Acts 10:19-33

Context
10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about¹ the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up,² go down, and accompany them without hesitation,³ because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down⁴ to the men and said, “Here I am,⁵ the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion,⁶ a righteous⁷ and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation,⁸ was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message⁹ from you.” 10:23 So Peter¹⁰ invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out¹¹ with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa¹² accompanied him. 10:24 The following day¹³ he entered Caesarea.¹⁴ Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously¹⁵ for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when¹⁶ Peter came in, Cornelius met¹⁷ him, fell¹⁸ at his feet, and worshiped¹⁹ him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up,²⁰ saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.”²¹ 10:27 Peter²² continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together.²³ 10:28 He said to them, “You know that²⁴ it is unlawful²⁵ for a Jew²⁶ to associate with or visit a Gentile,²⁷ yet God has shown me that I should call no person²⁸ defiled or ritually unclean.²⁹ 10:29 Therefore when you sent for me,³⁰ I came without any objection. Now may I ask why³¹ you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius³² replied,³³ “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon,³⁴ I was praying in my house, and suddenly³⁵ a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity³⁶ have been remembered before God.³⁷ 10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner,³⁸ by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come.³⁹ So now we are all here in the presence of God⁴⁰ to listen⁴¹ to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.”⁴²

[10:19] ¹tn The translation “think seriously about” for διενθυμέομαι (dienqumeomai) is given in L&N 30.2. Peter was “pondering” the vision (BDAG 244 s.v.).

[10:20] ²tn Grk “But getting up, go down.” The participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:20] ³tn The term means “without doubting” or “without deliberation.” It is a term of conscience and discernment. In effect, Peter is to listen to them rather than hesitate (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 6).

[10:21] ³tn Grk “Peter going down to the men, said.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:21] ⁴tn Grk “Behold, it is I whom you seek,” or “Behold, I am the one you seek.” “Here I am” is used to translate ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι (idou egw eimi).

[10:22] ⁴sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[10:22] ⁵tn Or “just.”

[10:22] ⁶tn The phrase τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (tou eqnou" twn Ioudaiwn) is virtually a technical term for the Jewish nation (1 Macc 10:25; 11:30, 33; Josephus, Ant. 14.10.22 [14.248]). “All the Jewish people,” while another possible translation of the Greek phrase, does not convey the technical sense of a reference to the nation in English.

[10:22] ⁷tn Grk “hear words.”

[10:23] ⁵tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:23] ⁶tn Or “went forth.”

[10:23] ⁷sn Some of the brothers from Joppa. As v. 45 makes clear, there were Jewish Christians in this group of witnesses.

[10:24] ⁶tn Grk “On the next day,” but since this phrase has already occurred in v. 23, it would be redundant in English to use it again here.

[10:24] ⁷sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi).

[10:24] ⁸tn Normally προσδοκάω (prosdokaw) means “to wait with apprehension or anxiety for something,” often with the implication of impending danger or trouble (L&N 25.228), but in this context the anxiety Cornelius would have felt came from the importance of the forthcoming message as announced by the angel.

[10:25] ⁷tn Grk “So it happened that when.” 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.

[10:25] ⁸tn Grk “meeting him.” The participle συναντήσας (sunanthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25] ⁹tn Grk “falling at his feet, worshiped.” The participle πεσών (peswn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25] ¹⁰sn When Cornelius worshiped Peter, it showed his piety and his respect for Peter, but it was an act based on ignorance, as Peter’s remark in v. 26 indicates.

[10:26] ⁸tn BDAG 271 s.v. ἐγείρω 3 has “raise, help to rise….Stretched out Ac 10:26.”

[10:26] ⁹tn Although it is certainly true that Peter was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") has been translated as “mere mortal” because the emphasis in context is not on Peter’s maleness, but his humanity. Contrary to what Cornelius thought, Peter was not a god or an angelic being, but a mere mortal.

[10:27] ⁹tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 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.

[10:27] ¹⁰tn Or “many people assembled.”

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

[10:28] ¹¹tn This term is used of wanton or callously lawless acts (BDAG 24 s.v. ἀθέμιτος).

[10:28] ¹²tn Grk “a Jewish man” (ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ, andri Ioudaiw).

[10:28] ¹³tn 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] ¹⁴tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[10:28] ¹⁵tn 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.

[10:29] ¹¹tn Grk “Therefore when I was sent for.” The passive participle μεταπεμφθείς (metapemfqei") has been taken temporally and converted to an active construction which is less awkward in English.

[10:29] ¹²tn Grk “ask for what reason.”

[10:30] ¹²tn Grk “And Cornelius.” 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.

[10:30] ¹³tn Grk “said.”

[10:30] ¹⁴tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” Again, this is the hour of afternoon prayer.

[10:30] ¹⁵tn Grk “and behold.” The interjection ἰδού (idou) is difficult at times to translate into English. Here it has been translated as “suddenly” to convey the force of Cornelius’ account of the angel’s appearance.

[10:31] ¹³tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:31] ¹⁴sn This statement is a paraphrase rather than an exact quotation of Acts 10:4.

[10:32] ¹⁴tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname.

[10:33] ¹⁵tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalw" poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).

[10:33] ¹⁶tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enwpion tou qeou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.

[10:33] ¹⁷tn Or “to hear everything.”

[10:33] ¹⁸tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.