Bible Strands
Acts 12:14
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Rhoda, a servant girl, hears Peter knocking at the outer gate and runs inside the courtyard to announce his presence to the praying believers.
The words — ἐπιγνοῦσα (epignousa) means "having recognized," describing her immediate sensory identification of Peter’s voice before she moves.
The thread — Her joyful disbelief parallels the disciples’ reaction in Luke 24:41 and the women’s hurried report in Matthew 28:8, where overwhelming joy triggers physical haste and initial skepticism from others.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that genuine encounters with the divine often bypass rational expectation, requiring the reader to examine how personal joy and surprise shape the reporting of truth.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
Cross-references
- Luke 24:41 While they were still in disbelief because of their joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
- Matthew 28:8 So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples.