Who was Rhoda in the Bible?

A maid in the house of Mary when Peter was delivered from prison. Acts 12:13.

At Mary's home many were gathered, praying for Peter. In answer to his knock a girl named Rhoda (meaning "a rose") came to the door to find who was knocking. When he answered and she knew his voice, she left him outside because she was so excited she wanted to carry the news immediately to all in the house. They would not believe her, though they had been praying constantly for him When she insisted, they thought it must have been his "angel," that is, his spirit; for rather than thinking he could have been delivered, they deduced that he had been killed!

There was a simple enough way to prove the matter, and they finally opened the door. Why should they have been so astonished, rather than simply deeply thankful for God's answer to their prayers? When Peter was able to silence their excited voices, he told them how the Lord had intervened to bring him out of prison, instructing them also to take the information to James (the Lord's brother). Rather than staying there, however, where he was likely to be looked for, he went to an unnamed place.

Rhe’sa - Greek for Rephaiah

Rho’da - A rose

Rhodes - Rosy

Interesting is the account of the prayer meeting held in behalf of Peter. When God had answered their prayers they were reluctant to believe it. Not one of the company believed that Peter had been released. Rhoda was the one who believed that it was Peter. And this is undoubtedly the reason why her name is mentioned in this book. The poor maid, perhaps a slave girl, pleased God because she had faith. While there was great earnestness in that prayer meeting, when the prayer was answered, unbelief manifested itself.

You remember on the night the angel brought Peter out of prison, in Acts 12, he went "to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark." They were having a prayer meeting at Mary's house that night. It was a special prayer meeting for Peter; and the Lord heard and answered, even as they prayed. But I am afraid they had not a great deal of faith, (they were perhaps rather like some of us today), for when Peter came and knocked at the door, and Rhoda (the girl who answered the knock) told them that Peter stood at the gate, they would not believe her, and told her she was mad. When she insisted it was so, they said: "It is his angel," (or, his spirit).

Peter's bewilderment at the moment one can readily conceive to have been great. We all know how difficult it is to apprise the situation when suddenly aroused from profound slumber. Peter was in that condition. He had lain down only expecting to wake and go forth to die, and then to see and hear an angel bidding him — chained man that he was — to arise, clothe himself, and walk out of prison, and then suddenly to find himself on the pavement of a well-known street, a free man, might well be accompanied by considerable bewilderment. But it soon passed, for we read, "And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord has sent his angel, and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectations of the people of the Jews" (Acts 12:11). Thus he acknowledges the gracious intervention of the Lord on his behalf, and then "when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying." The deep earnestness of the saints in prayer is strikingly marked by their being thus before God at the untimely hour of Peter's appearance on the scene.

Arrived there he knocks, and Rhoda, the portress, going to inquire who was at the "door of the gate" — the wicket-gate into the court — hears his voice. So overwhelmed is she with gladness that instead of at once letting the apostle in — as a more sensible girl would have done — she ran back into the house to apprise the others of the answer to their prayers, and "that Peter stood before the gate." Alas! faith and fervour are not always combined. "Thou art mad" was the first response that the supplicants at a throne of grace made to the messenger, who simply told them that their prayers were heard, and answered by God. When she "constantly affirmed that it was so," the others — instead of going out to the gate to see if the report were true — argued thus, "It is his angel." They evidently thought Rhoda had seen some apparition like to Peter, or that his representative angel (see Matt. 18:10) had paid her a visit.

"But Peter continued knocking," a manifest testimony to the truth of Rhoda's statement; so at length, either calming down, or overcoming their incredulity, they proceeded to the gate, "and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished." If we did not know our own hearts, we should be inclined to wonder at all this. Here were a number of God's people crying specially to Him for a certain thing, and when it was granted, they were "astonished." Alas! our faith is often so feeble that God's answer to our prayer surprises us. Were we only truly simple and right before Him, the surprise would be if the answer were not quick in coming.

The name Mark (Marcus) was merely a common Roman praenomen, like Caius or Publius; his Jewish name was John, and he was the nephew of Barnabas, and the son of that Mary at whose house the prayer-meetings were held (Acts 12.) — a house of such gracious christian hospitality that it was thither Peter first turned his steps when escaped from prison. This seemed to promise well. "La prédestination de l'enfant," says Lamartine, "c'est la maison on il est né." Not quite so, perhaps, but still we read, "Hezekiah … his mother's name was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord"; "Amaziah the son of Joash … his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord." Of a truth John Mark started from a good home. He was converted through Peter (1 Peter 5:13.) who seemed to enjoy a special welcome in the house. I wonder who that damsel Rhoda was who could not open the gate for gladness when she heard Peter's voice without, possibly Mark's sister: and at the very outset of his christian course, Barnabas and Paul took him with them on their missionary travels. He was Barnabas's relation and his cousin, the bishop, thought himself justified in bestowing his patronage on such a promising young "curate." Thus early did nepotism enter the church: simony had already knocked at the door by the hand of Simon Magus, but had not yet been admitted.

Meanwhile the assembly made earnest prayer, whilst the king delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep. Deliverance was at hand, which the church scarcely expected more than the king feared it. As usual, it was just before the critical moment. 'At evening time there shall be light.' That night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, not only bound with two chains, but sentinels before the door keeping guard of the prison. All seemed sure on the world's side, and on the other Peter rested in peace through the grace of the Lord Who neither slumbers nor sleeps; when behold, His angel stood by and roused him, freeing Peter of his chains, and minutely directing him, who, as in a vision, complied with each word as he was bidden. Nor did he come to himself till they had passed the two-fold watch, and the iron gate opened of its own accord, not to let the angel in but to let Peter out; and they had advanced one street off, when the angel departed. Then Peter realized his deliverance, and in full consciousness of all went to Mary's, where many were met for prayer — we cannot surely doubt — about him who knocked at the door. Nor was it fear but joy that led the maid Rhoda (or as we would say, Rose), who recognized the well-known voice, to run back and tell the news, that Peter was standing without. Luke, who all through presents the truth vividly, in no way hides the scanty faith of the saints, who could scarcely have forgotten how Jehovah's angel before now opened the prison-doors and brought out the apostles when placed in public custody by the envious high priest and his Sadducean party. Faith appropriates as well as remembers for present need.

"I know that this shall turn out for me unto Salvation, through your supplication, and abundant-supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." There are various words used in the Greek New Testament for "prayer," and this is one of the strongest: it expresses the urgency of the need, and the sense of it in the minds of the dear Philippian saints. You recall the prayer meeting for Peter in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, (Acts 12). What supplications must have gone up that evening! James, the leader of the assembly at Jerusalem, was absent: they may have been only a company of poor, unknown saints; and they do not seem to have had a great deal of faith: but may it not have been through their supplication, and the abundant-supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that what looked like certain death for Peter turned out for him unto Salvation. And I do not think they were so different to us: I like to think of that company in Mary's house: as far as I know we only know the names of two, or perhaps three, — Rhoda, the damsel who went to open the door for him; and probably John Mark. Both may have been little more than children: certainly "young people." What an encouragement for my young Readers to attend the Prayer Meetings! Mark's mother, Mary, may have been there also. And the prayer meetings in Philippi for Paul may have been very much the same: perhaps the jailor and Lydia; maybe the girl from whom the demon was cast out; and, until he went to Rome, likely Epaphroditus: people just like ourselves, of like passions as we are (James 5:17), but it was through their supplications, and the abundant-supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that Paul counted on his "Salvation."

And this brings in Saul of Tarsus, but Saul is not the object that I have before me, but Peter. Herod comes before us in a new way in Acts 12. At that time there was a persecution. Herod had already killed James, the son of Zebedee, whom we must distinguish from James, the Lord's brother, who wrote the Epistle. This was the son of Zebedee. He was baptised with the baptism wherewith the Lord was baptised. He was drinking of that same cup, as the Lord said. Herod meant to lay his hand on Peter also, but the Lord ordered otherwise, and, the very night before the day he was to suffer, an angel was sent. But Peter was asleep; so little was he affected by any anxiety as to that which was coming. He lay between the soldiers, chained to them. The angel enters, awakes him from his sleep, delivers him from the chains, bids him clothe himself, leads him out, and afterwards brings him from the courts of the prison into the street, and leaves him. Peter goes to a house where at that very night there was a prayer-meeting. And the prayer-meeting was about Peter. So it is plain that, as far as that is concerned, they had very much the same thing that we should have ourselves under similar circumstances. No doubt it had a special character, but that also we know, too. There they were, praying for him; and the remarkable thing is that as Peter was little expecting the angel's visit to deliver him, so also the saints that were praying were taken completely by surprise when Peter stood at the door. We have in the most graphic manner the Spirit of God showing how Rhoda herself kept him there, for the joy that it was he, and she ran and told it to them to their astonishment, bringing out their unbelief indeed; but Peter was let in, and he tells the story, and goes to another place. Where he went we are not told.