9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
Commentary
Vs. 9 “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.”
Now as the delegation from Cornelius house was on their way to Joppa to find Peter, Peter himself went up on the housetop where he was staying to pray, this was about the sixth hour of the day (or noon). Note: in ancient Israel housetops were flat and it was a common practice for one to go up there to pray or dwell there or even store things there.
Vs. 10-13 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
In seeking to bring Peter and Cornelius together and give Peter understanding of His Will, God now gives Peter a vision while he is praying. Now in the vision Peter saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at its four corners descending to him let to down to the earth (Vs. 10-11). While in the sheet were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air (vs. 12). And when Peter saw this a voice came to him, and said: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” (vs. 13).
Vs. 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
Immediately then Peter understood the voice as of the Lord, however in seeing the object with all of the creatures inside of it, and knowing these things to be unclean for any Jew to partake of or eat he now sternly says to Him, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
Vs. 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
By those words then God’s is telling Peter and all Jews who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to no longer consider the ceremonial law as governing their persons and lives. However much more than that is God is using this vison to show Peter how He has now sanctified the Gentiles so that no Jew should ever again consider them “common”, and thus people to be avoided to avoid becoming ceremonially defiled by having contact with them. It’s a powerful vision and revision of centuries long held beliefs and practices by the Jews, so that God may bring the Gospel, and thus eternal salvation to the Gentiles as well.
Vs. 16 “This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.”
And so, to drive the point home three times this is shown Peter so that there can be no doubt that this has come from God, and is the Will of God, that He has now cleansed the Gentiles.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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