Part of the genealogy of Christ Mentioned in the Bible by name

Simon (Peter), Barjona

[The following event takes place on a Saturday, after the service in the synagogue, see Mark 1:29. Jesus had his base in Peter's house in Capernaum during his active time in Galilee. Peter's wife, his mother-in-law, and his brother Andrew also lived in the house. Peter's wife accompanied him on his later journeys, see 1 Corinthians 9:5. The Hebrew name for Capernaum is Kfar Nachum. It is the same name as the prophet Nahum. The meaning is "Nahum's village" or, more literally, "the village of comfort."]
When Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. [She was probably suffering from malaria; see Luke's more detailed description in Luke 4:38.]

These are the names of the twelve apostles:
first Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew, his brother,
[then] James, the son of Zebedee,
and John, his brother,

Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come!"
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water, coming toward Jesus.

Peter spoke up and said to him, "Explain this parable to us." [What defiles a person, in verse 11.]

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), the Son of the living God."

Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed (happy, blessed) are you, Simon, son of Jonah. Flesh and blood (any human being) has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

I tell you, you are Peter [Gk. Petros – a small rock], and on this rock [Gk. Petra – a large, massive rock, just like the one just outside Caesarea Philippi] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades (the realm of death) will not prevail against it.
[It is likely that Jesus is pointing to the rock they are standing next to, and in a practical way illustrating that the church is like a city on a hill, Matt. 5:14, high above all evil. The area here at the foot of Mount Hermon has often been associated with occult activities. Ugaritic clay tablets from 1200 BC refer to the area as "the place of the serpent." The real enemy and the battle soon become clear here when Satan tries to influence Peter to rebuke Jesus and prevent his suffering, death, and resurrection, see verse 23.]

Then Peter took him aside (to talk privately). He rebuked Jesus sharply and said, "God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you."

But Jesus turned [toward and within earshot of the disciples, see Mark 8:33] and said to Peter, "Get behind me (behind me, out of my sight), Satan [title of the devil, literally meaning adversary or accuser]. You are a hindrance to me (a stumbling block, you want to bring me down), because you do not think God's thoughts but human thoughts (you do not have God's perspective)."

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John up a high mountain where they could be alone (in seclusion).
[According to tradition, it is Mount Tabor, but it is more likely that it is Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi, which is the last place Jesus visited, see Matt. 16:13. It is likely that Matthew is referring to how Moses went up Mount Sinai and after six days saw God, see Ex. 24:15. Jesus is the second Moses spoken of in Deut 18:15 and the one who fulfills Moses' calling.]

Then Peter began to speak, saying to Jesus, "It is wonderful (good, glorious) to be here! If you want, I will make three tents. One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
[In Luke 9:33 it also says that "Peter did not know what he was saying." It is possible that he is referring to the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is celebrated in the fall. During this festival, huts with roofs of leaves are built under the open sky to commemorate the Israelites' journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish belief and tradition, the festival is also associated with both the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic age, see Acts 3:21. These connections to messianic expectation are clear when Jesus visits Jerusalem during Sukkot, see, for example, John 7:2, 27, 31, 40–42.]

When they returned to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?"
[There were three types of taxes: local tax/customs duty on goods, the Roman Empire's income tax, and the Jewish temple tax. In addition to this, tithes and offerings were also given. During the time of the Second Temple, the temple tax was half a shekel, which was equivalent to two drachmas, the basic Greek coin. The value was equivalent to two days' wages. It was a voluntary annual gift to cover the costs of temple service, see Ex. 30:12. The last day of payment was at the end of March, and applied to all men between the ages of 20 and 50. The fact that only Peter and Jesus pay this tax may indicate that the other disciples were under the age of 20. It was not uncommon to begin following a rabbi at the age of 13.]

He replied, "Yes." When Peter was back home [in the house], Jesus asked him before he had a chance to say anything, "What do you think, Simon? Do earthly kings demand customs duties and taxes from their sons or from others?"

Peter answered, "From others." Jesus said to Peter, "Then the sons are free.

Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how many times can my brother sin against me and still be forgiven by me? As many as seven times?"
[According to the rabbinic tradition based on Amos 1:3, it was enough to forgive someone three times. The fourth time someone did the same wrong to you, you did not need to forgive them, because their repentance was not considered genuine. Peter now suggested more than double that. The number seven also stands for perfection.]

Then Peter answered and said, "Behold, we have left everything to follow you [unlike the rich young man, see verse 22], what shall we have?"

Peter [who was only a few hours away from denying Jesus] answered him, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you." All the other disciples said the same thing.

He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John] with him. Jesus began to feel sorrow (grief) and a tremendous weight came over him (the strongest Greek word for mental pressure).

When he returned to his disciples [Peter, James, and John] and found them asleep, he said to Peter, "So you could not stay awake with me even for one hour?

Peter followed at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat among the servants [both the servants of the house and the temple guards who had just been involved in arresting Jesus] to see how it would end.
[John was also in Caiaphas' house. He was the one who had spoken to the servant girl who was guarding the gate and who then let Peter in, see John 18:15–27.]

[Matthew describes two events happening in parallel. While Jesus is being interrogated in one of the rooms by the highest Jewish leaders and confesses himself as the Son of God, Peter is asked a few simple questions by a lowly servant girl, and he denies Jesus.]
Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard [warming himself by a fire with the servants of the house and the temple guards, see John 18:18]. One of the maids came up to him and said, "You were also with Jesus from Galilee."

A little later [an hour, see Luke 22:59], those standing there [at the gate] came up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them too. It can be heard in your accent (speech)." [Up in Galilee, they spoke a broader, more rural dialect that was impossible to hide.]

As he walked along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon [later called Peter, see Mark 3:16] and his brother Andrew standing by the lake and casting their nets, for they were fishermen. The phrase "casting their nets" describes how they were actively casting their nets first on one side and then on the other. Luke's more detailed account also describes how they had been fishing all night without any results, see Luke 5:5. Perhaps they were trying to catch something by fishing along the shore after their unsuccessful night.

[In Capernaum lived Peter, his wife, his mother-in-law, and his brother Andrew, see Matt. 8:14. Jesus also lived here during his active time in Galilee. Peter's wife accompanied him on his later journeys, see 1 Cor. 9:5.]
Jesus immediately left the synagogue and went to Simon and Andrew's house, together with [the brothers] James and John. [According to Jewish custom, the main meal on the Sabbath was eaten at midday, immediately after the service.]

Simon's mother-in-law had fallen ill and was lying in bed with a fever [probably malaria, see Luke 4:38], and they immediately told Jesus about it.

Simon and those who were with him [later woke up and] searched for him (hunting him like prey),

Jesus did not allow anyone to accompany him except Peter, James, and his brother John.

He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Then Peter answered, "You are the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)."

He spoke plainly (openly, so that there could be no misunderstanding) about this. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him sternly.

But Jesus turned around [and turned his back on Peter], looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind me, Satan! What you are thinking is not God's thoughts but human thoughts."

Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain, alone in seclusion.
[The Bible does not specify which mountain this took place on. They had recently been in Caesarea Philippi in the north, see Mark 8:27, and afterwards it is mentioned that they are in Galilee, see Mark 9:30. The two most common alternatives suggested by Bible scholars are the high mountain Hermon in the north, not far from Caesarea Philippi, or Mount Tabor in southern Galilee, which can be reached in four days from Caesarea Philippi.]His appearance was transformed before them,

Peter answered [even though no one had asked him, he interrupted their conversation] and said to Jesus, "Master, it is good (wonderful) for us to be here. Let us make three huts [he was probably referring to the huts that were built during the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles], one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Then Peter began to speak: "But what about us, we have left everything [given up work and careers] and followed you?"

Peter remembered what had happened and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed is [already] withered."
[The tree had died immediately when Jesus spoke to it in verse 14, but it took some time for the "answer to prayer" to be fully manifested.]

[Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, located one and a half kilometers east of Jerusalem. From there, they could see all of Jerusalem and the temple they had just left.]
When Jesus sat down on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately:

Peter answered him, "Even if everyone else falls away (takes offense, abandons), I will never do so!"

He took Peter, James, and John with him, and began to tremble (a sudden wave of fear came over him) and a tremendous weight came upon him (the strongest Greek word for mental pressure).

When he returned [to Peter, James, and John an hour later] and found them asleep, he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you even stay awake for an hour?

Peter followed at a distance all the way to the high priest's courtyard. [The disciple John was also there, and it was he who arranged for Peter to enter through the gate, see John 18:16.] There he sat among the servants [both the servants of the house and the temple guards who had just been involved in arresting Jesus] and warmed himself by the fire.

While Peter was down in the open courtyard, one of the high priest's maids came there.

When she saw Peter sitting there warming himself, she looked at him closely and said, "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus."

Peter denied it again (repeatedly).
A little later [an hour, see Luke 22:59], those who were standing there [at the gate] came up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them too, for you are from Galilee!" [Rev in Galilee, people spoke a broader, more rural dialect that could not be hidden, see Matt. 26:73.].

Immediately after this, a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." He broke down in loud tears [and went outside, see Matt. 26:75].

But go and tell his disciples and [especially] Peter: 'Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee, where you will see him, just as he told you.'"
[Peter had denied Jesus and renounced his discipleship, see Mark 14:72. Now he receives a special greeting and encouragement to meet the risen Jesus.]

[In Capernaum lived Peter, his wife, his mother-in-law and his brother Andrew, see Matt. 8:14. Jesus also lived here during his ministry in Galilee. Simon Peter was married and Paul mentions that Peter's wife accompanied him on his later travels, see 1 Cor. 9:5.]
Jesus got up [left the chair where he had been sitting and teaching] and went into Simon's [Peter's] house. Simon's mother-in-law was in a high fever (fever spikes), and they asked him for help on her behalf.
[The description of high fever peaks (Gk. puretos megas) fits well with the symptoms of malaria. As a physician (Col. 4:14), Luke is careful to give detailed descriptions of diseases (Matthew and Mark do not write "high fever", but only "fever", see Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:30). The fishing village of ­Capernaum, with its proximity to stagnant water, was a place where this plague could be transmitted by mosquitoes. Archaeological analysis of bone fragments from tombs in the area demonstrates the effects of this type of infection. Findings of amulets with inscriptions to protect against these feverish diseases also confirm that the disease was feared at this time.]

He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon [later also called Peter], and asked him to put out a little [distance] from the shore. Then he sat down and continued teaching the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets there for a catch."

Then Simon said, "Master, we have worked hard all night without getting anything, but since you say so, I will lower the nets."

so also [equally speechless were] James and John, ­the sons of Zebedee, who were companions of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon: "Do not be afraid, from now on you will catch (spare, free) people." [The word "catch" literally means to catch alive, save and spare lives. Whoever is 'caught' by Jesus receives new life. The word is only used here and in 2 Tim. 2:26, where it is used of people held captive in the devil's snare. Both Peter and the devil capture people, but Jesus' servants "capture" to free and the devil to bind to do his will.]

Jesus [stopped and] asked, "Who touched me?"
[Several of those around him probably replied, "It wasn't me."] When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master (Gk. epistates), [who did not touch you?] The crowd is pressing in on you from all sides."

When he arrived at the house, he did not allow anyone to accompany him except Peter, John, James, and the girl's father [Jairus] and mother.

Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)."

About eight days after Jesus said this [that he would come in glory and that some of them would see the kingdom of God with their eyes, see verse 27], he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up the mountain to pray.
[The Bible does not specify which mountain this took place on. They had recently been in Caesarea Philippi in the north (Mark 8:27), and afterwards it is mentioned that they were in Galilee (Mark 9:30). The two most common alternatives suggested by Bible scholars are the high mountain Hermon in the north, not far from Caesarea Philippi, or Mount Tabor in southern Galilee, which can be reached in four days from Caesarea Philippi.]

[It is probably night now because they were there until the next day, see verse 37.] Peter and the others were fast asleep (overcome by sleep), but when they woke up (shaking off their tiredness), they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.

As the men were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.
[Although this event probably takes place in the spring, Peter makes connections to the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is celebrated in the fall. During this festival, people build huts with roofs of leaves under the open sky to commemorate the Israelites' journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish belief and tradition, the festival is also associated with both the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic age, see Acts 3:21. These connections to messianic expectation are clear when Jesus visits Jerusalem during Sukkot, see, for example, John 7:2, 27, 31, 40–42.]

Then Peter asked, "Lord, are you talking about us [the twelve disciples] in this parable, or about everyone?"
[Jesus teaches about the joy that awaits servants who are dressed for service, have their lamps burning, and are not slumbering when the Lord returns, see verses 35-40. Peter wonders who he is talking about. Jesus responds by asking a rhetorical question, in which Peter, the disciples, and all who act in this way are identified with a wise steward. In the parallel passage Mark 13:37, the answer is clear that not only the disciples should watch, but "all should watch." Everyone will be held accountable based on their knowledge, which is the conclusion in verses 47-48.]

Then Peter said, "See, we have left everything that was ours to follow you." [In contrast to the rich young man, see verse 23.]

Jesus sent Peter and John away, saying, "Go and prepare so that we may eat the Passover meal."

[Jesus now turns to Simon Peter and calls him by his old name, not just once but twice. Peter would soon no longer be firm as a rock, as the name Peter means.]
"Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan has demanded to sift you [all my disciples] like wheat. [Just as wheat was sifted from the chaff by being shaken vigorously in a sieve, the devil wanted to shake the disciples' faith. This is an allusion to the story of Job, see Job 1:6–12; 2:1–6.]

Jesus replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today [at dawn], you will deny three times that you [even] know me."

Then they seized Jesus and took him to the high priest's house. [He was taken to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, see John 18:13.] Peter followed at a distance. [John also went with them. Since his family was acquainted with the high priest, he spoke to the servant girl at the gate, who then also let Peter in, see John 18:15–16.]

[The nights in Israel can be cold in the spring, especially in Jerusalem, which is high above sea level.]
In the middle of the courtyard, they lit a fire and sat down together, and Peter sat among them.

Shortly thereafter, another [another is in the masculine form] saw him and said, "You are also one of them." But Peter replied, "No, I am not."

But Peter answered [in his distinct dialect], "I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. He remembered the Lord's words, how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows tonight, you will deny me three times."

He went out and wept bitterly.

But Peter [and John, see John 20:3–9] got up and ran to the tomb. When he leaned in (bent down and looked in), he saw only the linen cloths [but no body]. He walked away, filled with wonder at what had happened.

who said, "The Lord has truly risen, and he has appeared to Simon [Peter]!"

One of the two who had heard what John [the Baptist] said and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

He first sought out and found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found (discovered after searching, begun to experience) the Messiah."
The [Hebrew] word [Messiah is a title that] means "the Anointed One" (Christ).
[The Hebrew Mashiach and the Greek Christos, transliterated as Christ, have the same meaning. John has a habit of explaining words, names, and Jewish concepts. In the next verse, it is the meaning of Peter's name, see also John 4:9; 4:25; 6:1; 12:41; 19:31.]

Andrew then took Simon [Peter] to Jesus.
As Jesus looked at him (into his eyes, directly at him), he said, "You are Simon, son of John, you shall be called Cephas" – the [Aramaic] name means Peter [a small stone].

Philip was from (born in) Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

One of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him:

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life [Gk. rhema – plural; specific words brought to life by the Holy Spirit].

Then he came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Peter said to him, "Never, sir, will you wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no part with me."

Peter says [then] to him, "Lord, [wash] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."

So Simon Peter signaled (gestured, nodded) to him to ask Jesus who he was talking about.

Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me later." [Jesus predicts that Peter will also die a martyr's death.]

Peter said to him, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down (will give) my life for you."

Then Simon Peter drew the short sword he had and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. [The physician Luke describes how Jesus healed him in Luke 22:51.]

Then Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that my Father has given me?"

Simon Peter and another disciple [John's humble way of including himself] followed Jesus. That disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard [an open courtyard surrounded by walls].

But Peter stood outside by the gate. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who was guarding the gate, and let Peter in.

The servant girl [13-20 years old] who was guarding the gate said to Peter, "Surely you are one of that man's disciples, aren't you?" He replied, "No, I am not."

The servants [who worked in the house] and the guards (temple guards) were standing around warming themselves by the charcoal fire they had made, because it was cold. Peter was also with them, warming himself.

Meanwhile, Simon Peter was standing there warming himself. They said to him, "Aren't you also one of his disciples?" He denied it and said, "I am not."

One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you with him in the garden?"

Peter denied it again, and at that moment a rooster crowed.

Then she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved (had a strong bond of friendship with), and said to them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have laid him."

Peter and the other disciple went out and headed for the tomb.

They ran together, but the other disciple [John] ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first.

Then Peter came after him and went into the tomb and saw (examined carefully) the linen cloths lying there.

Simon Peter said to them, "I am going out to fish."
They replied, "We will go with you." So they went out and got into a boat (Gk. ploion), but that night they caught nothing.

The disciple whom Jesus loved [referring to John] said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Peter heard this, he tied his outer garment (his outer clothing, a fisherman's coat) around himself, for he had nothing on underneath it [he probably tied the coat around his waist to make it easier to move in the water] and threw himself into the lake [and waded toward land].

Then Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net ashore, and it was full of large fish, 153 in number. Even though there were so many, the net had not broken.
[Two different words for fish are used in verses 10 and 11. Large fish is the Greek ichthys with the intensifier mega to describe that they are extra large. Small fish is the Greek opsarion, which describes a smaller fish, see also verses 9 and 13. Previously, the same word was also used for the two small fish in the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, see John 6:9. The disciples are instructed to bring some of these newly caught small fish to the charcoal fire. Throughout history, many different symbolic interpretations have been made of the number 153. Jerome (one of the Church Fathers in the 4th century AD) assumed that it was the number of languages in the world. Other suggestions are that it refers to the number of peoples in the world or the species of fish that existed in the Sea of Galilee at that time. The Bible text gives no explanation, but the point seems to be to show that it was an unusually large catch and that the net had not broken despite this. John, who was present, was perhaps the one who counted the fish, and he includes the number in his eyewitness account of the event. He also mentions the number of stone jars in Cana, see John 2:6, which has a certain symbolic interpretation. It can be noted that the numerical value 153 is found in the name Bezalel, the first person mentioned as being filled with the Spirit of God (Ex. 31:2–3). The Hebrew word haPesach (Passover) (Ex. 12:21) and the phrase "I am God" in Hebr. Ani Elohim also have this numerical value.]

Jesus wants to establish Peter as the leader and shepherd of the church that he was called to be. Two different Greek words for love are used in the dialogue between Jesus and Peter in verses 15, 16, and 17. Jesus begins by using the word agape – which stands for the highest form of selfless, giving love – while Peter responds with fileo – which more describes a friendship relationship. These words can be used synonymously in Greek. Can the choice of words in a Greek text have any significance in a conversation that probably took place in Aramaic? What suggests that the nuances do matter is that John, who was there by the fire, also includes another difference. Peter's reply "you know everything" is changed to the more personal "you know everything" in his third answer. The Greek ginosko is used instead of oidas. The main point, however, is that Peter is allowed to confess Jesus three times, whom he had denied three times, see John 13:38; 18:25–27.]
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me [with the highest form of self-sacrificing, giving love] more than these?"
[It must have hurt Peter that Jesus now addressed him as "Simon," the name he had before he became a disciple. Even the addition of "son of John" points to his life before his calling. It was Jesus who had given him the name Peter, see Mark 3:16; Matt. 16:18.
"These" may refer to the fishermen and the fishing profession that Peter had returned to, or to the other disciples. Peter had previously compared himself to them and said that he would not betray Jesus even if the others did, see Matt. 26:33. Regardless of what "these" refers to, Simon is faced with a choice to choose Jesus over everything else. He answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I care for (have a strong bond of friendship with) you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs!"

Jesus asked him a second time:
"Simon, son of John, do you love me [with the highest form of self-sacrificing, giving love]?"
[Jesus uses "love" once again, perhaps to give Simon another chance to say "Yes, I love you"?]
He answered him:
"Yes, Lord, you know that I care for (have a strong bond of friendship with) you."
Jesus said to him,
"Continue to be a shepherd for (take care of, watch over) my sheep!"
[Peter responds in the same way again that he cares for Jesus. In verse 15, Jesus responded that Peter would "feed lambs," now Peter is promoted to be a shepherd and take care of adult sheep.]

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved (had a strong bond of friendship with) [John] was following. It was the same disciple who had leaned against Jesus' chest and asked, "Lord, who is it that will betray you?"

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what will happen to him?"

When they arrived, they went up to the upper room where they used to be (had a habit of gathering):
Peter
and James
and John
and Andrew;
Philip
and Thomas,
Bartholomew [also called Nathanael]
and Matthew;
James, the son of Alphaeus,
and Simon the Zealot
[Zealot literally means "the devoted, zealous, fanatical," and may imply that he was a member of the Jewish resistance movement against the Roman Empire.]
and Judas, the son of James.
[Three groups emerge when the apostles are listed. Peter, Philip, and James are always mentioned as the first names in each group, see Matt. 10:1–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16. In the original text, all names except Peter, Philip, Bartholomew, and James are preceded by the Greek kai, the word "and". A linguistic detail for grouping.]

During one of these days [after Jesus' resurrection and before Pentecost], when about 120 people [both men and women, see verse 14] were gathered, Peter stood up among the believing brothers and sisters.
[In Judaism, 120 men were required to start a local Sanhedrin, which constituted the government of a city. It may be this association that the number 120 evokes now that the new Christian congregation is beginning to take shape. Even today, the number is significant; in the modern state of Israel, the legislative assembly, the Knesset, has 120 members.
In the year 30 CE, the Feast of Firstfruits, bikkurim, falls on Sunday, the 17th of Nisan. From that day, seven weeks, 50 days, were counted until the feast of Pentecost, Shavuot, see Lev. 23:15–16. Jesus had taught about the kingdom for 40 days until His ascension, see verse 3. It has probably been a few days since then, and it is at the beginning of the last week before the feast that Peter speaks.]
Peter said:

Together with the eleven, Peter stepped forward, raised his voice, and spoke (loudly and clearly, not in everyday language but in a well-articulated, precise manner):
"Men of Judea and residents of Jerusalem, you should know this (I want you to understand this), listen carefully to my words.

When they heard this, they were cut to the heart [remorse, anguish, remorse; they had a deep painful experience of sorrow], and said to Peter and the other apostles (messengers): "Men, brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter then explained to them:
"Repent (change your minds) [think differently from now on] and be baptized [be immersed in water, Gk. baptizo] – each one of you – in the name of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) [on the basis of his name] for (into) the forgiveness of your sins [so that you may be redeemed/freed from your debts/transgressions]. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (then you will receive the gift – the Holy Spirit).

Peter and John were on their way up to the temple for prayer at the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon). [It was probably still a feast day, and many people were moving about in Jerusalem. It was customary to pray three times during the day, see Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:10; Acts 10:1–6. Two of these prayer times coincided with the morning and afternoon sacrifices in the temple: prayer at the third and ninth hours, see Dan. 9:21. The Jewish historian Josephus also mentions these two prayer times (morning and ninth hour) in his work Antiquities of the Jews (book 14, 4:3).]

When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked them for a gift.

They looked intently at him, and Peter said, "Look at us!"

Then Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold [coins], but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus the Nazarene, the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), get up and walk (the verb form is an exhortation to start walking and then continue walking)!"

Now, while the man stayed close to Peter and John, people came running and gathered around them in the passageway called Solomon's Colonnade [which was along the eastern side of the temple area]. They were completely beside themselves with amazement.

When Peter saw this, he said to the people:
"Israelites!
Why are you amazed at this?
Why are you staring at us as if we performed this miracle by our own power, or as if it was our own holiness that made this man begin to walk?

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:
"You rulers of the people and elders of Israel.

They were completely amazed when they saw Peter and John's boldness (their clarity and confidence in speech). At the same time, the fact that they were uneducated men began to sink into their consciousness. [Peter and John had not studied under any rabbi and had not received a formal theological education.] But then it became clear to them that they had been with Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge (decide),

Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart (gained control of your thoughts and actions) so that you tried to deceive the Holy Spirit by withholding part of the money for the land?

Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that amount?" [It is likely that Peter is pointing to the money that is probably lying there.]
She replied, "Yes, for that amount."

Peter said to her, "Why have you agreed to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you away too."

They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and stretchers so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
[In ancient culture, the shadow represented the person. The people acted on their faith. Although the text does not say that they were healed in this way, the next verse suggests it. It was not the method and the shadow that healed, but faith in Jesus! Throughout the Bible, there are many examples where something physical has represented faith: a staff, Ex. 4:17; a bronze serpent, Num. 21:9; salt, 2 Kings 2:19–21; a stick, 2 Kings 6:4–7; clothing, Acts 19:11–12. There is always a risk that the focus will shift from God to the tool He uses. One example is the bronze serpent, which was a blessing but became an idol in later generations, see 2 Kings 18:4.]

Then Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that [the region of] Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John there.

Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, if you think that the gift of God can be bought with money!

[Saul is now in Tarsus. The story now returns to Peter, who was last seen with John and Philip in Samaria, see Acts 8:14–25.]
Peter traveled throughout the entire area [around Jerusalem] and even went down to the saints (the believers) who lived in Lydda.
[The city of Lydda was called Lod in Old Testament times, which is also its modern name today. It is located right next to Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport. In New Testament times, it was a border town between Judea and Samaria. It is likely that Philip passed through here and evangelized on his journey from Ashdod northward toward Caesarea, see Acts 8:40.]

Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) heals you now. Get up and make your bed!" Immediately he got up.

Since Lydda was near Joppa [barely two miles inland] and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to ask him to come to them as soon as possible.

Peter got up and went with them immediately. When he arrived, they took him upstairs. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him all the tunics and other clothes that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent everyone out of the room, fell on his knees, and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, "Tabitha, get up."
She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

Peter stayed for a long time in Joppa with Simon, who was a tanner.
[Working with leather was considered unclean among the Jews because it involved handling dead animals. The fact that Peter stayed with Simon, who worked with leather, shows that he took a stand for the Gentiles.]

Now send some men to Joppa and send for a certain Simon who is called Peter.

He is staying as a guest with Simon the tanner, who has a house by the sea. The craft also spread an unpleasant odor and required plenty of water, which was one reason why Simon's house was by the sea. Peter's living there also made him unclean. Already here we have a hint that Peter's attitude toward the Jewish regulations about what is clean and unclean was changing.

The next day, while they were still on their way and approaching the city [Joppa], Peter went up on the roof [at Simon's house] to pray at the sixth hour (midday).

A voice came to him: "Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!"

Peter replied, "No, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

While Peter was wondering what the vision could mean (he did not know what to believe), the men sent by Cornelius arrived at the gate. They had asked around until they found Simon's house,

and now they called out and asked if Simon, called Peter, was there as a guest.

While Peter was pondering (reasoning back and forth) about the vision, [the Holy] Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.

Peter [got up, took the stairs on the outside of the house that led down to the courtyard, and] went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come here?"

Then Peter invited them in and welcomed them as guests.
The next day he set out with them, and some of the [Jewish] brothers [six of them, see Acts 10:45; 11:12] from Joppa accompanied him.

When Peter was about to enter, Cornelius came to meet him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.

But Peter lifted him up and said, "Stand up! I am only a man." [Only God should be worshipped. For a jew, this was self-evident, unlike Cornelius, who lived in Roman culture, where, for example, the emperor was worshipped as a god.]

Now send to Joppa and ask Simon, who is called Peter, to come here. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "Now I truly understand that God does not show favoritism (does not favor anyone),

While Peter was still speaking [at this house meeting], the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.

The converted Jews (the circumcised) who had accompanied Peter were astonished (completely taken aback) that the free gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles

when they heard them speaking in tongues and praising (exalting, glorifying) God.
[This event is sometimes called "the Pentecost of the Gentiles" and resembles what happened among the Jews on the day of Pentecost, see Acts 2:1–4. Peter makes this connection when he later recounts the event in Jerusalem, see Acts 11:15. It is natural that this should happen in Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital, in the same way that the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital.]
Then Peter asked:

When Peter arrived in Jerusalem, the circumcised [the group of Messianic Jews who believed that Gentiles first had to become proselytes, and the men also had to be circumcised, before they could become Christians] began to fight against (distanced themselves from, separated themselves from, attacked) Peter.

Peter then explained step by step what had happened [he briefly recounts the events in the previous chapter]:

I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!

He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter.

When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he continued and had Peter imprisoned as well. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
[If it aroused disgust among the Messianic Jews that even Gentiles could become Christians, see Acts 11:1–4, it is easy to understand that the Roman persecution of the Christians was well received among the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem. In the spring, the one-day feast of Passover is celebrated, followed immediately by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, for a total of eight holidays. It is likely that Peter was arrested before or at the beginning of this period.]

Peter was kept in prison, but the church prayed fervently (persistently; stretched to the utmost – Gk. ektenos) to God for him.
[Here Luke uses a medical term for an arm stretched to the utmost. It is likely that the prayer became more and more intense, culminating in prayer throughout the night on the last day of the feast. The word is used only once before in reference to prayer, and that is when Jesus prays in Gethsemane, see Luke 22:43–44. On both occasions, the prayer sets angels in motion. The word is used a total of three times in the New Testament. Peter, who experienced how the believers stretched themselves to the utmost in prayer for him, chooses to use the same expression for how we should stretch ourselves to the utmost to love one another, see 1 Pet. 1:22. The adjective ektenes is used once in the New Testament, see 1 Pet. 4:8.]

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains [one for each soldier], and outside the door stood guards watching the prison.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the prison cell. He nudged Peter in the side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly!" The chains fell off Peter's hands (wrists).

When Peter came to himself [woke up], he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's hands, from everything the Jewish people expected (believed would happen)."

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so happy that instead of opening the gate, she ran back inside and told them that Peter was standing outside the gate.

Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the gate and saw him, they were completely astonished.

In the morning, there was great confusion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. [Peter's release must have taken place during the fourth and last night watch between three and six o'clock, because otherwise he would have been missing at the last changing of the guard.]

After a long lively discussion (debate with locked positions) [many had spoken, much had been said, and a long time had passed], Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that God had previously determined that the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel through my mouth and come to faith.
[The first non-Jude with whom Peter shared the gospel were Cornelius and his family in Caesarea Maritima, see Acts 10. The church in Jerusalem must have remembered this event that had taken place just over ten years earlier, because Peter immediately went to them and told them what had happened, see Acts 11:1–18. The word "previously determined" can refer to ancient times or a shorter period of time.]

Simeon [Simon Peter] has [just] told us how God first showed his concern by taking a people for himself from among the Gentiles. [Shimon is Simon Peter's Hebrew name.]

On the contrary, they saw (got a clear understanding of) that I had been entrusted with the gospel (the good news) to the uncircumcised [Gentiles, non-Jews], in the same way that Peter had been entrusted to the circumcised [Jews].

For the one who worked through (motivated, gave his power to) Peter and his ministry as an apostle to the circumcised, also worked (motivated, labored) through me for the uncircumcised.

[From] Peter,
apostle (messenger, ambassador) of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).
To the chosen strangers (guests, pilgrims) who are scattered (sown like seed; literally: "of the diaspora") [in the midst of a pagan culture] in
Pontus,
Galatia,
Cappadocia [eastern Turkey],
Asia and
Bithynia,
[Five Roman provinces in present-day Turkey are listed in the order a messenger would have traveled with this letter. Two of the regions are mentioned in Acts 2:8–10. Among the recipients of the letter were probably several Jews who, about 30 years earlier, had been in Jerusalem and personally heard Peter preach on the day of Pentecost. In recent times, Paul and other missionaries had visited these areas, so the congregations also consisted of converted Gentiles.]

[From] Simeon [Simon] Peter, servant (slave, bondman – Gk. doulos) and apostle (messenger, ambassador) of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).
[Peter does not use the usual Greek form "Simon" to introduce himself, but "Simeon," which is closer to the Hebrew origin of the name. In his first letter, he writes only Peter, see 1 Pet. 1:1, which was the name Jesus gave him, see John 1:42. By including both of these names (and also calling himself a servant), he shows the transformation that has taken place in his life. To those who through (in) the righteousness of our God and Savior – Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) – have received a faith as precious as ours.]