Acts 12 - Something I learned new today

Strange I never observed the details of this. First Martyr event.

So different that Jesus' crucifixion or Stephen's stoning.

James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

Act 12:1  Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

Act 12:2  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

Act 12:3  And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Act 12:4  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.

Act 12:5  Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

We can assume the plan was to do likewise to Peter.

Gill writes: And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. This was James, the son of Zebedee, whom our Lord told, that he should be baptized with the baptism he was baptized with, Mat 20:22 meaning the baptism of martyrdom; and he was the first martyr among the apostles: the death he was put to was one of the four capital punishments among the Jews, and was reckoned by them the most disgraceful of them all, and was inflicted upon deceivers of the people; and such an one James was thought to be (e).

(e) Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 7. sect. 1, 3. & 11. 4.

Acts 12:2 Clark

He killed James the brother of John with the sword - This was James the greater, son of Zebedee, and must be distinguished from James the less, son of Alpheus. This latter was put to death by Ananias the high priest, during the reign of Nero. This James with his brother John were those who requested to sit on the right and left hand of our Lord, see Mat 20:23; and our Lord’s prediction was now fulfilled in one of them, who by his martyrdom drank of our Lord’s cup, and was baptized with his baptism. By the death of James, the number of the apostles was reduced to eleven; and we do not find that ever it was filled up. The apostles never had any successors: God has continued their doctrine, but not their order.

By killing with the sword we are to understand beheading. Among the Jews there were four kinds of deaths:

1. Stoning;

2. burning;

3. killing with the sword, or beheading; and,

4. strangling.

The third was a Roman as well as a Jewish mode of punishment. Killing with the sword was the punishment which, according to the Talmud, was inflicted on those who drew away the people to any strange worship, Sanhedr. fol. iii. James was probably accused of this, and hence the punishment mentioned in the text.