Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
Herod Persecutes the Church, and Puts James, the Brother of John, to Death (12:1-2)
Now about that time - about the time referred to at the close of the preceding chapter. Whether Barnabas and Saul returned to their post at Antioch immediately after executing their commission, or remained throughout the trying period to which this chapter refers, cannot with certainty be determined. But see the note at Acts 12:25. The exact date can only be approximated (see Introduction).
Herod the king. This was Herod Agrippa I, before whose son-Herod Agrippa II-Paul made his celebrated defense, (Acts 26:1-32) This one was grandson to Herod the Great, being the son of Aristobulus and Berenice (of the Maccabean or Hasmonean line). He was brought up at Rome with Caligula and Claudius. On the accession of Caligula to the empire he obtained from him the dominions of his uncles, Philip and Herod Antipas-Batanaea, Trachonitis, and Auranitis (after the death of Philip); Galilee and Peraea (on the banishment of Antipas to Gaul); and Abilene (of which Lysanias had been tetrarch) - with the title of king. On the accession of Claudius he was further invested with the sovereignty of Samaria and Judea; thus having at length all the dominions over which his grandfather had reigned, and from which he derived an immense revenue. The accuracy of the sacred writer (says Paley), in the expressions which he uses here, is remarkable.
There was no portion of time for thirty years before, nor ever afterwards, in which there was a king at Jerusalem, or one exercising that authority in Judea and to whom that title could be applied, except this Herod during the last three years life, within which period the transaction here recorded took place (for his son, though a king, did not reign over Judea). From Josephus we learn that his characteristics were, not the cruelty of Herod the Great, nor the licentiousness uncle Herod Antipas, but rigidity in his observance of Jewish rites, gentleness, beneficence, and love of popularity. Plainly it was this last characteristic, combined with the first, which prompted the persecuting acts recorded in the first part of the chapter, while the vain-glorious exhibition related in the latter part of it is easily explained by the last characteristic. Since we learn from the same Jewish historian that he resided for the most part at Jerusalem, we can easily see how ready he would be to listen to the complaints of the irritated Jewish rulers regarding the progress which the Gospel was making even in the capital, and to their urgent solicitations for his royal interposition to put a stop to it.
Stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church х epebalen (G1911) ... tas (G3588) cheiras (G5495) kakoosai (G2559) tinas (G5100) toon (G3588) apo (G575) toon (G3588) ekkleesias (G1577).] - laid hands, on certain of those who were of the Church, to 'vex or injure them.' The special expression, 'certain of those who were of the Church,' cannot justly be taken to mean those who held office in it (as Webster and Wilkinson, referring to some ancient versions which so render it). It seems, as in Acts 6:9, to mean merely 'certain persons belonging to the Church.' Herod did not think of setting on foot, in the first instance, any general persecution against the Christian body; but if an example were made of its most distinguished leaders, he probably supposed that this would suffice to disperse, if not extinguish it.