The outside door (so Jerusalem Bible; “the outer door” New English Bible) was either the door leading from the street into the inner court or else a smaller door built into the main door, and which could be used for entrance without opening the larger one. Rhoda, the name of the servant girl, means “a rose.”

In many languages one cannot speak of “answering the door” as answer it would imply. Rather, one must say “a servant girl named Rhoda came to find out who was knocking” or “… came in response to Peter’s knocking.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .