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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Acts 10:9–18. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Cornelius had received positive orders from heaven to send for Peter, whom otherwise he had not heard of, or at least not heeded; but here is another difficulty that lies in the way of bringing them together - the question is whether Peter will come to Cornelius when he is sent for; not as if he thought it below him to come at a beck, or as if he were afraid to preach his doctrine to a polite man as Cornelius was: but it sticks at a point of conscience. Cornelius is a very worthy man, and has many good qualities, but he is a Gentile, he is not circumcised; and, because God in his law had forbidden his people to associate with idolatrous nations, they would not keep company with any but those of their own religion, though they were ever so deserving, and they carried the matter so far that they made even the involuntary touch of a Gentile to contract a ceremonial pollution, Joh 18:28. Peter had not got over this stingy bigoted notion of his countrymen, and therefore will be shy of coming to Cornelius. Now, to remove this difficulty, he has a vision here, to prepare him to receive the message sent him by Cornelius, as Ananias had to prepare him to go to Paul. The scriptures of the Old Testament had spoken plainly of the bringing in of the Gentiles into the church. Christ had given plain intimations of it when he ordered them to teach all nations; and yet even Peter himself, who knew so much of his Master's mind, could not understand it, till it was here revealed by vision, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, Eph 3:6. Now here observe,
I.The circumstances of this vision.
1.It was when the messengers sent from Cornelius were now nigh the city, Act 10:9. Peter knew nothing of their approach, and they knew nothing of his praying; but he that knew both him and them was preparing things for the interview, and facilitating the end of their negotiation. To all God's purposes there is a time, a proper time; and he is pleased often to bring things to the minds of his ministers, which they had not thought of, just then when they have occasion to use them.
2.It was when Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, about noon.
(1.)Peter was much in prayer, much in secret prayer, though he had a great deal of public work upon his hands.
(2.)He prayed about the sixth hour, according to David's example, who, not only morning and evening, but at noon, addressed himself to God by prayer, Psa 55:17. From morning to night we should think to be too long to be without meat; yet who thinks it is too long to be without prayer?
(3.)He prayed upon the house-top; thither he retired for privacy, where he could neither hear nor be heard, and so might avoid both distraction and ostentation. There, upon the roof of the house, he had a full view of the heavens, which might assist his pious adoration of the God he prayed to; and there he had also a full view of the city and country, which might assist his pious compassion of the people he prayed for.
(4.)He had this vision immediately after he had prayed, as an answer to his prayer for the spreading of the gospel, and because the ascent of the heart to God in prayer is an excellent preparative to receive the discoveries of the divine grace and favour.
3.It was when he became very hungry, and was waiting for his dinner (Act 10:10); probably he had not that day eaten before, though doubtless he had prayed before; and now he would have eaten, ēthele geusasthai - he would have tasted, which intimates his great moderation and temperance in eating. When he was very hungry, yet he would be content with a little, with a taste, and would not fly upon the spoil. Now this hunger was a proper inlet to the vision about meats, as Christ's hunger in the wilderness was to Satan's temptation to turn stones into bread.
II.The vision itself, which was not so plain as that to Cornelius, but more figurative and enigmatical, to make the deeper impression.
1.He fell into a trance or ecstasy, not of terror, but of contemplation, with which he was so entirely swallowed up as not only not to be regardful, but not to be sensible, of external things. He quite lost himself to this world, and so had his mind entirely free for converse with divine things; as Adam in innocency, when the deep sleep fell upon him. The more clear we get of the world, the more near we get to heaven: whether Peter was now in the body or out of the body he could not himself tell, much less can we, Co2 12:2, Co2 12:3. See Gen 15:12; Act 22:17.
2.He saw heaven opened, that he might be sure that his authority to go to Cornelius was indeed from heaven - that it was a divine light which altered his sentiments, and a divine power which gave him his commission. The opening of the heavens signified the opening of a mystery that had been hid, Rom 16:25.
3.He saw a great sheet full of all manner of living creatures, which descended from heaven, and was let down to him to the earth, that is, to the roof of the house where he now was. Here were not only beasts of the earth, but fowls of the air, which might have flown away, laid at his feet; and not only tame beasts, but wild. Here were no fishes of the sea, because there were none of them in particular unclean, but whatever had fins and scales was allowed to be eaten. Some make this sheet, thus filled, to represent the church of Christ. It comes down from heaven, from heaven opened, not only to send it down (Rev 21:2), but to receive souls sent up from it. It is knit at the four corners, to receive those from all parts of the world that are willing to be added to it; and to retain and keep those safe that are taken into it, that they may not fall out; and in this we find some of all countries, nations, and languages, without any distinction of Greek or Jew, or any disadvantage put upon Barbarian or Scythian, Col 3:11. The net of the gospel encloses all, both bad and good, those that before were clean and unclean. Or it may be applied to the bounty of the divine Providence, which, antecedently to the prohibitions of the ceremonial law, had given to man a liberty to use all the creatures, to which by the cancelling of that law we are now restored. By this vision we are taught to see all the benefit and service we have from the inferior creatures coming down to us from heaven; it is the gift of God who made them, made them fit for us, and then gave to man a right to them, and dominion over them. Lord, what is man that he should be thus magnified! Psa 8:4-8. How should it double our comfort in the creatures, and our obligations to serve God in the use of them, to see them thus let down to us out of heaven!
4.He was ordered by a voice from heaven to make use of this plenty and variety which God had sent him (Act 10:13): "Rise, Peter, kill and eat: without putting any difference between clean and unclean, take which thou hast most mind to." The distinction of meats which the law made was intended to put a difference between Jew and Gentile, that it might be difficult to them to dine and sup with a Gentile, because they would have that set before them which they were not allowed to eat; and now the taking off of that prohibition was a plain allowance to converse with the Gentiles, and to be free and familiar with them. Now they might fare as they fared, and therefore might eat with them, and be fellow-commoners with them.
5.He stuck to his principles, and would by no means hearken to the motion, though he was hungry (Act 10:14): Not so, Lord. Though hunger will break through stone walls, God's laws should be to us a stronger fence than stone walls, and not so easily broken through. And he will adhere to God's laws, though he has a countermand by a voice from heaven, not knowing at first but that Kill, and eat, was a command of trial whether he would adhere to the more sure word, the written law; and if so his answer had been very good, Not so, Lord. Temptations to eat forbidden fruit must not be parleyed with, but peremptorily rejected; we must startle at the thought of it: Not so, Lord. The reason he gives is, "For I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean; hitherto I have kept my integrity in this matter, and will still keep it." If God, by his grace, has preserved us from gross sin unto this day, we should use this as an argument with ourselves to abstain from all appearance of evil. So strict were the pious Jews in this matter, that the seven brethren, those glorious martyrs under Antiochus, choose rather to be tortured to death in the most cruel manner that ever was than to eat swine's flesh, because it was forbidden by the law. No wonder then that Peter says it with so much pleasure, that his conscience could witness for him that he had never gratified his appetite with any forbidden food.
6.God, by a second voice from heaven, proclaimed the repeal of the law in this case (Act 10:15): What God hath cleansed, that call thou not common. He that made the law might alter it when he pleased, and reduce the matter to its first state. God had, for reasons suited to the Old Testament dispensation, restrained the Jews from eating such and such meats, to which, while that dispensation lasted, they were obliged in conscience to submit; but he has now, for reasons suited to the New Testament dispensation, taken off that restraint, and set the matter at large - has cleansed that which was before polluted to us, and we ought to make use of, and stand fast in, the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and not call that common or unclean which God has now declared clean. Note, We ought to welcome it as a great mercy that by the gospel of Christ we are freed from the distinction of meats, which was made by the law of Moses, and that now every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused; not so much because hereby we gain the use of swine's flesh, hares, rabbits, and other pleasant and wholesome food for our bodies, but chiefly because conscience is hereby freed from a yoke in things of this nature, that we might serve God without fear. Though the gospel has made duties which were not so by the law of nature, yet it has not, like the law of Moses, made sins that were not so. Those who command to abstain from some kinds of meat at some times of the year, and place religion in it, call that common which God hath cleansed, and in that error, more than in any truth, are the successors of Peter.
7.This was done thrice, Act 10:16. The sheet was drawn up a little way, and let down again the second time, and so the third time, with the same call to him, to kill, and eat, and the same reason, that what God hath cleansed we must not call common; but whether Peter's refusal was repeated the second and third time is not certain; surely it was not, when his objection had the first time received such a satisfactory answer. The trebling of Peter's vision, like the doubling of Pharaoh's dream, was to show that the thing was certain, and engage him to take so much the more notice of it. The instructions given us in the things of God, whether by the ear in the preaching of the word, or by the eye in sacraments, need to be often repeated; precept must be upon precept, and line upon line. But at last the vessel was received up into heaven. Those who make this vessel to represent the church, including both Jews and Gentiles, as this did both clean and unclean creatures, make this very aptly to signify the admission of the believing Gentiles into the church, and into heaven too, into the Jerusalem above. Christ has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers, and there we shall find, besides those that are sealed out of all the tribes of Israel, an innumerable company out of every nation (Rev 7:9); but they are such as God has cleansed.
III.The providence which very opportunely explained this vision, and gave Peter to understand the intention of it, Act 10:17, Act 10:18.
1.What Christ did, Peter knew not just then (Joh 13:7): He doubted within himself what this vision which he had seen should mean. He had no reason to doubt the truth of it, that it was a heavenly vision; all his doubt was concerning the meaning of it. Note, Christ reveals himself to his people by degrees, and not all at once; and leaves them to doubt awhile, to ruminate upon a thing, and debate it to and fro in their own minds, before he clears it up to them.
2.Yet he was made to know presently, for the men who were sent from Cornelius were just now come to the house, and were at the gate enquiring whether Peter lodged there; and by their errand it will appear what was the meaning of this vision. Note, God knows what services are before us, and therefore how to prepare us; and we then better know the meaning of what he has taught us when we find what occasion we have to make use of it.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
"And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat." "Rise, Peter," saith the Voice, "kill and eat." Probably he was on his knees when he saw the vision.
Rise, Peter, kill and eat. He says, rise to prepare for evangelization. Kill in the nations what they were, and make them what you are. For he who eats food outside takes it into his own body. Therefore, he commands that the nations placed outside through unbelief, with their past life killed, be incorporated into the society of the Church, which Peter signifies. According to what the Apostle Paul says about himself: For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God and Christ. And again: It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2). But those who are surrounded by heretics are as if devoured alive by death.
Rise, Peter, kill and eat. What is said in Latin as "kill" is said in Greek in this place as θύσον, which is not a general term for killing but a specific term for the kind of killing by which sacrifices are offered to God. For both the sacrificial victim or sacrifice in Greek is θυσία, and the altar is called θυσιαστήριον. And in the psalm where we sing: "Sacrifice the sacrifice of righteousness" (Psalm IV), it is said in Greek, θύσατε θυσίαν, and "Offer to God the sacrifice of praise" (Psalm IV), θύσον τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν. According to this meaning, therefore, it is said to Peter: θύσον and eat, which our translator has rendered as "Kill and eat." He could equally have translated it as "Offer and eat," so that Peter would understand that the various kinds of animals offered to him from heaven were to make those who were designated by such animals, by preaching the sacrifice of the Lord, taken from the harmful life of the paternal tradition and transferred into the new life of divine servitude through the sacraments of the Lord's passion.
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Summary
Acts 10:13 captures the pivotal moment in Peter's vision where a divine voice commands him to "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat" from a sheet filled with animals previously deemed unclean under Mosaic Law. This startling directive serves as a profound challenge to Peter's deeply ingrained Jewish dietary and purity customs, initiating a theological paradigm shift that would open the door for the gospel's universal proclamation to Gentiles and fundamentally redefine the early Christian church's understanding of God's inclusive plan for humanity.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is central to Peter's transformative vision recounted in Acts 10:9-16. Peter is on a rooftop in Joppa, praying at noon, when he falls into a trance. He sees a large sheet descending from heaven, filled with all manner of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds—many of which were explicitly forbidden for consumption by the Mosaic Law. The voice's command to "kill, and eat" directly confronts Peter's deeply held religious convictions and his identity as a devout Jew. His immediate refusal ("Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean") highlights the profound nature of the challenge. This vision is repeated three times, emphasizing its divine origin and importance. The vision's immediate literary consequence is Peter's encounter with the messengers from Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, which directly leads to Peter's groundbreaking visit to Cornelius's household and the baptism of the first Gentile converts, demonstrating the practical implications of God's message of inclusivity.
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Judaism was characterized by strict adherence to the Mosaic Law, particularly the dietary laws outlined in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. These laws distinguished between "clean" and "unclean" animals, serving not only as a matter of ritual purity but also as a significant marker of Jewish identity, separating them from Gentile nations. Eating with Gentiles or entering their homes could render a Jew ritually defiled. Peter, as a devout Jew and an apostle, would have meticulously observed these distinctions throughout his life. The setting in Joppa, a coastal city with a diverse population, further underscores the cultural boundaries Peter was accustomed to. The vision directly challenged these deeply ingrained socio-religious barriers, preparing Peter to bridge the chasm between Jew and Gentile in the nascent Christian community.
Key Themes
Acts 10:13 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the book of Acts and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Divine Authority and Revelation, demonstrating God's sovereign right to redefine purity and expand His covenantal people. The voice from heaven is an unmistakable divine utterance, superseding human tradition and even previous divine commands, revealing a new stage in God's redemptive plan. Secondly, it is foundational to the theme of Breaking Down Barriers between Jew and Gentile. The dietary command, though seemingly about food, symbolically represents the removal of the spiritual and social distinctions that separated God's chosen people from the rest of humanity. This prepares Peter to understand that God shows no partiality, as he later declares in Acts 10:34-35. Finally, the verse foreshadows the Inclusivity of the New Covenant, signaling a shift from the ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant to a universal gospel. The declaration in Acts 10:15, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common," explicitly articulates this new reality, emphasizing that God's grace and salvation are extended to all who believe, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background, fulfilling prophecies of a worldwide people of God (e.g., Isaiah 49:6).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
G5456 - Probably akin to φαίνω through the idea of disclosure; a tone (articulate, bestial or artificial); by implication, an address (for any purpose), saying or language:--noise, sound, voice. In this context, phōnḗ signifies a distinct, articulate sound that carries authority and revelation. It is not merely a noise but a divine utterance, emphasizing the supernatural and authoritative origin of the command Peter receives, leaving no doubt that it is a direct communication from God.
G450 - From ἀνά and ἵστημι; to stand up (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive):--arise, lift up, raise up (again), rise (again), stand up(-right). The imperative "Rise" (anístēmi) is a direct command for Peter to act. While it literally means to get up from his trance-like state, it also carries a figurative sense of readiness for a new mission or understanding. It signals a call to action in response to the divine revelation.
G2380 - A primary verb; properly, to rush (breathe hard, blow, smoke), i.e. (by implication) to sacrifice (properly, by fire, but genitive case); by extension to immolate (slaughter for any purpose):--kill, (do) sacrifice, slay. The verb thýō implies a decisive act of slaughter, often in a sacrificial context. Here, it is a stark, unambiguous command to take life for consumption, directly confronting Peter's deeply ingrained aversion to "unclean" animals. The term's connection to sacrifice subtly hints at the greater theological "sacrifice" of traditional boundaries that God is initiating.
Verse Breakdown
"And there came a voice to him,"
This opening clause immediately establishes the supernatural nature of the event. The "voice" (Gk. phōnḗ) is clearly divine, indicating that the subsequent command originates from God Himself. The passive construction "there came" highlights that this is an unsolicited, sovereign communication from heaven, not a thought or desire of Peter's own. It underscores the authoritative and undeniable source of the revelation.
"Rise, Peter;"
The divine voice directly addresses Peter by name, making the command personal and inescapable. "Rise" (Gk. anístēmi) is an imperative, demanding immediate action. While Peter is in a trance, this command is both literal (to rouse himself) and symbolic (to rise to a new understanding and mission). The direct address emphasizes the specific recipient of this profound and challenging revelation.
"kill, and eat."
These two imperatives (Gk. thýō and phágō) are the core of the divine directive, presenting a stark and shocking challenge to Peter's Jewish identity. To "kill" (Gk. thýō) implies taking life, and to "eat" (Gk. phágō) implies consumption. Given the context of the sheet filled with "unclean" animals, this command directly violates the Mosaic dietary laws Peter had meticulously observed his entire life. It is a direct, unambiguous, and confrontational instruction designed to dismantle Peter's preconceived notions of purity and acceptable practice.
Literary Devices
Acts 10:13 employs several powerful literary devices. Auditory Imagery is central, with the repeated emphasis on "a voice" (Gk. phōnḗ) from heaven, signifying divine authority and direct communication. This auditory element makes the revelation undeniable and personal for Peter. Imperative Mood is used throughout the command ("Rise," "kill," "eat"), conveying the absolute and non-negotiable nature of God's will. These sharp, direct verbs leave no room for ambiguity or debate. Most significantly, the entire vision, including this command, functions as profound Symbolism. The "unclean" animals on the sheet are not merely about food; they symbolize the Gentiles, whom Peter, as a Jew, considered "unclean" or "common" in a spiritual and social sense. The command to "kill, and eat" these animals is a metaphorical instruction for Peter to embrace and fellowship with Gentiles, recognizing that God has cleansed them and made them acceptable through Christ. This symbolic representation is crucial for understanding the broader theological implications of the passage.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Acts 10:13 serves as a theological linchpin, dramatically illustrating God's redemptive plan unfolding beyond ethnic boundaries. It signifies a profound shift from the Old Covenant's emphasis on ceremonial distinctions to the New Covenant's universal inclusivity. The voice's command to Peter to disregard traditional purity laws regarding food directly parallels God's intention to break down the spiritual and social barriers between Jews and Gentiles. This vision prepares Peter, and through him the early church, to understand that salvation in Christ is not limited to a specific people group but is freely offered to all who believe, demonstrating God's impartiality and boundless grace. It underscores that what God has declared clean, humanity must not deem common.
Reflection and Application
Acts 10:13 challenges believers today to critically examine their own preconceived notions, cultural biases, and comfort zones that might inadvertently hinder God's expansive purposes. Just as Peter was called to transcend deeply ingrained traditions, we are invited to cultivate a radical openness to God's leading, especially when it calls us to embrace those we might instinctively consider "other" or "unclean" based on social, economic, ethnic, or even theological distinctions. This passage compels us to move beyond our spiritual comfort zones, recognizing that God's love and redemptive grace extend to all humanity. It encourages us to actively dismantle any "walls of partition" that prevent us from sharing the gospel universally and fostering genuine fellowship with all whom God has cleansed through Christ. Our mission is to see people as God sees them—potential recipients of His grace, regardless of their background—and to participate in His work of reconciliation across all divides.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Did Peter's vision abolish all dietary laws for Christians?
Yes, in essence. While the immediate context of Acts 10 focuses on the inclusion of Gentiles into the church, the vision's explicit command to "kill, and eat" animals previously considered unclean, followed by God's declaration in Acts 10:15, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common," fundamentally redefines purity. This theological shift is further supported by Jesus's teaching in Mark 7:19, where he declares all foods clean, and by Paul's extensive theological arguments in his epistles, particularly Romans 14 and Colossians 2:16-17, which emphasize that believers are no longer bound by Old Covenant dietary regulations. The primary purpose of the vision was to teach Peter that God had cleansed Gentiles, making them acceptable for salvation and fellowship, thereby dismantling the ceremonial law as a barrier between Jew and Gentile.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Acts 10:13 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the true "cleanser" and the one who breaks down all dividing walls. The command to "kill, and eat" symbolically foreshadows the new reality inaugurated by Christ's atoning sacrifice. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant law, including its ceremonial distinctions, and established a New Covenant founded on grace, not works or ritual purity. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, making all who believe in Him clean and acceptable to God, regardless of their former status. Christ's work on the cross abolished the "enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances," creating "one new man" out of Jew and Gentile, thus making peace (Ephesians 2:15). The vision to Peter, therefore, is a divine revelation of the practical implications of Christ's finished work: that in Him, there is no longer "Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). The "unclean" animals becoming "clean" represents the spiritual cleansing and inclusion of all nations into God's family through faith in Christ, demonstrating His universal Lordship and redemptive power.