04100
 \\Going in and going out\\ (\\eisporeumenos kai ekporeuomenos\\).
 Barnabas and Peter and James opened all the doors for Saul and
 the fear of the disciples vanished.

04101
 \\Preaching boldly\\ (\\parrˆsiazomenos\\). For a while. Evidently Saul
 did not extend his preaching outside of Jerusalem
 # Ga 1:22
 and in the city preached mainly in the synagogues of the
 Hellenists (\\pros tous Hellenistas\\) as Stephen had done
 # Ac 8:9
 As a Cilician Jew he knew how to speak to the Hellenists.
 \\Disputed\\ (\\sunezˆtei\\). Imperfect active of \\sunzˆte“\\, the very verb
 used in
 # 6:9
 of the disputes with Stephen in these very synagogues in one of
 which (Cilicia) Saul had probably joined issue with Stephen to
 his own discomfort. It was intolerable to these Hellenistic Jews
 now to hear Saul taking the place of Stephen and using the very
 arguments that Stephen had employed. \\But they went about to kill\\
 \\him\\ (\\Hoi de epecheiroun anelein auton\\). Demonstrative \\hoi\\ with
 \\de\\ and the conative imperfect of \\epicheire“\\, to put the hand to,
 to try, an old verb used in the N.T. only three times
 # Lu 1:1; Ac 9:29; 19:3
 They offer to Saul the same conclusive answer that he gave to
 Stephen, death. Paul tells how the Lord Jesus appeared to him at
 this juncture in a vision in the temple
 # Ac 22:17-21
 with the distinct command to leave Jerusalem and how Paul
 protested that he was willing to meet the fate of Stephen in
 whose death he had a shameful part. That is to Saul's credit, but
 the Lord did not want Saul to be put to death yet. His crown of
 martyrdom will come later.

04102
 \\Knew it\\ (\\epignontes\\). Second aorist active participle of
 \\epigin“sk“\\, to know fully. The disciples saw it clearly, so they
 \\conducted\\ (\\katˆgagon\\, effective second aorist active indicative
 of \\katag“\\). \\Sent forth\\ (\\exapesteilan\\). Double compound (\\ex\\,
 out, \\apo\\, away or off). Sent him out and off \\to Tarsus\\ (\\eis\\
 \\Tarson\\). Silence is preserved by Luke. But it takes little
 imagination to picture the scene at home when this brilliant
 young rabbi, the pride of Gamaliel, returns home a preacher of
 the despised Jesus of Nazareth whose disciples he had so
 relentlessly persecuted. What will father, mother, sister think
 of him now?

04103
 \\So the church\\ (\\Hˆ men oun ekklˆsia\\). The singular \\ekklˆsia\\ is
 undoubtedly the true reading here (all the great documents have
 it so). By this time there were churches scattered over Judea,
 Galilee, and Samaria
 # Ga 1:22
 but Luke either regards the disciples in Palestine as still
 members of the one great church in Jerusalem (instance already
 the work of Philip in Samaria and soon of Peter in Joppa and
 Caesarea) or he employs the term \\ekklˆsia\\ in a geographical or
 collective sense covering all of Palestine. The strictly local
 sense we have seen already in
 # 8:1,3
 (and
 # Mt 18:17
 and the general spiritual sense in
 # Mt 16:18
 But in
 # Ac 8:3
 it is plain that the term is applied to the organization of
 Jerusalem Christians even when scattered in their homes. The use
 of \\men oun\\ (so) is Luke's common way of gathering up the
 connection. The obvious meaning is that the persecution ceased
 because the persecutor had been converted. The wolf no longer
 ravined the sheep. It is true also that the effort of Caligula
 A.D. 39 to set up his image in the temple in Jerusalem for the
 Jews to worship greatly excited the Jews and gave them troubles
 of their own (Josephus, _Ant_. XVIII. 8, 2-9). \\Had peace\\ (\\eichen\\
 \\eirˆnˆn\\). Imperfect active. Kept on having peace, enjoying peace,
 because the persecution had ceased. Many of the disciples came
 back to Jerusalem and the apostles began to make preaching tours
 out from the city. This idiom (\\ech“ eirˆnˆn\\) occurs again in
 # Ro 5:1
 (\\eirˆnˆn ech“men\\, present active subjunctive) where it has been
 grievously misunderstood. There it is an exhortation to keep on
 enjoying the peace with God already made, not to make peace with
 God which would be \\eirˆnˆn sch“men\\ (ingressive aorist
 subjunctive). \\Edified\\ (\\oikodomoumenˆ\\). Present passive
 participle, linear action also. One result of the enjoyment of
 peace after the persecution was the continued edification (Latin
 word _aedificatio_ for building up a house), a favourite figure
 with Paul
 # 1Co 14; Eph 3
 and scattered throughout the N.T., old Greek verb. In
 # 1Pe 2:5
 Peter speaks of "the spiritual house" throughout the five Roman
 provinces being "built up" (cf.
 # Mt 16:18
 \\In the comfort of the Holy Spirit\\ (\\tˆi paraklˆsei tou hagiou\\
 \\pneumatos\\). Either locative (\\in\\) or instrumental case (\\by\\). The
 Holy Spirit had been promised by Jesus as "another Paraclete" and
 now this is shown to be true. The only instance in Acts of the
 use of \\paraklˆsis\\ with the Holy Spirit. The word, of course,
 means calling to one's side (\\parakale“\\) either for advice or for
 consolation. \\Was multiplied\\ (\\eplˆthuneto\\). Imperfect middle
 passive. The multiplication of the disciples kept pace with the
 peace, the edification, the walking in the fear of the Lord, the
 comfort of the Holy Spirit. The blood of the martyrs was already
 becoming the seed of the church. Stephen had not borne his
 witness in vain.

04104
 \\Lydda\\ (\\Ludda\\). In O.T. Lod
 # 1Ch 8:12
 and near Joppa. Later Diospolis.

04105
 \\Aenias\\ (\\Ainean\\). Old Greek name and so probably a Hellenistic
 Jew. He was apparently a disciple already (the saint, verse
 # 32
 Luke the physician notes that he had been bed ridden for eight
 years.
 See note on "Ac 5:15"
 for "bed" (\\krabattou\\) and
 see note on "Ac 8:7"
 see note on "Lu 5:18"
  for "paralyzed" (\\paralelumenos\\, perfect passive participle of
 \\paralu“\\ with \\ˆn\\, periphrastic past perfect passive).

04106
 \\Healeth\\ (\\iƒtai\\). Aoristic present middle indicative, heals here
 and now. \\Make thy bed\\ (\\str“son seaut“i\\). First aorist
 (ingressive) active imperative of \\str“nnumi\\ (\\-u“\\). Old word with
 "bed" (\\krabatton\\) understood as the object. Literally, spread thy
 bed for thyself (dative case), what others for eight years have
 done for thee.

04107
 \\Sharon\\ (\\Sar“na\\). The Plain of Sharon, not a town. Thirty miles
 long from Joppa to Caesarea.

04108
 \\At Joppa\\ (\\En Ioppˆi\\). The modern Jaffa, the port of Jerusalem
 # 2Ch 2:16
 \\Disciple\\ (\\mathˆtria\\). Feminine form of \\mathˆtˆs\\, a learner from
 \\manthan“\\, to learn, a late word and only here in the N.T.
 \\Tabitha\\ (\\Tabeitha\\). Aramaic form of the Hebrew _Tsebi_ and, like
 the Greek word \\Dorcas\\ (\\Dorkas\\), means Gazelle, "the creature with
 the beautiful look" (or eyes), from \\derkomai\\. The gazelle was a
 favourite type for beauty in the orient (Song of Solomon
 # 2:9,17; 4:5; 7:3
 She may have had both the Aramaic and the Greek name, Tabitha
 Dorcas like John Mark. There is nothing said about a husband and
 so she was probably unmarried. She is the second woman mentioned
 by name after Pentecost (Sapphira the other). She did her
 beautiful deeds by herself. She did not have a Dorcas society.
 \\Did\\ (\\epoiei\\). Imperfect active, her habit.

04109
 \\In an upper chamber\\ (\\en huper“i“i\\).
 See note on "Ac 1:13"
 Also in verse
 # 39
 In that house. This service was rendered by the women, though
 Luke has \\lousantes\\ (masculine plural aorist active participle of
 \\lou“\\), a general way of saying "they washed." The interment was
 not hurried as in Jerusalem (Ananias and Sapphira) and the upper
 room is where the body was usually placed.

04110
 \\Delay not\\ (\\mˆ oknˆsˆis\\). Ingressive aorist active subjunctive in
 prohibition. Direct discourse and not indirect as late MSS. have
 (aorist active infinitive, \\oknˆsai\\). Possibly the two messengers
 started before Dorcas was quite dead, though we do not know.
 Peter had recently healed Aeneas and the disciples may have had
 faith enough to believe that he could raise the dead by the power
 of Christ. W. M. Ramsay doubts if Dorcas was really dead, but why
 see legends in these supernatural events?

04111
 \\Stood by him\\ (\\parestˆsan aut“i\\). Second aorist active indicative,
 intransitive, of \\paristˆmi\\). Vivid picture of this group of
 widows as they stood around Peter, weeping (\\klaiousai\\) and
 showing (\\epideiknumenai\\, present middle as belonging to
 themselves, pointing with pride to) the very inner garments
 (\\chit“nas\\) and outer garments (\\himatia\\), like the Latin _tunica_
 and _toga_, which she made from time to time (\\epoiei\\, imperfect
 active, repeated action). It was a heart-breaking scene.

04112
 \\Put them all forth\\ (\\ekbal“n ex“ pantas\\). Second aorist
 (effective) active participle of \\ekball“\\, a rather strong word,
 perhaps with some difficulty. Cf.
 # Mr 5:40
 which incident Peter may have recalled. The words are not genuine
 in
 # Lu 8:54
 Peter's praying alone reminds one of Elijah
 # 1Ki 17:20
 and the widow's son and Elisha for the Shunammite's son
 # 2Ki 4:33
 \\Tabitha, arise\\ (\\Tabeitha, anastˆthi\\). With sublime faith like
 \\Taleitha koum\\ of Jesus in
 # Mr 5:41
 \\She sat up\\ (\\anekathisen\\). Effective aorist active indicative of
 \\anakathiz“\\. Often in medical writers, only here in the N.T. and
 # Lu 7:15
 where Westcott and Hort have in the margin the uncompounded form
 \\ekathisen\\. Vivid picture.

04113
 \\Raised her up\\ (\\anestˆsen autˆn\\). First aorist active indicative,
 transitive, of \\anistˆmi\\. \\Presented\\ (\\parestˆsen\\). First aorist
 active indicative, transitive of \\paristˆmi\\ (cf. intransitive
 second aorist in verse
 # 39
 above). It was a joyful time for Peter, the widows, all the
 saints, and for Dorcas.

04114
04115
 \\Many days\\ (\\hˆmeras hikanas\\).
 See note on "Ac 9:23"
 Luke is fond of the phrase and uses it for time, number, size. It
 might be "ten days, ten months, or ten years" (Page). \\With one\\
 \\Simon a tanner\\ (\\para tini Sim“ni bursei\\). The use of \\para\\ is
 usual for staying with one (by his side). "The more scrupulous
 Jews regarded such an occupation as unclean, and avoided those
 who pursued it. The conduct of Peter here shows that he did not
 carry his prejudices to that extent" (Hackett). One of the rabbis
 said: "It is impossible for the world to do without tanners; but
 woe to him who is a tanner." A Jewess could sue for divorce if
 she discovered that her husband was a tanner. And yet Peter will
 have scruples on the housetop in the tanner's house about eating
 food considered unclean. "The lodging with the tanner was a step
 on the road to eating with a Gentile" (Furneaux).

04116
 \\Cornelius\\ (\\Kornˆlios\\). The great Cornelian family of Rome may
 have had a freedman or descendant who is \\centurion\\
 (\\hekaton-tarchˆs\\, leader of a hundred, Latin _centurio_).
 See note on "Mt 8:5"
 These Roman centurions always appear in a favourable light in the
 N.T.
 # Mt 8:5; Lu 7:2; 23:47; Ac 10:1; 22:25; 27:3
 Furneaux notes the contrasts between Joppa, the oldest town in
 Palestine, and Caesarea, built by Herod; the Galilean fisherman
 lodging with a tanner and the Roman officer in the seat of
 governmental authority. \\Of the band called the Italian\\ (\\ek\\
 \\speirˆs tˆs kaloumenˆs Italikˆs\\). A legion had ten cohorts or
 "bands" and sixty centuries. The word \\speirˆs\\ (note genitive in
 \\-es\\ like the Ionic instead of \\-as\\) is here equal to the Latin
 _cohors_. In the provinces were stationed cohorts of Italic
 citizens (volunteers) as an inscription at Carnuntum on the
 Danube (Ramsay) has shown (epitaph of an officer in the second
 Italic cohort). Once more Luke has been vindicated. The soldiers
 could, of course, be Roman citizens who lived in Caesarea. But
 the Italian cohorts were sent to any part of the empire as
 needed. The procurator at Caesarea would need a cohort whose
 loyalty he could trust, for the Jews were restless.

04117
 \\Devout\\ (\\eusebˆs\\). Old word from \\eu\\ (well) and \\sebomai\\ (to
 worship, to reverence), but rare in the N.T.
 # Ac 10:2,7; 2Pe 2:1
 It might refer to a worshipful pagan
 # Ac 17:23
 \\sebasmata\\, objects of worship), but connected with "one that
 feared God" (\\phoboumenos ton theon\\) Luke describes "a God-fearing
 proselyte" as in
 # 10:22,35
 This is his usual term for the Gentile seekers after God
 # 13:16, 26;17:4,17
 etc.), who had come into the worship of the synagogue without
 circumcision, and were not strictly proselytes, though some call
 such men "proselytes of the gate" (cf.
 # Ac 13:43
 but clearly Cornelius and his family were still regarded as
 outside the pale of Judaism
 # 10:28,34; 11:1,8; 15:7
 They had seats in the synagogue, but were not Jews. \\Gave much\\
 \\alms\\ (\\poi“n eleemosunas pollas\\). Doing many alms (the very phrase
 in
 # Mt 6:2
 a characteristic mark of Jewish piety and from a Gentile to the
 Jewish people. \\Prayed\\ (\\deomenos\\). Begging of God. Almsgiving and
 prayer were two of the cardinal points with the Jews (Jesus adds
 fasting in his picture of the Pharisee in
 # Mt 6:1-18

04118
 \\Coming in\\ (\\eiselthonta\\). Ingressive second aorist active
 participle, not present. So punctiliar, "saw come," not "saw
 coming." So also "say" or "speak," not "saying." Luke repeats the
 account of this vision to Cornelius twice
 # 10:30; 11:13
 and also the story of the vision to Peter
 # 10:1-16,28; 11:5

04119
 \\Lord\\ (\\kurie\\). Cornelius recognizes the angel of God (verse
 # 3
 as God's messenger. \\Are gone up\\ (\\anebˆsan\\). Timeless second
 aorist active indicative of \\anabain“\\. Gone up like the smoke of
 incense in sacrifices. \\For a memorial\\ (\\eis mnˆmosunon\\). Old word
 from \\mnˆm“n\\. The only other instance in the N.T. is by Jesus
 about the act of Mary of Bethany
 # Mt 26:13; Mr 14:9
 His prayers and his alms proved his sincerity and won the ear of
 God.

04120
 \\Fetch\\ (\\metapempsai\\). First aorist middle (indirect, for one's
 self) imperative of \\metapemp“\\, usual voice in ancient Greek with
 this verb in sense of sending another for one's own sake. Only in
 Acts in the N.T. See also
 # 10:22

04121
 \\Lodgeth\\ (\\xenizetai\\). Present passive indicative of \\xeniz“\\ old
 verb from \\xenos\\, a stranger as a guest. So to entertain a guest
 as here or to surprise by strange acts
 # Ac 17:20; 1Pe 4:4
 \\Whose\\ (\\h“i\\). To whom, dative of possession. \\By the seaside\\ (\\para\\
 \\thalassan\\). Along by the sea. Note accusative case. Outside the
 city walls because a tanner and to secure water for his trade.
 Some tanneries are by the seashore at Jaffa today.

04122
04123
 \\Rehearsed\\ (\\exˆgˆsamenos\\).
 See note on "Lu 24:35"
 All the details about the vision. The soldier was "devout" like
 Cornelius and would protect the two household servants (\\oiket“n\\).

04124
 \\On the morrow\\ (\\tˆi epaurion\\). Locative case of article with the
 compound adverb (\\hˆmerƒi\\ day being understood), the second day
 after leaving Caesarea, 28 miles from Joppa. The third day (the
 next morrow, verse
 # 23
 they start back home and the fourth day (on the morrow again,
 verse
 # 24
 they reach Caesarea. \\As they\\ (\\ekein“n\\). The party of three from
 Caesarea. Genitive absolute with present participle
 \\hodoiporount“n\\ (journeying) and \\eggizont“n\\ (drew nigh). \\The\\
 \\housetop\\ (\\to d“ma\\). Old word and in Gospels
 # Lu 3:19
 etc.), but only here in Acts. From \\dem“\\, to build, and so any
 part of the building (hall, dining room, and then roof). The roof
 was nearly flat with walls around and so was a good place for
 meditation and prayer and naps.

04125
 \\Hungry\\ (\\prospeinos\\) Only instance of the word known, a \\hapax\\
 \\legomenon\\. Probably "very hungry" (\\pros\\=besides, in addition).
 \\Desired\\ (\\ˆthelen\\). Imperfect active. Was longing to eat. It was
 about twelve o'clock noon and Peter may even have smelt the
 savory dishes, "while they made ready" (\\paraskeuazont“n\\). "The
 natural and the supernatural border closely on one another, with
 no definable limits" (Furneaux). \\He fell into a trance\\ (\\egeneto\\
 \\ep' auton ekstasis\\). More exactly, "An ecstasy came upon him," in
 which trance he passed out of himself (\\ekstasis\\, from \\existˆmi\\)
 and from which one came to himself
 # 12:11
 Cf. also
 # 11:5; 22:17
 It is thus different from a vision (\\horama\\) as in verse
 # 3

04126
 \\Beholdeth\\ (\\the“rei\\). Vivid historical present and change from
 past time. \\Opened\\ (\\ane“igmenon\\, perfect passive participle with
 double reduplication, state of completion). \\Descending\\
 (\\katabainon\\). Present active participle describing the process.
 \\Sheet\\ (\\othonˆn\\). Old word for linen cloth and only here in the
 N.T. Accusative case in apposition with \\skeuos\\ (vessel). \\Let\\
 \\down\\ (\\Kathiemenon\\). Present passive participle of \\Kathiˆmi\\. Old
 verb, but in the N.T. only here and
 # Lu 5:19; Ac 9:25
 Linear action here picturing the process, "being let down." \\By\\
 \\four corners\\ (\\tessarsin archais\\). Instrumental case of \\archˆ\\,
 beginning. We say "end" or extremity for this use of the word.
 The picture is the sheet held up by four cords to which the sheet
 is fastened.
 # Isa 11:12
 had said that Israel would be gathered from the four corners of
 the earth. Knowling follows Hobart in taking the four corners of
 the sheet to be a medical phrase for bandage (the end of a
 bandage).

04127
 \\Were\\ (\\hupˆrchen\\). Imperfect of \\huparch“\\ in sense of \\ˆn\\, to
 exist, be. Fish are not mentioned, perhaps because the sheet had
 no water, though they were clean and unclean also
 # Le 11:9; De 14:9
 \\All manner of\\ (\\panta\\). Literally, all, but clearly all varieties,
 not all individuals. Both clean and unclean animals are in the
 sheet.

04128
04129
 \\Not so, Lord\\ (\\Mˆdam“s, kurie\\). The negative \\mˆdam“s\\ calls for the
 optative \\eiˆ\\ (may it not be) or the imperative \\est“\\ (let it be).
 It is not \\oudam“s\\, a blunt refusal (I shall not do it). And yet
 it is more than a mild protest as Page and Furneaux argue. It is
 a polite refusal with a reason given. Peter recognizes the
 invitation to slay (\\thuson\\) the unclean animals as from the Lord
 (\\kurie\\) but declines it three times. \\For I have never eaten\\
 \\anything\\ (\\hoti oudepote ephagon pan\\). Second aorist active
 indicative, I never did anything like this and I shall not do it
 now. The use of \\pan\\ (everything) with \\oudepote\\ (never) is like
 the Hebrew (_lo--k“l_) though a like idiom appears in the
 vernacular _Koin‚_ (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 752). \\Common and\\
 \\unclean\\ (\\koinon kai akatharton\\). \\Koinos\\ from epic \\xunos\\ (\\xun,\\
 \\sun\\, together with) originally meant common to several (Latin
 _communis_) as in
 # Ac 2:44; 4:32; Tit 1:4; Jude 1:3
 The use seen here (also
 # Mr 7:2,5; Ro 14:14; Heb 10:29; Re 21:27; Ac 10:28; 11:8
 like Latin _vulgaris_ is unknown in ancient Greek. Here the idea
 is made plain by the addition of \\akatharton\\ (unclean),
 ceremonially unclean, of course. We have the same double use in
 our word "common."
 See note on "Mr 7:18"
 ... and verses following
  where Mark adds the remarkable participle \\kathariz“n\\ (making all
 meats clean), evidently from Peter who recalls this vision. Peter
 had been reared from childhood to make the distinction between
 clean and unclean food and this new proposal even from the Lord
 runs against all his previous training. He did not see that some
 of God's plans for the Jews could be temporary. This symbol of
 the sheet was to show Peter ultimately that Gentiles could be
 saved without becoming Jews. At this moment he is in spiritual
 and intellectual turmoil.

04130
 \\Make not thou common\\ (\\su mˆ koinou\\). Note emphatic position of
 \\su\\ (thou). Do thou stop making common what God cleansed
 (\\ekatharisen\\). The idiom of \\mˆ\\ with the present active imperative
 \\koinou\\ means precisely this. Peter had just called "common" what
 God had invited him to slay and eat.

04131
 \\Thrice\\ (\\epitris\\). For three times. Peter remained unconvinced
 even by the prohibition of God. Here is a striking illustration
 of obstinacy on the part of one who acknowledges the voice of God
 to him when the command of the Lord crosses one's preferences and
 prejudices. There are abundant examples today of precisely this
 thing. In a real sense Peter was maintaining a pose of piety
 beyond the will of the Lord. Peter was defiling what God had
 cleansed. \\Was received up\\ (\\anelˆmphthˆ\\). First aorist passive
 indicative of \\analamban“\\, to take up. The word used of the
 Ascension
 # 1:22

04132
 \\Was much perplexed in himself\\ (\\en heaut“i diˆporei\\). Imperfect
 active of \\diapore“\\, intensive compound (\\dia\\, thoroughly, and \\a\\
 privative and \\poros\\, way), to be completely at a loss to know
 what road to take. Old verb, but in N.T. only in Luke and Acts.
 Page notes that Luke is singularly fond of verbs compounded with
 \\dia\\.
 See note on "Lu 9:7"
  and
 # Ac 2:12
 When out of the ecstasy he was more puzzled than ever. \\Might be\\
 (\\an eiˆ\\). Optative with \\an\\ in indirect question simply retained
 from the direct (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1021, 1044). See
 # Ac 17:18
 for the direct and
 # Lu 1:62
 for the indirect (\\an theloi\\ both times). It is the conclusion of
 a fourth class condition. \\Having made inquiry\\ (\\dier“tˆsantes\\).
 First aorist active participle of \\dier“ta“\\, another compound of
 \\dia\\, to ask one after another, to ask through, old verb, but only
 here in the N.T. It took diligent inquiry to find the obscure
 house of Simon the tanner. \\Stood before the gate\\ (\\epestˆsan epi\\
 \\ton pul“na\\). Second aorist active indicative of \\ephistˆmi\\,
 intransitive. Note repetition of \\epi\\. The messengers stopped
 right at the folding gates of the passage (\\pul“na\\) which led from
 the street to the inner court or house.

04133
 \\Called\\ (\\ph“nˆsantes\\). In a loud voice that those inside the house
 might hear. \\Asked\\ (\\epunthanonto\\). Imperfect middle of
 \\punthanomai\\, old verb to make inquiry especially with an indirect
 question as here. Kept on inquiring. Westcott and Hort follow B C
 here and read \\eputhonto\\ (second aorist middle, effective aorist).
 Either makes sense, though the imperfect is more picturesque.
 \\Were lodging\\ (\\xenizetai\\). Present middle indicative retained in
 indirect question.
 See note on "Ac 10:6"
  for the verb.

04134
 \\Thought\\ (\\dienthumoumenou\\). Genitive absolute of present middle
 participle of \\dienthumeomai\\, a double compound (\\dia\\ and \\en-\\
 with \\thumos\\) and another \\hapax legomenon\\ save in ecclesiastical
 writers, though \\enthumeomai\\ is common enough and Textus Receptus
 so reads here. Peter was revolving in his mind, through and
 through, in and out, to find the meaning of the strange vision.

04135
 \\But\\ (\\alla\\). So usually, though it is open to question whether
 \\alla\\ is adversative here and not rather, "Now then." \\Get thee\\
 \\down\\ (\\katabˆthi\\). Second aorist active imperative, at once. \\Go\\
 (\\poreuou\\). Present middle imperative, go on. \\Nothing doubting\\
 (\\mˆden diakrinomenos\\). Another compound of \\dia\\, old and common
 verb for a divided mind (\\dia\\ like \\duo\\, two). Note usual negative
 of the present middle participle, the subjective \\mˆden\\. The
 notion of wavering
 # Jas 1:6
 is common with this verb in the middle voice. In
 # Ac 11:12
 the aorist active (\\mˆden diakrinanta\\) is used perhaps with the
 idea of conduct towards others rather than his own internal doubt
 as here (Page). \\For I\\ (\\hoti eg“\\). The Holy Spirit assumes
 responsibility for the messengers from Cornelius and thus
 connects their mission with the vision which was still troubling
 Peter. Peter had heard his name called by the man (verse
 # 19

04136
 \\Cause\\ (\\aitia\\). Or reason. Common in this sense.
 See note on "Mt 19:3"

04137
 \\Righteous\\ (\\dikaios\\). In the Jewish sense as in
 # Lu 1:6; 2:25
 \\Well reported of\\ (\\marturoumenos\\). Present passive participle as
 in
 # 6:3
 Cf. the other centurion in
 # Lu 7:4
 \\Nation\\ (\\ethnous\\). Not \\laou\\, for the speakers are Gentiles. \\Was\\
 \\warned\\ (\\echrˆmatisthˆ\\). First aorist passive of \\chrˆmatiz“\\, old
 word for doing business, then consulting an oracle, and here of
 being divinely (word God not expressed) warned as in
 # Mt 2:12,22; Lu 2:26; Heb 11:7
 Then to be called or receive a name from one's business as in
 # Ac 11:26; Ro 7:3

04138
 \\Lodged them\\ (\\exenisen\\). Active voice here rather than passive as
 in
 # 10:6
 \\Accompanied him\\ (\\sunˆlthan aut“i\\). Associative instrumental case
 after verb. The wisdom of having these half dozen Jewish
 Christians from Joppa with Peter in the house of Cornelius in
 Caesarea becomes manifest in Jerusalem
 # 11:12

04139
 \\Was waiting\\ (\\ˆn prosdok“n\\). Periphrastic imperfect active, in
 eager expectation and hope, directing the mind (\\doka“\\) towards
 (\\pros\\) anything. Old and common verb. \\Near\\ (\\anagkaious\\). Only
 instance in the N.T. of this sense of \\anagkaios\\ from \\anagkˆ\\,
 necessity, what one cannot do without, necessary
 # 1Co 12:22
 duty
 # Ac 13:46
 or blood relations as here. The ancient Greek writers combined
 these two words (\\suggeneis\\, kinsmen, \\anagkaious\\, necessary
 friends) as here. It was a homogeneous group of Gentiles close to
 Cornelius and predisposed to hear Peter favourably.

04140
 \\That Peter entered\\ (\\tou eiselthein ton Petron\\). This is a
 difficult construction, for the subject of \\egeneto\\ (it happened)
 has to be the articular genitive infinitive \\tou eiselthein\\ with
 the accusative of general reference \\ton Petron\\. Most commentators
 consider it inexplicable. It is probably an extension of the
 ordinary articular infinitive under the influence of the Hebrew
 infinitive construct without regard to the case, regarding it as
 a fixed case form and so using it as nominative. Precisely this
 construction of \\tou\\ and the infinitive as the subject of a verb
 occurs in the LXX
 # 2Ch 6:7
 etc.). See Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1067f. for full discussion
 of this obvious Hebraism. Somewhat similar examples appear in
 # Ac 20:3; 27:1
 But the Codex Bezae avoids this awkward idiom by the genitive
 absolute (\\proseggizontos tou Petrou\\) and some additional details
 (one of the servants ran forward and announced that he was come).
 \\Worshipped him\\ (\\prosekunˆsen\\). "Cornelius was not an idolator and
 would not have honoured Peter as a god" (Furneaux). The word
 probably means here reverence like old English usage (Wycliff)
 and not actual worship, though Peter took it that way (verse
 # 26
 Jesus accepted such worship
 # Mt 8:2; Lu 5:8
 by Peter).

04141
04142
 \\As he talked with him\\ (\\sunomil“n aut“i\\). Present active
 participle of \\sunomile“\\, rare compound and here alone in the
 N.T., with associative instrumental case. The uncompounded verb
 is common enough though in the N.T. only in
 # Lu 24:14
 which see and
 # Ac 20:11; 24:26
 \\Findeth\\ (\\heuriskei\\). Vivid historical present indicative active.
 \\Come together\\ (\\sunelˆluthotas\\). Second perfect active participle
 of \\sunerchomai\\. It was an expectant group of Gentiles eager for
 Peter's interpretation of the vision of Cornelius.

04143
 \\How that it is an unlawful thing\\ (\\h“s athemiton estin\\). The
 conjunction \\h“s\\ is sometimes equivalent to \\hoti\\ (that). The old
 form of \\athemitos\\ was \\athemistos\\ from \\themisto\\ (\\themiz“,\\
 \\themis\\, law custom) and \\a\\ privative. In the N.T. only here and
 # 1Pe 4:3
 (Peter both times). But there is no O.T. regulation forbidding
 such social contact with Gentiles, though the rabbis had added it
 and had made it binding by custom. There is nothing more binding
 on the average person than social custom. On coming from the
 market an orthodox Jew was expected to immerse to avoid
 defilement (Edersheim, _Jewish Social Life_, pp. 26-28; Taylor's
 _Sayings of the Jewish Fathers_, pp. 15, 26, 137, second
 edition). See also
 # Ac 11:3; Ga 2:12
 It is that middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile
 # Eph 2:14
 which Jesus broke down. \\One of another nation\\ (\\allophul“i\\).
 Dative case of an old adjective, but only here in the N.T.
 (\\allos\\, another, \\phulon\\, race). Both Juvenal (_Sat_. XIV. 104,
 105) and Tacitus (_History_, V. 5) speak of the Jewish
 exclusiveness and separation from Gentiles. \\And yet unto\\ (\\kamoi\\).
 Dative of the emphatic pronoun (note position of prominence) with
 \\kai\\ (\\crasis\\) meaning here "and yet" or adversative "but" as often
 with \\kai\\ which is by no means always merely the connective "and"
 (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1182f.). Now Peter takes back both the
 adjectives used in his protest to the Lord (verse
 # 14
 "common and unclean." It is a long journey that Peter has made.
 He here refers to "no one" (\\mˆdena\\), not to "things," but that is
 great progress.

04144
 \\Without gainsaying\\ (\\anantirrhˆt“s\\). \\A\\ privative with compound
 adverb from \\anti\\ (back, in return, against) and verbal \\rhˆtos\\
 (from \\errhˆthˆn\\, to speak). Late and rare and here only in the
 N.T., but the adjective in
 # 19:36
 Without answering back. That is true after the Holy Spirit
 expressly told Peter to go with the messengers of Cornelius
 # 10:19-23
 Peter's objections were made to the Lord in the vision which he
 did not understand. But that vision prepared him for this great
 step which he had now taken. He had stepped over the line of
 Jewish custom. \\With what intent\\ (\\tini log“i\\). More exactly, "for
 what reason" as in Plato, _Gorgias_ 512 C.

04145
 \\Four days ago\\ (\\apo tetartˆs hˆmeras\\). From the fourth day,
 reckoning backwards from this day. \\I was keeping the ninth hour\\
 \\of prayer\\ (\\ˆmˆn tˆn enatˆn proseuchomenos\\). Periphrastic middle
 imperfect and accusative of extension of time (all the ninth
 hour).

04146
 \\Is heard\\ (\\eisˆkousthˆ\\). Sort of timeless first aorist passive
 indicative as is "are had in remembrance" (\\emnˆsthˆsan\\. See verse
 # 4
 "are gone up for a memorial").

04147
 \\In the house of Simon\\ (\\en oikiƒi Sim“nos\\). See
 # 9:43
 for \\para Sim“ni\\ with same idea.

04148
 \\And thou hast well done that thou art come\\ (\\su te kal“s epoiˆsas\\
 \\paragenomenos\\). "And thou didst well in coming." A regular
 formula for expressing thanks as in
 # Php 4:14; 3Jo 1:6; 2Pe 1:19
 The participle completes the idea of \\kal“s poie“\\ neatly.
 Cornelius commends Peter for his courage in breaking away from
 Jewish custom and takes no offence at the implied superiority of
 the Jews over the Gentiles. Cornelius and his circle of kinsmen
 and close friends are prepared soil for a new era in the history
 of Christianity. The Samaritans were now nominal Jews and the
 Ethiopian eunuch was a single case, but here Peter the chief
 apostle, not Philip the preaching deacon (evangelist), was
 involved. It was a crisis. Cornelius reveals an open mind for the
 message of God through Peter. \\Commanded thee\\ (\\prostetagmena soi\\).
 Perfect passive participle with the dative case (\\soi\\). Cornelius
 is a military man and he employs a military term (\\prostass“\\, old
 word to command). He is ready for orders from the Lord.

04149
 \\Opened his mouth\\ (\\anoixas to stoma\\). Solemn formula for beginning
 his address
 # 8:35; 18:14; Mt 5:2; 13:35
 But also good elocution for the speaker. \\I perceive\\
 (\\katalambanomai\\). Aoristic present middle of \\katalamban“\\, to take
 hold of, the middle noting mental action, to lay hold with the
 mind
 # Ac 4:13; 10:34; 25:25; Eph 3:18
 It had been a difficult thing for Peter to grasp, but now "of a
 truth" (\\ep' alˆtheias\\) the light has cleared away the fogs. It
 was not until Peter had crossed the threshold of the house of
 Cornelius in the new environment and standpoint that he sees this
 new and great truth. \\Respecter of persons\\ (\\pros“polˆmptˆs\\). This
 compound occurs only here and in Chrysostom. It is composed of
 \\pros“pon\\ face or person (\\pros\\ and \\ops\\, before the eye or face)
 and \\lamban“\\. The abstract form \\pros“polˆmpsia\\ occurs in
 # Jas 2:1
 (also
 # Ro 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25
 and the verb \\pros“polempte“\\ in
 # Jas 2:9
 The separate phrase (\\lambanein pros“pon\\) occurs in
 # Lu 20:21; Ga 2:6
 The phrase was already in the LXX
 # De 10:17; 2Ch 19:7; Ps 82:6
 Luke has simply combined the two words into one compound one. The
 idea is to pay regard to one's looks or circumstances rather than
 to his intrinsic character. The Jews had come to feel that they
 were the favourites of God and actually sons of the kingdom of
 heaven because they were descendants of Abraham. John the Baptist
 rebuked them for this fallacy.