Acts 12:3,4 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And because he saw it pleased the Jews Whose favour he laboured by all possible means to conciliate; he proceeded to take Peter also Renowned as he was for such a variety of miracles wrought by him at Jerusalem. According to Josephus, (Antiq., Acts 19:7,) this Herod “was a great zealot for the Mosaic law, dwelt much at Jerusalem, and gladly embraced all opportunities of obliging the Jews, as his grandfather Herod did of pleasing strangers;” a character well suiting what Luke here says of him. Then were the days of unleavened bread When the Jews came together to Jerusalem from all parts, to celebrate the passover. And he put him in prison And, for the greater security of so noted a person, he delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers That is, to sixteen, each party consisting of four, who were to watch him day and night by turns, four at a time; two of them being chained to him, and two of them watching before the door of the prison; intending after Easter Or, rather, after the passover, as μετα το πασχα signifies, and ought, doubtless, to have been translated; (the name Easter not being in use till many centuries after this book was written;) to bring him forth to the people To be made a spectacle to them, as his Master, Jesus, had been on the first day of unleavened bread; for confining him was not all that Herod designed. His intention was, after the paschal lamb was eaten, and the seven days' festival quite finished, to gratify the people by putting him to death, and that publicly. For, notwithstanding their zeal about rituals, they would submit to be concerned in the vilest immoralities, and most horrid cruelties, exercised on the servants of God.