Acts 10:4

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 with second aorist participle of γίγνομαι as here, only once elsewhere in N.T., Revelation 11:13 (with ἐγένοντο); cf. Sir 19:24 (21), of the fear of God; and in 1Ma 13:2 both ἔντρομος and ἔμφοβος are apparently found together, cf. Acts 7:32; Acts 16:29, but in classical Greek the word is used properly actively, formidolosus. τί ἐστι, Κύριε; the words, similar to those used by Paul at his conversion, reveal the humility and the attentive attitude and readiness of Cornelius. αἱ προσ., cf. Acts 2:22, with article: of regular prayers. ἀνέβησαν : tanquam sacrificia, cf. Psalms 141:2; Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 13:15, and for the word, 2 Kings 3:20; Job 20:6; Ezekiel 8:11 1Ma 5:31. εἰς μνημόσυνον : in Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 2:9; Leviticus 2:16; Leviticus 5:12; Leviticus 6:15; Numbers 5:26 cf. Sir 38:11; Sir 45:16), the word is used as a translation of the Hebrew אַזְכָּרָה, “a name given to that portion of the vegetable oblation which was burnt with frankincense upon the altar, the sweet savour of which ascending to heaven was supposed to commend the person sacrificing to the remembrance and favour of God,” a remembrance offering. The words at all events express the thought that the prayers and alms of Cornelius had gained the favourable regard of God, and that they would be remembered, and are remembered accordingly (see notes by Wendt, Felten and Holtzmann), the alms being regarded by zeugma as ascending like the prayers. With this passage cf. Tob 12:12; Tob 12:15, and Mr. Ball's note in Speaker's Commentary, i., p. 231. “O quam multa in terrain cadunt, non ascendunt” Bengel, and cf. Hamlet, Act iii., Sc. 3: “My words fly up,” etc.: see Book of Enoch, xlix., 3, for a striking parallel to the thought of raising prayers as a memorial to God, Charles' edition, pp. 70, 284.