Acts 12:4

Pleased the Jews. This was Agrippa’s object. Josephus notices this. Comparing Agrippa with Antipas, he says that the latter “was more friendly to the Greeks than to the Jews,” but that Agrippa “was not at all like” Antipas (Antiquities xix. 7.3).

Days of unleavened bread. This expression refers to the whole feast of the Passover, as may be seen from Luke 22:1: “The feast of unleavened bread . . . , which is called the Passover.”

Put him in prison. To keep him a prisoner until the termination of the feast.

Four quaternions. A quaternion was a squad of four men, used to maintain a watch.

Probably two soldiers were chained to the prisoner and two stood guard outside (see on v. 10). Four such squads were appointed to have charge of Peter, apparently in rotation.

Easter. Gr. pascha, “Passover.” The translation “Easter” is an unfortunate one. As noted above, the whole paschal feast is meant, and not merely a single day of it. Peter was arrested about the beginning of the Passover feast (the Passover meal was eaten during the night that began the 15th of Nisan), and the king’s intention was to sentence and punish him after the feast had come to an end on the 21st.

The word “Easter” is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Norse Eostre, the goddess of spring, in whose honor a festival was celebrated each year at the time of the vernal equinox. The term “Easter” now properly describes only the Christian festival that took the place of the Passover day. It first appears in Christian history in the 2d century, and was celebrated as the festival of the resurrection. The Roman bishops urged that its celebration fall always on a Sunday. (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History v. 23-25), a custom that doubtless contributed to the practice of weekly Sunday observance. See p. 50.

To bring him forth. Literally, “to lead him up” for condemnation, as Pilate led Jesus forth to the judgment seat (John 19:13).