TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Commentary on Acts 10 verses 9–18
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.
But when Peter saw the vision, in which the voice from heaven said to him, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common"
At that time Peter saw a vision in which a heavenly voice answered him, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” For the God who had distinguished through the law the pure food from the impure, that same God had cleansed the nations through the blood of his Son, and that is the God whom Cornelius worshiped.
Peter abstained from swine; "but a trance fell on him," as is written in the Acts of the Apostles, "and he saw heaven opened, and a vessel let down on the earth by the four corners, and all the four-footed beasts and creeping things of the earth and the fowls of heaven in it; and there came a voice to him, Rise, and slay, and eat. And Peter said, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten what is common or unclean. And the voice came again to him the second time, What God hath cleansed, call not thou common." The use of them is accordingly indifferent to us. "For not what entereth into the mouth defileth the man," but the vain opinion respecting uncleanness.
Or, as is usually done, does that deity abstain from the flesh of goats because of some reverential and religious scruple, another turn with disgust from pork, while to this mutton stinks? and does this one avoid tough ox-beef that he may not overtax his weak stomach, and choose tender sucklings that he may digest them more speedily?
"And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." "What God hath cleansed," saith it, "call not thou common." Great daring! It seems indeed to be spoken to him, but the whole is meant for the Jews. For if the teacher is rebuked, much more these.
What God has cleansed, do not call common. The meaning of this divine voice is indeed clear, that the Gentiles, whom Peter still considered unclean, the internal providence of their Creator already counted among the clean. But note the custom of Holy Scripture, which usually calls unclean things common, because whoever wants to serve various allurements cannot be clean, as Scripture says: No one can serve two masters (Matt. VI). And again: You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve (Luke IV). Therefore, whoever desires to be clean should not divide his mind with diverse and multifarious thoughts, but should constrain himself to follow solely the will of his Creator.
Continue studying Acts 10:15 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
CNTR CollationThe earliest Greek manuscripts of this verse, collated letter by letter.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Acts 10:15 records the pivotal second declaration from heaven to Peter during his trance in Joppa, emphatically stating, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This divine pronouncement directly challenges Peter's deeply ingrained Jewish understanding of ritual purity and prepares him for the revolutionary truth that God's salvation extends beyond the boundaries of Jewish ceremonial law to embrace all people, regardless of their ethnic or social background, thereby ushering in a new era of inclusivity within the early church.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is central to the dramatic vision Peter experiences while praying on a rooftop in Joppa, as described in Acts 10:9-16. Having seen a great sheet filled with all manner of "common and unclean" animals descend, Peter is commanded to "kill, and eat." His immediate and strong refusal in Acts 10:14 sets the stage for the divine counter-argument presented in verse 15. The repetition of the voice's message (three times in total, as noted in Acts 10:16) underscores its profound importance and Peter's initial resistance to its implications. This vision directly precedes the arrival of messengers from Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, whose story unfolds in Acts 10:1-8 and subsequent verses, revealing the true, broader meaning of the vision.
Historical & Cultural Context: First-century Judaism was deeply shaped by the Mosaic Law, particularly concerning dietary regulations (kashrut) and the broader concepts of ritual purity and impurity. Jews meticulously avoided contact with anything deemed "unclean" (e.g., certain foods, dead bodies, lepers) and maintained strict separation from Gentiles, whom they often considered ritually "common" or "unclean" by virtue of their non-observance of Jewish law. This separation was not merely religious but also social and cultural, reinforcing a strong sense of Jewish identity and distinctiveness. Peter, as a devout Jew and an apostle, naturally adhered to these traditions, as evidenced by his protest in Acts 10:14. The setting in Joppa, a port city, highlights the intersection of Jewish life with the wider Gentile world, making it a fitting location for God to challenge Peter's ethnocentric worldview and prepare him for cross-cultural ministry.
Key Themes: Acts 10:15 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Acts and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Authority Over Purity, asserting that God alone has the prerogative to declare what is clean or common, thereby superseding human traditions or interpretations of the Law. Secondly, it signals the Breaking Down of Barriers between Jew and Gentile, foreshadowing the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian community without requiring them to first convert to Judaism or adhere to the ceremonial law. This theme is explicitly stated by Peter later in Acts 10:28 and becomes a foundational principle for the early church. Finally, the verse underscores the Transformative Power of God's Grace, demonstrating that what was once considered "common" or "unclean" by human standards can be made acceptable and holy through God's sovereign action, extending His salvation to all who believe, regardless of their past or background.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. Repetition is prominent, as the voice speaks "again the second time," and indeed, a third time is implied by the broader narrative of Acts 10:16. This repetition serves to underscore the profound importance and revolutionary nature of the message, ensuring Peter cannot misunderstand or dismiss it. Symbolism is central, where the "unclean" foods represent the Gentile people, whom Peter and other Jews considered ritually impure and therefore separated from God's covenant people. The divine declaration about food is a metaphorical bridge to the truth about people. Finally, there is a powerful Paradox or Irony in God directly contradicting Peter's deeply held religious convictions, revealing that God's ways of purity and inclusion transcend human-made distinctions, even those derived from earlier divine commands, as the new covenant unfolds.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Acts 10:15 marks a watershed moment in salvation history, signifying God's radical redefinition of purity and His universal plan of salvation. It proclaims that the ceremonial distinctions of the Old Covenant, which served to set Israel apart and foreshadow Christ, are now fulfilled and transcended in Christ. God's declaration that "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" dismantles the ritual barriers that separated Jew from Gentile, paving the way for the gospel to be preached to all nations without requiring adherence to specific Jewish customs like dietary laws or circumcision. This theological shift underscores the truth that salvation is by grace through faith, not by adherence to external regulations. It emphasizes God's sovereign prerogative to declare what is clean and acceptable, revealing His boundless love and inclusive nature that embraces all humanity.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Acts 10:15 challenges believers to examine their own hearts for any prejudices or preconceived notions that might hinder them from embracing God's inclusive love. Just as Peter struggled to reconcile his traditions with God's new revelation, we too can fall into the trap of labeling people, groups, or even aspects of life as "common" or "unclean" based on our own cultural biases, social norms, or limited understanding, rather than God's declared truth. This verse calls us to align our perspective with God's, recognizing that His grace extends to all, transforming and cleansing those whom we might otherwise deem unworthy or outside of His favor. It reminds us that the gospel is for everyone, breaking down all human-made barriers of race, social status, or background, and inviting us to participate in God's mission of reconciliation and inclusion. Our mission is not to judge or exclude, but to proclaim the good news of God's cleansing power to all whom He has made clean.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Peter so resistant to the voice's command, even after it was repeated?
Answer: Peter's resistance stemmed from his deep-seated adherence to Jewish dietary laws and the broader understanding of ritual purity, which had been foundational to his identity and faith since birth. As a devout Jew, he had "never eaten anything common or unclean" (Acts 10:14). This was not merely a matter of personal preference but a religious conviction rooted in the Mosaic Law. The command to eat unclean animals directly challenged centuries of tradition and what he understood as divine commandment. His reluctance highlights the profound shift God was initiating, which required Peter to unlearn deeply ingrained cultural and religious norms to embrace a more expansive understanding of God's kingdom and grace.
What does "common" mean in this context, and how does it relate to "unclean"?
Answer: In this context, "common" (Greek: koinos) refers to something that is ritually impure or defiled, often by contact with something profane or by not being consecrated. It stands in contrast to what is "holy" or "clean" (Greek: katharos), which is set apart for God's use or is ritually acceptable. While "unclean" (Greek: akathartos) often refers to inherent impurity as defined by the Mosaic Law (e.g., certain animals), "common" can refer to something that becomes defiled through use or contact, or simply by not being consecrated. In Acts 10:15, the voice uses "cleansed" (referring to God's action) and "common" (referring to Peter's perception) to directly counter Peter's traditional categories, indicating that God's act of purification overrides any human or traditional classification of "common" or "unclean." This redefinition was crucial for Peter to understand that Gentiles, previously considered "common" or "unclean" by Jewish standards, were now made acceptable by God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Acts 10:15 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 ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant, including dietary restrictions and distinctions between clean and unclean, were shadows pointing to the reality found in Christ (Colossians 2:16-17). Jesus Himself declared all foods clean, addressing the spirit of the law over its letter (Mark 7:19). More profoundly, through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Christ has purified humanity from the defilement of sin, making those who were once "common" or "unclean" in their sin now holy and acceptable before God (Hebrews 9:13-14). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering cleansing not just for a select few, but for all who believe (John 1:29). Furthermore, Christ's work on the cross abolished the "law of commandments contained in ordinances," tearing down the "dividing wall of hostility" between Jew and Gentile, creating "one new man" out of the two (Ephesians 2:14-16). Thus, the divine voice in Acts 10:15 is a direct echo of Christ's finished work, declaring 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). Peter's vision is a profound revelation of the universal scope of Christ's redemptive power and the inclusive nature of His church.