And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate
The lesser door in the great gate, or the door of the porch through which they entered into the house. So the Jews distinguish between (xtp) , "the door", and (rev) , "the gate"; see ( Judges 18:16 Judges 18:17 ) ( Ezekiel 40:11 ) where the Septuagint use the same words as here. Kimchi
``(xtp) , "the door" is what is of the gate, without the folding doors; for all is called (rev) , "the gate", whether within or without, with the folding doors, and the outward threshold, as that is joined to the side posts and lintel.''The door was kept shut, for fear of the Jews, lest they should be disturbed: here Peter stood and knocked:
a damsel came to hearken;
hearing a knocking, she came out to the door, and listened, to try if she could know who it was, a friend or a foe, before she opened; or she came "to answer", as the Syriac version renders it, to know who was there, and what he or she wanted, and to give an answer. And the damsel was
named Rhoda,
which signifies a rose in the Greek language: so the Jewish women often had their names, in the Hebrew tongue, from flowers and trees, as Susanna from a lily, or rose: and which, perhaps, was the Hebrew name of this damsel; and Esther was called Hadassah, from the myrtle tree.
F8 Sepher Shorash. rad. (xtp)