Acts 10:1-22 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:5

And now send men to Joppa ,.... Which lay near to Caesarea; and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter : the angel was not sent to instruct Cornelius himself, but to direct him to an apostle of Christ, and minister of the Gospel, who should do it; for not angels, but men, are employed in the ministry of the word, which is the ordinary means of spiritual knowledge, and of increasing it. So the eunuch was instructed by Philip, and Saul by Ananias; which shows the excellency and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:6

He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner , &c.; Simon the tanner was his host; this man very probably was a good man, and one that lodged strangers; of his trade; see Gill on Acts 9:43 . whose house is by the sea side ; Joppa was a sea port, 2 Chronicles 2:16 Jonah 1:3 hence we read of ימא דיפו , "the sea of Joppa" F24 Ezra iii. 7. Targum in 2 Chron. ii. 16. ; and also of למינה של יפו , "the port of Joppa" F25 T. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 41. 1. Joseph. Antiqu. l. 11. c.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:7

And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed ,.... For when be had delivered his message, he either disappeared, or withdrew, and immediately Cornelius showed himself ready to obey the heavenly vision: for he called two of his household servants ; who were not of the band of soldiers under him, but were servants in his family, and such as feared God with him; and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually : besides his household servants, there were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:8

And when he had declared all these things unto them ,.... Which he had heard and seen in the vision, and of which he gave them a particular account; partly to engage them the more cheerfully to go on the errand, and partly that they might be able to give a distinct relation of it to Peter, that so he might be moved the more to comply with the request, and come along with them: he sent them to Joppa ; perhaps not that evening, since it was at the ninth hour, or three o'clock in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:9

On the morrow, as they went on their journey ,.... From Caesarea to Joppa; Joppa is said to be six and thirty miles distant from Caesarea; so far Caesarea was from Lydda, but it seems to be further from Joppa; for according to Josephus F2 Antiqu. l. 13. c. 13. , from Joppa to Antipatris were a hundred and fifty furlongs, which are almost nineteen miles, and from thence to Caesarea were twenty six miles; unless there was a nearer way by the sea shore, as there was a way by that from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:10

And he became very hungry ,.... It being in the middle of the day, when it was usual to eat; and perhaps he had ate nothing that day, for those were reckoned the most religious persons, who eat nothing before the Minchah: and would have eaten ; though the Jews say F5 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Sabbat. ib. , a man ought not to eat near the Minchah, not even the least, lest he should continue at it, and so neglect his prayers: but while they made ready , while Simon's... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:11

And saw heaven opened ,.... Not literally, as at the baptism of Christ, and the stoning of Stephen; but in a visionary way, and which was an emblem of the opening and revealing the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles, which in other ages was not made known, as it now and afterwards was: and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet : which seems to represent the church of God, whose original is from heaven, and consists of persons born from above, who have... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:12

Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth ,.... Not as if they were painted upon it, and these were only pictures and representations of them made on the linen sheet; but as if they really add actually were upon it alive; since Peter is afterwards called upon to kill and eat: and these design four-footed beasts of every kind, that are tame, as distinct from the wild ones, after mentioned, as horses, camels, oxen, sheep, hogs, dogs, &c.; and wild beasts ; lions,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:13

And there came a voice to him ,.... Formed by an angel, or rather by Christ himself: rise, Peter, kill and eat ; he might be on his knees when he fell into this trance, being at prayer, and therefore is bid to rise; and he is called by name, the more to encourage him to do as he was ordered; and he is bid to kill and eat of all the creatures without distinction, which were represented to him in the sheet; and the design of this was to teach him, that both the distinction between clean... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:14

But Peter said, not so, Lord ,.... God forbid I should do this, so contrary to the law of God, and to my own practice, throughout the whole course of my life: for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean ; in a ceremonial sense, which was in common use with Gentiles, but unclean by the law of Moses: this shows that Peter as yet closely adhered to the ceremonial law, nor did he know that it was abolished by Christ; and notwithstanding the commission given to him and the rest... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 10:14

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