Christian Standard Bible
Acts 10:28
28Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner, but God has shown me that I must not call any person impure or unclean.
Acts 10:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
- New International Version (NIV)He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Context of Acts 10:28
26But Peter lifted him up and said, “Stand up. I myself am also a man.” 27While talking with him, he went in and found a large gathering of people. Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner, but God has shown me that I must not call any person impure or unclean. 29That’s why I came without any objection when I was sent for. So may I ask why you sent for me?” 30Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in dazzling clothing stood before me
Read all of Acts 10Acts 10:28 word by word
ἔφη τε πρὸς αὐτούς· ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ὡς ἀθέμιτόν ἐστιν ἀνδρὶ Ἰουδαίῳ κολλᾶσθαι ἢ προσέρχεσθαι ἀλλοφύλῳ· κἀμοὶ ὁ θεὸς ἔδειξεν μηδένα κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον λέγειν ἄνθρωπον,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andτεte · and/bothG5037
- he saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Yeσύsu · youG4771
- knowἐπίσταμαιepistamai · to know/understandG1987
- how thatὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- it is an unlawful thingἀθέμιτοςathemitos · unlawfulG111
- for a manἀνήρanēr · manG435
- that isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a JewἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- to keep companyκολλάωkollaō · to joinG2853
- orἤē · orG2228
- come untoπροσέρχομαιproserchomai · to come near/agreeG4334
- one of another nationἀλλόφυλοςallophulos · foreignG246
- butκαίkai · andG2532
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- hath shewedδεικνύωdeiknuō · to showG1166
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- I shouldλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- notμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367
- any manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- commonκοινόςkoinos · common: unsanctifiedG2839
- uncleanἀκάθαρτοςakathartos · uncleanG169
Cross-references for Acts 10:28
- Acts 11:2When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him,
- Acts 22:21“He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- John 4:9“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
- John 18:28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
- Galatians 2:12For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party.
- Acts 10:15Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.”
- Acts 11:9But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’
- Acts 15:8And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.
- Isaiah 65:5They say, ‘Keep to yourself, don’t come near me, for I am too holy for you!’ These practices are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
- Ephesians 3:6The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Commentaries on Acts 10:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing, etc. - He addressed the whole company, among whom, it appears, there were persons well acquainted with Jewish customs; probably some of them were Jewish proselytes. But God hath showed me, etc. - He now began to understand the import of the vision which he saw at Joppa. A Gentile is not to be avoided because he is a Gentile; God is now taking down the partition wall which separated them from the Jews.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28It is an unlawful thing - This was not explicitly enjoined by Moses, but it seemed to be implied in his institutions, and was, at any rate, the common understanding of the Jews. The design was to keep them a separate people. To do this, Moses forbade alliances by contract, or marriage, with the surrounding nations, which were idolatrous. See Leviticus 18:24-30; Deuteronomy 7:3-12; compare Ezra 9:11-12. This command the Jews perverted, and explained it as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-33Verses 19-33 When we see our call clear to any service, we should not be perplexed with doubts and scruples arising from prejudices or former ideas. Cornelius had called together his friends, to partake with him of the heavenly wisdom he expected from Peter. We should not covet to eat our spiritual morsels alone. It ought to be both given and taken as kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to join us in religious exercises…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 25-2925-29. as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him--a mark of the highest respect. fell down at his feet, and worshipped him--In the East this way of showing respect was customary not only to kings, but to others occupying a superior station; but among the Greeks and Romans it was reserved for the gods. Peter, therefore, declines it as due to no mortal [Grotius]. "Those who claim to have succeeded Peter, have not imitated this part of his conduct" [Alford]…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 10:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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