Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 12:15

"And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel." — Acts 12:15 (ASV)

You are mad. You are insane. They seem to have regarded his rescue as so difficult and so hopeless that they considered it proof of derangement that she now affirmed it. And yet this was the very thing for which they had been so earnestly praying. When it was now announced to them that the object of their prayers was granted, they considered the messenger who announced it insane.

Christians are often surprised even when their prayers are answered. They are overwhelmed and amazed at the success of their own petitions and are slow to believe that the very thing for which they have sought could be granted. It shows, perhaps, with how little faith, after all, they pray, and how slow they are to believe that God can hear and answer prayer.

In a revival of religion, in answer to prayer, Christians are often overwhelmed and astonished when even their own petitions are granted, and when God manifests his own power in his own way and time. Prayer should be persevered in, and we should place ourselves in a waiting posture to catch the first indications that God has heard us with joy.

But she constantly affirmed it. She insisted on it. How much better it would have been to have hastened at once to the gate, than thus to have engaged in a controversy on the subject. Peter was allowed to remain knocking while they debated the matter. Christians are often engaged in some unprofitable controversy when they should hasten to catch the first tokens of Divine favour and open their arms to welcome the proofs that God has heard their prayers.

Then said they. Still resolved not to be convinced.

It is his angel. Any way of accounting for it rather than to admit the simple fact or to ascertain the simple truth. All this was produced by the little hope they had of his release and their earnest desire that it should be so. It was just such a state of mind as is indicated when we say, "the news is too good to be believed."

The expression it is his angel may mean that they supposed the tutelary guardian, or angel appointed to attend Peter, had come to announce something about him, and that he had assumed Peter's voice and form to make them certain that he came from him. This notion arose from the common belief of the Jews that each individual had assigned to him at birth a celestial spirit whose office it was to guard and defend him throughout life (See Barnes on Matthew 18:10).

That the Jews entertained this opinion is clear from their writings (See Kuinoel). Lightfoot thinks that those who were assembled supposed that this angel had assumed Peter's voice and manner to intimate to them that he was about to die, and to excite them to earnest prayer that he might die with constancy and firmness. Whatever their opinions were, however, it proves nothing on these points. There is no evidence that they were inspired in these opinions, nor are their notions countenanced by the Scriptures. They were the mere common traditions of the Jews and prove nothing regarding the truth of the opinion one way or the other.