{God raised up} (ho theos anest(8873)en). _Est hoc summum
orationis_ (Blass). Apparently this is the first public
proclamation to others than believers of the fact of the
Resurrection of Jesus. "At a time it was still possible to test
the statement, to examine witnesses, to expose fraud, the Apostle
openly proclaimed the Resurrection as a fact, needing no
evidence, but known to his hearers" (Furneaux). {The pangs of
death} (	as (9364)inas tou thanatou). Codex Bezae has "Hades"
instead of death. The LXX has (9364)inas thanatou in  Ps 18:4 , but
the Hebrew original means "snares" or "traps" or "cords" of death
where sheol and death are personified as hunters laying snares
for prey. How Peter or Luke came to use the old Greek word
(9364)inas (birth pangs) we do not know. Early Christian writers
interpreted the Resurrection of Christ as a birth out of death.
"Loosing" (lusas) suits better the notion of "snares" held a
prisoner by death, but birth pangs do bring deliverance to the
mother also. {Because} (kathoti). This old conjunction (kata,
hoti) occurs in the N.T. only in Luke's writings. {That he
should be holden} (krateisthai auton). Infinitive present
passive with accusative of general reference and subject of (886e)
adunaton. The figure goes with "loosed" (lusas) above.