Acts 10:11-15

Context
10:11 He¹ saw heaven² opened³ and an object something like a large sheet⁴ descending,⁵ being let down to earth⁶ by its four corners. 10:12 In it⁷ were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles⁸ of the earth and wild birds.⁹ 10:13 Then¹⁰ a voice said¹¹ to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter¹² and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!”¹³ 10:15 The voice¹⁴ spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider¹⁵ ritually unclean!”¹⁶

Acts 10:28

Context
10:28 He said to them, “You know that¹⁷ it is unlawful¹⁸ for a Jew¹⁹ to associate with or visit a Gentile,²⁰ yet God has shown me that I should call no person²¹ defiled or ritually unclean.²²

[10:11] ¹tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[10:11] ²tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[10:11] ³tn On the heavens “opening,” see Matt 3:16; Luke 3:21; Rev 19:11 (cf. BDAG 84 s.v. ἀνοίγω 2). This is the language of a vision or a revelatory act of God.

[10:11] ⁴tn Or “a large linen cloth” (the term was used for the sail of a ship; BDAG 693 s.v. ὀθόνη).

[10:11] ⁵tn Or “coming down.”

[10:11] ⁶tn Or “to the ground.”

[10:12] ⁷tn Grk “in which.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.

[10:12] ⁸tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. See also Gen 6:20, as well as the law making such creatures unclean food in Lev 11:2-47.

[10:12] ⁹tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[10:13] ¹⁰tn Grk “And there came.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[10:13] ¹¹tn Grk “a voice to him”; the word “said” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[10:13] ¹²tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.

[10:14] ¹³tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqarto") here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.

[10:15] ¹⁴tn Grk “And the voice.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:15] ¹⁵tn Or “declare.”

[10:15] ¹⁶sn For the significance of this vision see Mark 7:14-23; Rom 14:14; Eph 2:11-22. God directed this change in practice.

[10:28] ¹⁷tn Here ὡς (Jws) is used like ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect discourse (cf. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5).

[10:28] ¹⁸tn This term is used of wanton or callously lawless acts (BDAG 24 s.v. ἀθέμιτος).

[10:28] ¹⁹tn Grk “a Jewish man” (ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ, andri Ioudaiw).

[10:28] ²⁰tn Grk “a foreigner,” but in this context, “a non-Jew,” that is, a Gentile. This term speaks of intimate association (BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.b.α). On this Jewish view, see John 18:28, where a visit to a Gentile residence makes a Jewish person unclean.

[10:28] ²¹tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[10:28] ²²tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.