Acts 10:21
in Acts 10So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
KJV
Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
⋯
This verse in Acts 10
Commentary
9 notes on this verseWhich were sent unto him from Cornelius - This clause is wanting in almost every MS. of worth, and in almost all the versions. Behold, I am he whom ye seek - A sudden, unexpected speech, like the address of Aeneas to Dido; when the cloud in which he was involved suddenly dissipated, and he appeared with the exclamation, - coram, quem quaeritis, adsum! Aen. lib. i. 5
This site's exposition
Peter went down to the men
on Acts 10:21-23
Peter went down to the men and asks why they have come, obeying before he understands. He then invited them in as his guests, already crossing the line the vision addressed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?" He saw a soldier, saw a man: it was not that he was afraid, on the contrary, having first confessed that he was the person whom they sought, then he asks for the cause of their coming; that it may not be supposed that the reason of his asking the cause, was, that he wished to hide himself: he asks it in order that if it be immediately urgent, he may also go forth with them, but if not, may receive them as guests.
"And having called out they inquired." Since they inquired into a humble house from below, and they asked not the neighbors. Great is the power of the Spirit in what was said, that "for I have sent them." When Peter went down he inquired into …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Behold, I am he whom you seek. What is the reason for which you have come? The Spirit told him that soldiers were present, and he was silent about why they had come, because to preserve the humility of the human mind, sometimes the Spirit …
First Peter acknowledged that he was the one they were seeking, and then asked about the reason for their coming, so that he might either be ready at once to go with them, or, if that was not necessary, to lodge them in the house.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
So far was he from going out of the way, or refusing to be spoken with, as one that was shy of them, or making them tarry, as one that took state upon him, that he went to them himself, told them he was the person they were enquiring for.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then Peter went down to the men,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
while Peter doubted . . . what this should mean, behold, the three men . . . stood before the gate . . . and asked--"were inquiring," that is, in the act of doing so. The preparations here made--of Peter for his Gentile visitors, as of Cornelius for him--are devoutly to be noted.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καταβὰς | katabas | Having gone down | G2597 → | 81 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Πέτρος | petros | Peter | G4074 → | 155 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄνδρας | andras | men | G435 → | 216 times |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | he said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἐγώ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| εἰμι | eimi | am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὃν | hon | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ζητεῖτε· | zeteite | you seek; | G2212 → | 117 times |
| τίς | tis | what [is] | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰτία | aitia | cause | G156 → | 20 times |
| δι᾽ | di᾽ | for | G1223 → | 664 times |
| ἣν | hen | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| πάρεστε; | pareste | you are here? | G3918 → | 25 times |
καταβὰςHaving gone down
katabasG2597 →81 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠέτροςPeter
petrosG4074 →155 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἄνδραςmen
andrasG435 →216 times
εἶπεν·he said;
eipenG2036 →925 times
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἐγώI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
εἰμιam
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ὃνwhom
honG3739 →1405 times
ζητεῖτε·you seek;
zeteiteG2212 →117 times
τίςwhat [is]
tisG5101 →563 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
αἰτίαcause
aitiaG156 →20 times
δι᾽for
di᾽G1223 →664 times
ἣνwhich
henG3739 →1405 times
πάρεστε;you are here?
paresteG3918 →25 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 10:51“What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Rabboni,” said the blind man, “let me see again.”
it leads to
- Luke 18:41–43
“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”
- Mark 10:36
“What do you want Me to do for you?” He inquired.
- Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- 2 Chronicles 1:7
That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
- Luke 18:41–43
Through
Acts 10:29So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”
it leads to
- Psalms 119:60
I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.
- Acts 10:19–20
As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
- 1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and…
- Psalms 119:60
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies15
On this verse
On this chapter
About Acts
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 22; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.