Acts 10 - Introduction
CHAPTER 10. _ Baptism of Cornelius and his friends_.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 10. _ Baptism of Cornelius and his friends_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνήρ τις : on the expression see Ramsay, _St. Paul_, p. 202. ἐν Κ., see Acts 8:40.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἑκατοντάρχης : form general in N.T., and so in later Greek, although χιλίαρχος is always retained in N.T., and ἑκατόνταρχος is also found, Matthew 8:5; Matthew 8:8 (W.H [237]), Luke 7:2; Acts 22:25 (W.H [238]); so πατριάρχης, πολιτάρχης, ἐθνάρχης, see Winer-Schmiedel, p. 82, and note on forms employ... [ Continue Reading ]
εἶδεν : there is no ground for explaining away the force of the words by assuming that Cornelius had formerly a longing to see Peter. φανερῶς : “openly,” R.V.; _manifeste_, Vulgate. The words plainly are meant to exclude any illusion of the senses, not in a trance as in Acts 10:10, _cf._ Acts 22:17;... [ Continue Reading ]
Κορνήλιε, _cf._ 1 Samuel 3:10. Of Cornelius the words of the Evangelical Prophet were true, Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine”. ἀτενίσας, see above on Acts 1:10. ἔμφοβος : four times in St. Luke, twice in Gospel, twice in Acts, and always... [ Continue Reading ]
μετάπεμψαι : middle, his messengers were to perform his wishes; only in Acts in N.T., where it occurs nine times, but found twice in LXX and in Maccabees; so too mostly in the middle in classical writers, although the active is also found in same sense. Σίμωνά (τινα), see critical notes; as unknown... [ Continue Reading ]
ξενίζεται, see Acts 10:33. παρὰ θάλασσαν : perhaps to secure water for the purpose of his trade, perhaps because it seems that a tanner was not allowed to carry on his business unless outside the walls of a town, see on Acts 9:43, at a distance of fifty cubits, see Wendt, _in loco_ Hackett, p. 135.... [ Continue Reading ]
οἰκετῶν : one related to the οἶκος, a milder and a narrower term than δοῦλος, which would simply denote ownership; more closely associated with the family than other servants, οἰκέτας τε καὶ δούλους, _cf._ Romans 14:4; 1 Peter 2:18. εὐσεβῆ : not of itself showing that the soldier had entered into an... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξηγησάμενος ἅπαντα : only in Luke in N.T., except once in John 1:18, _cf._ Luke 24:35; Acts 15:12; Acts 15:14; Acts 21:19, and in LXX, Judges 7:13, 1 Chronicles 16:24; 2 Kings 8:5, etc. The word plainly suggests the mutual confidence existing between Cornelius and his household (ἅπαντα, as if nothi... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁδοι.: the distance was thirty miles; only here in N.T., not LXX; but ὁδοιπορία is found in N.T. and LXX; ὁδοιπόρος in LXX and Ecclus., but not in N.T.: all three words are found in classical Greek. It is perhaps to be noted that the word here used was also much employed in medical language (Hobart)... [ Continue Reading ]
πρόσπεινος : only here, not found in LXX or classical Greek, probably intensive force in πρός, see Grimm-Thayer, _sub v._, although not in R.V. ἤθελε γεύσασθαι : there is no mention of any long period of previous fasting, as if that would account for the vision; Peter was about to partake of his ord... [ Continue Reading ]
θεωρεῖ : “beholdeth,” historic present, giving vividness. ὡς ὀθόν. μεγ. Both words, ὀθόνη and ἀρχή (in this sense), are peculiar to St. Luke in N.T. the phrase ἀρχαὶ ὀθόνης is medical, so that the expression here rendered ends or corners of a sheet is really technical medical phraseology, see Hobart... [ Continue Reading ]
τετράποδα κ. τ. λ.: fish are not mentioned, perhaps because the vessel was not represented as containing water (so Blass, Weiss, Wendt), although fish also were divided into clean and unclean, Leviticus 11:9; Deuteronomy 14:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀναστάς, see above on Acts 5:17 : he may have been, as St. Chrysostom says, on his knees. θῦσον : the beasts are represented as living not here in a sacrificial sense, _cf._ Luke 15:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
Μηδαμῶς : _absit_ (LXX for חָלִילָה), 1 Samuel 20:2; 1 Samuel 22:15 (Weiss). Κύριε : Weiss refers to Acts 1:24, and takes it as meaning Jehovah, but others refer the expression here to Christ; the next verse shows us that there was still the same element of self-will in the Apostle which had misled... [ Continue Reading ]
The last word of Acts 10:14 carries us back to the thought of the teaching of his Master, which St. Peter had evidently not yet realised, _cf._ Mark 7:19. Mark alone draws the inference, “ _this He said_, making all meats clean,” which, compared with this verse, makes another link of interest betwee... [ Continue Reading ]
πάλιν : if we read εὐθύς, see critical notes, we have St. Mark's characteristic word (used by St. Luke only here in Acts, and once in Luke 6:49), a suggestive fact in a section of the book in which the pen or the language of St. Peter may fairly be traced.... [ Continue Reading ]
διηπόρει : “was much perplexed,” R.V., _cf._ Acts 2:12; Acts 5:24; see Page's note, _Acts_, p. 145. τί ἂν εἴη : on the optative in indirect questions used by St. Luke only, with or without ἂν, see Simcox, _Language of the N. T._, p. 112; Burton, _N. T. Moods and Tenses_, pp. 80, 133. διερωτήσαντες :... [ Continue Reading ]
φωνήσαντες : “having called out some one of the servants” (Blass, Alford, Kuinoel), but = “called” simply, R.V.; “vocantes portæ curatorem,” Wetstein.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐνθυμουμένου : compound verb best, see critical notes: “pondered on the vision,” Rendall; διενθ. verb = to weigh in the mind, only here, not found in LXX or elsewhere, except in ecclesiastical writers. ἄνδρες τρεῖς, so A. and R.V., see critical notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
μηδὲν διακ.: “nothing doubting,” _i.e._, without hesitation as to its lawfulness, _cf._ Matthew 21:21; Romans 14:23; Mark 11:23; James 1:6; the verb is not so used in classical Greek. See Mayor's note on James 1:6, apparently confined in this sense to N.T. and later Christian writings. For the activ... [ Continue Reading ]
δίκαιος : “sensu Judaico” (Blass), _cf._ Luke 1:6; Luke 2:25; Luke 23:50. μαρτ., see on Acts 6:3. τε closely joins it, as confirming the judgment. On construction with ὑπό in inscriptions, Deissmann, _Neue Bibelstudien_, p. 95. ἔθνους τῶν Ἰ.: ἔθνος in the mouth of Gentiles, _cf._ Luke 7:5 and see ab... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰσκ.: only used here in N.T., so μετακ. in Acts 10:32; both verbs are also frequent in medical writers, as Hobart urges, but both are found in classical Greek, and the latter three times in LXX, although the former not at all. ἐξένισε, _recepit hospitio_, Vulgate, _cf._ Hebrews 13:2, and Westcott,... [ Continue Reading ]
On the route see Edersheim, _Jewish Social Life_, p. 27; and on this and the following verse in [240] text as specially supporting his theory, see Blass, _Philology of the Gospels_, pp. 116 ff. and 127. ἦν προσδοκῶν : characteristic Lucan construction, see above Acts 1:10; _cf._ Luke 1:21. προσδ., f... [ Continue Reading ]
ὡς δὲ ἐγέν. (τοῦ) εἰσ.: for τοῦ see critical notes; “and when it came to pass that Peter entered,” R.V., _i.e._, into the house, see Burton, _N. T. Moods and Tenses_, p. 139. It may be regarded as an extension of τοῦ beyond its usual sphere, see Viteau, _Le Grec du N. T._, for instances in LXX, pp.... [ Continue Reading ]
The conduct of Christ may be contrasted with that of His Apostles, so Blass: “illi (Petro) autem is honor recusandus erat, _cf._ Apoc., Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8; quem nunquam recusavit Jesus, Luc., 4:8; 8:41” (see Hackett's note and Knabenbauer _in loco_).... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ συνομιλῶν αὐτῷ : “and as he talked with him,” R.V.; only here in N.T., not in LXX (but συνόμιλος, Symm. Job 19:19), _cf._ Acts 20:11 for similar use of the simple verb ὁμιλέω, which is also used in a similar sense in LXX and in Josephus (so too in Xen.), and also in modern Greek (Kennedy). εἰσῆλ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀθέμιτον : only once again in N.T., and significantly in 1 Peter 4:3, but _cf._ for a similar sense to its use here 2Ma 6:5; 2Ma 7:1. On the extent to which this feeling was carried see Edersheim, _Jewish Social Life_, pp. 26 28; Taylor's _Sayings of the Jewish Fathers_, pp. 15, 26, 137 (second edit... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀναντιῤῥήτως : only here in N.T., but see Acts 19:36; on spelling see critical notes; used also by Polyb. “sanctum fidei silentium” (Calvin). μεταπεμφθείς : only here in passive in N.T., see Acts 10:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
For readings see critical notes. “Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer,” R.V., this hour, _i.e._, the present hour, the hour of Peter's visit; four days ago reckoned from this present hour, lit [241], “from the fourth day,” “quarto abhinc die”. The four days accordi... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰσηκούσθη : perhaps “was heard” or “has been heard” is best (see Rendall and Hackett). ἡ προσ. may refer to his present prayer, as it is in the singular, but the burden of all his past prayers had doubtless been the same, _cf._ Acts 10:33 for God's guidance into truth. ἐμνήσθησαν, _cf._ LXX, Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξαυτῆς, _sc._, ὥρας : four times in Acts, otherwise only once in Mark 6:25 and once in Philippians 2:23, not in LXX; for instances in Polyb., Jos., see Wetstein, _sub_ Mark _l.c._ καλῶς ἐποίησας, _cf._ Philippians 4:14; 2 Peter 1:19; 2 Peter 1:3 John Acts 10:6 1Ma 12:18; 1Ma 12:22. In some instance... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνοίξας κ. τ. λ.: a solemn formula, _cf._ Acts 8:35; Acts 18:14; Matthew 5:2; Matthew 13:35; Hort, _Judaistic Christ._, p. 57. ἐπʼ ἀληθ.: used in Luke's Gospel three times, Luke 4:25; Luke 20:21; Luke 22:59, and in Acts twice, Acts 4:27; Acts 10:34, el [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλʼ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει κ. τ. λ. The words are taken by Ramsay to mean that Cornelius was regarded as a proselyte by Peter, and that only on that condition could he be admitted to the Christian Church, _i.e._, through Judaism; so apparently _St. Paul_, pp. 42, 43. On the other hand the general expressio... [ Continue Reading ]
For readings see critical notes; translate: “the word he sent unto” R.V., _cf._ Psalms 107:20. λόγον, _cf._ for use of the word as a divine message Acts 4:31; Acts 8:14; Acts 8:25; Acts 13:26; Acts 14:3; Acts 16:32; here it may mean the Gospel message sent to Israel as distinct from the τὸ ῥῆμα, _i.... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ ῥῆμα : so far Peter has referred to a message which would be unknown to Cornelius, the message of peace through Christ, but he now turns to what Cornelius probably did know by report at all events; τὸ ῥ. not the λόγος of Acts 10:36, but only the “report”. καθʼ ὅλης τῆς Ἰ., _i.e._, all Palestine i... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ν.: in apposition to ῥῆμα, the person in Whom all else was centred, and in Whom Peter had found and now preached “the Christ”; or may be treated as accusative after ἔχρισεν. ὡς ἔχρ.: taken by St. Ambrose, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (so by Bede) to refer to the Incarnation, by St. Athanasi... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνεῖλον, see above, p. 155. κρεμάσαντες, p. 154.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν τῇ τ. ἡμ.: only alluded to here in Acts, but a positive testimony from St. Peter to the resurrection appearances on the third day, 1 Corinthians 15:4; the expression is specially emphasised by St. Luke in his Gospel, where it occurs some six times. ἐμφανῆ γεν.: a phrase only found here and in Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, and therefore Cornelius could not have known the details fully. Theophylact well remarks, “If even the disciples were incredulous, and needed touch and talk, what would have happened in the case of the many?” προκεχειροτονημένοις, _i.e._, by God; only here, not used in LXX or Apocry... [ Continue Reading ]
παρήγγειλεν : charged us, see on Acts 1:4. διαμαρτύρ., see above on Acts 2:40; Acts 8:25. ὁ ὡρισμένος, see Acts 2:23, _cf._ Acts 17:31, in a strikingly similar statement by St. Paul at Athens. St. Peter and St. Paul are both at one in their witness to the Resurrection of the Christ on the third day,... [ Continue Reading ]
πάντα τὸν πιστεύοντα, _cf._ Romans 10:11, whether Jew or Gentile; the phrase emphatic at the close of the verse, _cf._ Romans 3:22. There is no occasion to refer the words to a reviser in their Pauline meaning (Weiss); St. Peter in reality says nothing more than he had already said and implied, Acts... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔτι λ.: the Apostle is apparently interrupted (_cf._ Acts 11:15); but in this instance we can agree with Overbeck that the concluding phrase, in its relation to Acts 10:34 and its proof that God was no respecter of persons, gives to the whole speech a perfect completeness (so Zöckler). ἐπέπεσε, _cf.... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ ἐκ π., see Acts 10:23, _cf._ Romans 4:12, and for the phrase as describing St. Paul's most bitter and narrow opponents, see Galatians 2:12; Colossians 4:11; Titus 1:10. The fact was thus fully testified, even by those who were not in sympathy with it. καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη : “nam uno admisso jam nulli... [ Continue Reading ]
λαλούντων γλώσσαις, see on Acts 2:13; here no speaking in different languages is meant, but none the less the gift which manifested itself in jubilant ecstatic praise was a gift of the Spirit, and the event may well be called “the Gentile Pentecost”; see on Acts 11:15 and Plumptre, _in loco_; Wendt,... [ Continue Reading ]
μήτι τὸ ὕ.… τοῦ μὴ βαπτισθῆναι, _cf._ Acts 14:18 : on construction, Burton, p. 159; so also in LXX and classical Greek, Blass, _Gram._, p. 230; Viteau, _Le Grec du N. T._, p. 172 (1893). οἵτινες, _quippe qui_, so Blass in this passage. τὸ ὕδωρ : “the water” R.V., not simply “water” as A.V., as Benge... [ Continue Reading ]
προσέταξε, _cf._ St. Paul's rule, 1 Corinthians 1:17. If Philip the Evangelist was at Cæsarea at the time, the baptism may have been intrusted to him. ἐπιμεῖναι : _diutius commorari_, Blass, so _manere amplius_, Bengel, _cf._ Acts 21:4; Acts 21:10; Acts 28:12; Acts 28:14, and Acts 15:34 [243] (Blass... [ Continue Reading ]