Acts 11:7

KJV

And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G1161} I heard {G191} a voice {G5456} saying {G3004} unto me {G3427}, Arise {G450}, Peter {G4074}; slay {G2380} and {G2532} eat {G5315}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Kefa, slaughter and eat!’

Berean Standard Bible

Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’

American Standard Version

And I heard also a voice saying unto me, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Acts 11:7 captures a pivotal moment in Peter's transformative vision, where a divine voice commands him to "Arise, Peter; slay and eat." This direct imperative challenges Peter's deeply ingrained Jewish traditions concerning ritual purity and dietary laws, serving as a profound divine revelation designed to prepare him for a radical shift in understanding God's inclusive plan for humanity, specifically regarding the inclusion of Gentiles into the early Christian community.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a direct quote from Peter's recounting of his vision in Joppa, as he explains and defends his controversial actions to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18). The vision itself is initially detailed in [Acts 10:9-16](/acts/10-9-16 "Peter's Vision in Joppa"). Peter's experience of seeing a sheet filled with all kinds of animals, followed by the repeated command to "slay and eat" and the subsequent clarification, "What God has made clean, do not call common" (reiterated in [Acts 11:9](/acts/11-9 "God's Cleansing Declaration")), serves as the divine impetus for his unprecedented visit to the Gentile centurion Cornelius. The narrative in Acts 10 and 11 meticulously links the vision, the divine command, the arrival of Cornelius's messengers, Peter's visit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles, and Peter's subsequent defense, demonstrating a clear, divinely orchestrated progression towards Gentile inclusion.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** For a devout Jew like Peter, adherence to the Mosaic Law, particularly the dietary restrictions outlined in [Leviticus 11](/leviticus/11 "Leviticus 11 - Dietary Laws") and [Deuteronomy 14](/deuteronomy/14 "Deuteronomy 14 - Clean and Unclean Animals"), was central to their identity and covenant relationship with God. These laws distinguished Israel from the surrounding nations and reinforced their ritual purity. Beyond dietary laws, Jewish tradition also imposed strict social separation from Gentiles, considering them "unclean" and their homes defiling. Eating with Gentiles or entering their homes was a significant breach of cultural and religious norms. Peter's initial reluctance ("By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean" in [Acts 10:14](/acts/10-14 "Peter's Objection")) vividly illustrates the depth of these ingrained beliefs, making the divine command in Acts 11:7 a revolutionary challenge to centuries of deeply held practices.

* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several major themes within the book of Acts and the broader New Testament. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Divine Revelation and Guidance**, demonstrating God's direct intervention to guide His people into a new understanding of His will, often challenging human traditions and preconceived notions, as seen in the repeated nature of the vision (cf. [Acts 10:16](/acts/10-16 "The Vision Repeated Thrice")). Secondly, it is foundational to the theme of the **Abolition of Ceremonial Law**, symbolizing the fulfillment and transcendence of the Old Covenant's dietary and purity laws through Christ's work, paving the way for a new covenant where such distinctions are no longer binding (cf. [Mark 7:19](/mark/7-19 "Jesus Declares All Foods Clean")). Finally, and most profoundly, it highlights the **Breaking Down of Barriers** between Jews and Gentiles, establishing that salvation and the Holy Spirit are for all people, irrespective of ethnic or cultural background, thereby emphasizing God's impartiality (as articulated by Peter in [Acts 10:34-35](/acts/10-34-35 "God Shows No Partiality")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **heard (Greek, _akoúō'_):** This verb signifies not merely the physical act of hearing, but often implies understanding, heeding, or obeying. In this context, Peter not only perceived the sound but was meant to grasp its profound implications and act upon them, despite his initial resistance. The command was authoritative and required a response of comprehension and compliance.
* **slay (Greek, _thýō'_):** Primarily meaning "to sacrifice," this word can also extend to "to immolate" or "to slaughter for any purpose." The use of "slay" here is a direct, forceful command to kill the animals. Its connection to sacrifice, though not explicitly stated as such in this context, subtly hints at the profound spiritual implications of the act—a breaking down of old sacrificial distinctions in favor of a new, universal access to God.
* **eat (Greek, _phágō'_):: This primary verb meaning "to eat," this imperative command directly challenges Peter's Jewish dietary restrictions. The act of eating the "unclean" animals symbolizes the acceptance of that which was previously forbidden, representing the broader theological truth that God was declaring all people, including Gentiles, "clean" and acceptable for inclusion in His covenant community.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And I heard a voice saying unto me":** This opening phrase establishes the divine origin and authority of the message. Peter is not imagining this; he is receiving a direct auditory revelation from God, emphasizing the supernatural nature of the encounter and the imperative that follows. The "voice" is clearly understood by Peter to be from the Lord, making the subsequent command utterly weighty.
* **"Arise, Peter;":** This is a direct, personal command to Peter. "Arise" (Greek: _anístēmi_) implies not just a physical standing up but also an awakening to a new reality, a call to action, and a readiness for a divinely appointed task. The direct address to "Peter" underscores the personal nature of this revelation, preparing him for a specific mission that would challenge his deepest convictions.
* **"slay and eat.":** This is the core, shocking imperative. The two verbs are in the aorist imperative, conveying an urgent, decisive command for immediate action. To "slay" and then "eat" animals previously considered unclean was a direct transgression of Mosaic Law from Peter's perspective, highlighting the radical nature of God's new instruction and the dismantling of old covenant distinctions.

#### Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs **Divine Command**, where God directly issues an imperative to a human agent, signifying His sovereign will and initiating a new phase in His redemptive plan. This command is presented with striking **Irony**, as it directly contradicts Peter's deeply held religious convictions and the Mosaic Law he diligently followed, forcing him to confront the limitations of his understanding. The entire vision, and this command within it, functions as **Symbolism**, where the "unclean" animals represent Gentiles, and the act of "slaying and eating" them symbolizes the breaking down of the ritual barriers that separated Jews and Gentiles, making way for the universal inclusion of all believers into the body of Christ.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Acts 11:7 is a critical theological pivot, demonstrating God's active role in expanding the boundaries of His covenant people beyond ethnic Israel. It reveals that the distinctions of the Old Covenant, particularly ceremonial laws related to food and purity, were never God's ultimate design for separating humanity but served a temporary purpose until the fullness of time. Through Christ's atoning work, the need for such external markers of holiness has been superseded by an internal transformation, making all who believe in Him clean and acceptable to God. This verse, therefore, is not merely about dietary freedom but about the universal scope of the Gospel and the dismantling of human-made barriers that impede God's inclusive love.

* [Mark 7:19](/mark/7-19 "Jesus Declares All Foods Clean")
* [Ephesians 2:14-16](/ephesians/2-14-16 "Christ Breaks Down the Dividing Wall")
* [Galatians 3:28](/galatians/3-28 "No Jew or Gentile in Christ")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The divine command to "slay and eat" in Acts 11:7 serves as a powerful reminder that God's ways often transcend and challenge our human traditions, comfort zones, and even deeply ingrained theological understandings. For believers today, this passage calls us to a posture of humility and openness, urging us to examine our own biases and prejudices that might hinder the full expression of God's inclusive love. Are there "unclean" people or groups in our lives—those we might instinctively avoid or judge—whom God is calling us to embrace with the Gospel? Just as Peter had to overcome his reluctance to engage with Gentiles, we are challenged to step beyond our cultural, social, or even denominational comfort zones to share the good news with all people, recognizing that God shows no partiality. Our obedience to God's voice, even when it feels counter-intuitive or uncomfortable, is essential for the ongoing expansion of His kingdom and the demonstration of His boundless grace to a diverse world.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "unclean" things or people might God be calling me to embrace or engage with, challenging my preconceived notions or comfort zones?**
* **How might my own traditions or cultural norms be inadvertently creating barriers to the Gospel's reach in my life or community?**
* **In what areas of my life am I being called to "arise" and act in obedience to God's voice, even if it feels radical or counter-cultural?**

### FAQ
**What was the significance of the command "slay and eat" to Peter?**

Answer: The command "slay and eat" was profoundly significant because it directly challenged Peter's deeply ingrained Jewish identity and adherence to the Mosaic Law, particularly the dietary restrictions outlined in books like [Leviticus 11](/leviticus/11 "Leviticus 11 - Dietary Laws"). For Peter, consuming animals considered "unclean" was an unthinkable act that would defile him. This divine imperative forced him to confront the limitations of his traditional understanding and prepared him for the revolutionary truth that God was breaking down the ceremonial barriers between Jews and Gentiles, declaring all people clean through faith in Christ, and opening the door for the universal spread of the Gospel. It was a direct divine lesson in God's impartiality and the ushering in of the New Covenant.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Acts 11:7, with its radical command to "slay and eat," finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes ([Romans 10:4](/romans/10-4 "Christ is the End of the Law")). Christ's life, death, and resurrection inaugurated the New Covenant, rendering the Old Covenant's ceremonial distinctions, including dietary laws and purity codes, obsolete. Jesus Himself declared all foods clean ([Mark 7:19](/mark/7-19 "Jesus Declares All Foods Clean")), foreshadowing the spiritual truth that no person, whether Jew or Gentile, is inherently unclean in God's sight when cleansed by His blood. Through His sacrifice, Christ "broke down the dividing wall of hostility" between Jew and Gentile ([Ephesians 2:14](/ephesians/2-14 "Christ Breaks Down the Dividing Wall")), creating one new humanity in Himself. Thus, Peter's vision and the command to "slay and eat" are not merely about food but symbolize the new spiritual reality in Christ, where all who believe are united as one body, cleansed and made holy by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.