Acts 10:9

Peter is prepared for their visit by a Vision

9. Peter went up upon the house With the flat roofs of Eastern houses, to which access could be obtained from outside without passing through the rooms of the building, the housetop formed a convenient place for retirement. It was the place chosen by Samuel (1 Samuel 9:25-26) for his conference with Saul before he anointed him king. Cp. also 2 Samuel 11:2.

to pray We find that the housetop was used for religious purposes (Jeremiah 19:13; Zephaniah 1:5). These instances are of worship paid to false gods, but if the one worship, we may believe that the other also was performed there.

about the sixth hour i.e. midday, and the second of the Jewish stated hours of prayer. We see from Acts 10:23 that the journey from Joppa to Cæsarea occupied more than one day, so that the vision of Cornelius took place on the day before the trance of St Peter and the messengers had time almost to accomplish their journey before the Apostle, by his vision, was prepared to receive them. The distance between the two places was 30 Roman miles.