every thinking person.”  Buckminster.

put 5087 tithemi, a prolonged form of a primary theo (which is used only as alternate in certain tenses); to place (in the widest application, literally and figuratively; properly in a passive or horizontal posture, and thus different from 2476, which properly denotes an upright and active position, while 2749 is properly reflexive and utterly prostrate):----advise, appoint, bow, commit, conceive, give, kneel down, lay (aside, down, up), make, ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle, sink down.

into 1519  eis, a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:-----abundant, abundantly, against, among, as, at, back, backward, before, by, concerning, continual, far more exceeding, for [intent, purpose], fore, forth, in (among, at, unto), inso much that, into, to the intent that, of one mind, never, of, on, upon, perish, set at one again, (so) that, therefore, thereunto, throughout, till, to (be, the end). toward, heretoward, until to . . . ward, fore, wherefore, with. Often used in compounds with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (lit. or fig.).

prison 5438 phylake, from 5442; a guarding (or concretely guard), the act, the person; figuratively the place, the condition, or (specifically) the time (as a division of day or night), literally or figuratively:----cage, hold, prison, imprisonment, ward, watch.

5442 phylasso, probably from 5443 through the idea of isolation; to watch, i.e. be on guard (literally or figuratively); by implication to preserve, obey, avoid:----beware, keep (self), observe, save. Compare 5083.

5443 phyle, from 5453 (compare 5444); an offshoot, i.e. race or clan:----kindred, tribe.

5453 phyo, a primary verb; probably originally to “puff” or blow, i.e. to swell up; but only used in the implied sense to germinate or grow (sprout, produce), literally or figuratively:----spring up.

5444 phyllon, from the same as 5443; a sprout, i.e. leaf:---leaf.

5083 tereo, from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to 2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from 5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from 2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfill a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain): by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried):----hold fast, keep, keeper, serve, preserve, reserve, watch.

delivering 3860 paradidomi, from 3844 and 1325; to surrender, i.e. yield up, entrust, transmit:---betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend.

four 5064

quaternions 5069

soldiers 4757

guard 5442 (See above.)

him 846

intending 1014 boulomai, middle of a primary verb; to “will”, i.e. (reflexive) be willing:----be disposed, minded, intend, list, be willing, of own will. Compare 2309.

2309  thelo, or thelo, in certain tenses, theleo, and ethelo, which are otherwise obsolete; apparently strengthened from the alternate form of 138; to determine (as an active option from subjective impulse; whereas 1014 properly denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations), i.e. choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication to wish, i.e. be inclined to (sometimes adverbially gladly); impersonally for the future tense, to be about to; by Hebrew to delight in:----desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, will (have), (be) willing, willingly.

bring up 321 anago, from 303 and 71; to lead up; by extension to bring out; specifically to sail away:---bring (again, forth, up again), depart, launch (forth), lead (up), loose, offer, sail, set forth, take up.

him 846

people 2992

after 3326 meta, a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly denoting accompaniment; “amid” (locally or causally); modified variously according to the case (genitive, association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between 575 or 1537 and 1519 or 4314; less intimate than 1722, and less close than 4862. Often used in compounds, in substantially the same relations of participation or proximity, and transfer or sequence:------after, afterward, that be again, against, among, and follow, hence, hereafter, in, of, on, upon, our, and setting, since, to unto, together, when, with, without.

Passover 3957 pascha, or Aramaic origin [compare H6453]; the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it):---Easter, Passover.

H6453 pesah, from H6452; a pretermission, i.e. exemption; used only technically of the Jewish Passover (the festival of the victim):----passover, passover offering.

H6452 pasha, a primitive root; to hop, i.e. (figuratively) skip over (or spare); by  implication to hesitate; also (literally) to limp, to dance:----halt, become lame, leap, pass over.

THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE FROM VERSE 5:  “Then Peter was indeed kept in the prison; but fervent prayer was made by the church to God on his behalf.”   (IB)

Indeed 3303 men, a primary particle; properly indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with 1161 (this one, the former, etc.) Often compounded with the other particles in an intensive or asseverative sense:----even, indeed, so, some, truly, verily.

asseveration n. (1828 Dict. def.): Positive affirmation or assertion; solemn declaration. This word is not, generally, if ever, used for a declaration under an official oath, but for a declaration accompanied with solemnity.

concession n (ibid.): In rhetoric or debate, the yielding, granting, or allowing the opposite party some point or fact that may bear dispute, with a view to obtain something which cannot be denied, or to show that even admitting the point conceded, the cause is not with the adverse party, but can be maintained by the advocate on other grounds.

then 3767 oun, apparently a primary word; (adverb) certainly, or (conjuncture) accordingly:

----and (so, truly), but, now (then), so (likewise then), then, therefore, verily, wherefore.

Peter 4074 [practitioner of direct communication with God; the experience of revelation.]

kept 5083 tereo, from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to 2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from 5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from 2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfill a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain): by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried):----hold fast, keep, keeper, serve, preserve, reserve, watch.

in 1722 en, a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); “in,” at, on, upon, by, etc. Often used in compounds with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition:-----about, after, against, almost, altogether, among, as, at, before, between, by here by (+ all means), for (. . .sake of), give self wholly to, in, herein, into, inwardly, mightily, (because) of, on, upon, -ly (e.g. openly, speedily), outwardly, one, quickly, shortly, that, there, therein, thereon, through, throughout, to, unto, toward, under, when where, wherewith, while, with, within.

prison 5438 5438 phylake, from 5442; a guarding (or concretely guard), the act, the person; figuratively the place, the condition, or (specifically) the time (as a division of day or night), literally or figuratively:----cage, hold, prison, imprisonment, ward, watch.

5442 phylasso, probably from 5443 through the idea of isolation; to watch, i.e. be on guard (literally or figuratively); by implication to preserve, obey, avoid:----beware, keep (self), observe, save. Compare 5083.

5443 phyle, from 5453 (compare 5444); an offshoot, i.e. race or clan:----kindred, tribe.

5453 phyo, a primary verb; probably originally to “puff” or blow, i.e. to swell up; but only used in the implied sense to germinate or grow (sprout, produce), literally or figuratively:----spring up.

5444 phyllon, from the same as 5443; a sprout, i.e. leaf:---leaf.

5083 tereo, from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to 2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from 5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from 2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfill a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain): by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried):----hold fast, keep, keeper, serve, preserve, reserve, 

watch.

prayer 4335 proseuche, from 4336; prayer (worship); by implication an oratory (chapel):----pray earnestly, prayer.

4336 proseuchomai, from 4314 and 2172; to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship:-----pray earnestly, for, make prayer.

4314 pros, a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. wither or for which it is predicated.) In compounds it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at:-----about, according to, against, among, at, because of, before, between, by, whereby, for, at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), together, to, toward, unto, with (-in).

2172 euchomai, middle of a primary verb; to wish; by implication to pray to God:-----pray, wish, will.

wish (Origins Dict.): See VENERABLE. Venerable comes from L. venerabilis, from venerari, to address (to a god) a request or supplication for a favor or a forgiveness, hence to pay the utmost respect to. L. venerare, to express a strong wish or desire to. 

What does it mean: “prayer”?

prayer = pros + euchomai

    = toward + wish/will

    = pertaining to + will

    = motion toward + will

    = nearness at + will

    = accession to + will

accession n. (1828 Dict. def.): The act of arriving at a throne, an office, or a dignity.

prayer = accession to + will/wish

     = arriving at the dignity + will/wish

dignity n. (ibid.)

1. True honor; nobleness or elevation of mind, consisting in a high sense of propriety, truth and justice, with an abhorrence of mean and sinful actions; opposed to meanness. In this sense, we speak of the dignity of mind, and dignity of sentiments. This dignity is based on moral rectitude; all vice is incompatible with true dignity of mind. The man who deliberately injures another, whether male or female, has no true dignity of soul.
2. Elevation; honorable place or rank of elevation; degree of excellence, either in estimation, or in the order of nature. Man is superior in dignity to brutes.
3. Elevation of aspect; grandeur of mein; as a man of native dignity.
4. Elevation of deportment; as dignity of manner or behavior.
5. An elevated office, civil or ecclesiastical, giving a high rank in society; advancement; preferment, or the rank attached to it. We say, a man enjoys his dignity with moderation, or without haughtiness. Among ecclesiastics, dignity is office or preferment joined with power or jurisdiction.

prayer = accession to + will/wish

     = arriving at the dignity + will/wish

     = arriving at the elevation of mind + will/wish

     = nearness to the elevation of mind + will/wish

was 2558

earnestly 1618 ektenes, from 1614; intent:---without ceasing, fervent.

1614 ekteino, from 1537 and teino (to stretch); to extend:---cast, put forth, stretch forth (out).

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.

intent (Origins Dict.): See TEND. 

tend (Origins Dict.): L. tendere, to stretch (v.t.), to be stretched to (tend to); F. tendre, in its senses ‘to extend, to offer,’ yields E. ‘to tender,’ as in ‘legal tender’ or exchange. L. tendere has a past participle tensus, variation tenus, yielding E. adj. tense, and the scientific E. tensile, tensible, stretchable. L. tendere pelles, to stretch skins.

L tendere, to stretch: Compounds

attendere, to stretch (esp. the mind) ad or towards, to pay attention to.

contendere (intensive con-), to stretch, esp. oneself, with all one’s strength, to strive.

extendere, to stretch out, to stretch to the full.

intendere, to stretch into (in-) or towards, to be directed at, to have the purpose or pretension of, to plan, leads to E. intend.

portendere, (por-, an ancient variation of pro-) to stretch before or into the future, to presage or predict, becomes ‘to portent.

Praetendere, to stretch prae- or forward- hence to assert and to simulate, yields E. pretend.

intent a. (1828 Dict. Def.):

1. Literally, having the mind strained or bent on an object; hence, fixed closely; sedulously applied; eager in pursuit of an object; anxiously diligent; formerly with to, but now with on; as intent on business or pleasure; intent on acquisition of science. “Be intent and solicitous to take up the meaning of the speaker.” Watts.

intent n. (ibid.):

1. Literally, the stretching of the mind towards an object; hence a design; a purpose; intention; meaning; drift; aim; applied to persons or things. “The principle intent of the Scripture is to deliver the laws of duties supernatural.” Hooker.  “I ask therefore, for what intent ye have sent for me.” Acts x.

To all intents, in all senses; whatever may be designed. “He was miserable to all intents and purposes.” L’Estrange. 

fix v.t. (ibid.)

1. To make stable; to set or establish immovably. The universe is governed by fixed laws.
2. To set or place permanently; to establish. The prince fixed his residence at York. The seat of our government is fixed in the district of Columbia. Some men have no fixed opinion.
3. To make fast; to fasten; to attach firmly; as, to fix a cord or line to a hook.
4. To set or place steadily; to direct, as the eye without moving it; to fasten. The gentleman fixed his eyes on the speaker, and addressed him with firmness.
5. To set or direct steadily, without wandering; as, to fix the attention. The preacher fixes the attention of his audience, or the hearers fix their attention on the preacher.
6. To set or make firm, so as to bear a high degree of heat without evaporating; to deprive of volatility. God, diamonds, silver, platina, are among the most fixed bodies.
7. To transfix; to pierce. 
8. To withhold from motion.
9. In popular use, to put in order; to prepare; to adjust; to set or place in the manner desired or most suitable; as, to fix clothes or dress; fix the furniture of a room. This use is analogous to that of set, in the phrase, to set a razor.

fix v.i. (ibid.):

1. To rest; to settle or remain permanently; to cease from wandering.
2. To become firm, so as to resist volatilization.
3. To cease to flow or be fluid; to congeal to become hard and malleable; as a metallic substance.

To fix on, to settle the opinion or resolution of any thing; to determine on. The contracting parties have fixed on certain leading points. The legislature fixed on Wethersfield as the place for a State Prison.

fixedness n. (ibid.):

1. A state of being fixed; stability; firmness; steadfastness; as, a fixedness in religion or politics; fixedness of opinion on any subject.
2. The state of a body which resists evaporation or volatilization by heat; as the fixedness of gold.
3. Firm coherence of parts; solidity.

earnest . . .prayer = accession to + will/wish

                    = arriving at the dignity + will/wish

                    = arriving at the elevation of mind + will/wish

                    = nearness to the elevation of mind + will/wish

earnest = fix the mind on Mind + prayer = accession to God’s will

earnest = steadfastly rest on Mind + prayer = arrive at the dignity (of witnessing)

earnest prayer = cease from wandering in the halls of your dream, lay aside all human opinions as worthless, stretch out to God who knows only Truth, fix the attention on listening for God’s adjustment, be intent, strain to hear, be still, don’t move. Wait on God, She will come and fill you up.

being made 1096  ginomai, a prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate). i.e. (reflexive) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.):-----arise, be assembled, be, become, befall, behave self, be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

by 5259  hypo, a primary preposition; under, i.e. (with the genitive) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative) of place (whither [underneath] or where [below] or time (when [at]). In compounds it retains the same general applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specifically covertly or moderately:----among, by, from, in, of, under, with.

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]).

to 4314  pros, a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. wither or for which it is predicated.) In compounds it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at:-----about, according to, against, among, at, because of, before, between, by, whereby, for, at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), together, to, toward, unto, with (-in).

God 2316 theos, of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate, by Hebrew very:-----exceeding, God, god, godly, godward.

about 5228  hyper, a primary preposition; “over”, i.e. (with the genitive) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative superior to, more than. In compounds it retains many of the above applications:---- (exceeding abundantly) above, in (on) behalf of, beyond, by, very, chiefest, concerning, exceeding (above), exceedingly, for, very highly, more (than), of, over, on the part of, for sake of, in stead, than, to, toward, very.

  

him 846