Acts 10:22
in Acts 10“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said, Cornelius a centurion, a righteous man and one that feareth God, and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, was warned of God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words from thee.
KJV
And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
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This verse in Acts 10
Commentary
11 notes on this verseWhen Peter repeats this, he tells us more fully, they are words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved, ch. xi. "Come to him, for an angel bade him send for thee: come to him, for he is ready to hear and receive the saving words thou hast to bring to him." 2.
This site's exposition
what is the cause wherefore ye are come
on Acts 10:21-23
Peter goes down and asks plainly, what is the cause wherefore ye are come, obedient to the Spirit's instruction before he yet understands the reason behind it. The men answer with Cornelius's own reputation, a just man, one that feareth God, of good report among all the nation of the Jews, testimony from Gentile soldiers about a Roman officer's standing among the Jewish community he lived beside. Peter lodges them, a small act that already crosses the boundary the vision addressed, since a strict reading of custom discouraged even hosting Gentiles under one's own roof, and in the morning he goes with them accompanied by certain Jewish brethren from Joppa who will later serve as witnesses to everything that happens.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee." They speak his praises, so as to persuade him that an Angel has in fact appeared unto him.
"And they said, etc. into his house." This he had ordered them. Do not think he has done this out of contempt: not as of contempt has he sent, but so he was ordered.
But observe what is said of him by the soldier whom Cornelius sent: "A just man, and one that feareth God": and then - for fearing lest Peter should refuse to come to him, as being a Gentile, he adds this - "and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews." Why then, there is nothing like alms; or rather great is the virtue of this thing.
"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 Church1 voice
And the messengers spoke praises of Cornelius in order to convince Peter that an Angel had appeared to him. Authority over the people is in the hands of a pious man who by his own merits has proven worthy of it. True, it does happen …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they said, Cornelius, the centurion,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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
Cornelius the centurion, etc. - They gave him the simple relation which they had received from their master. For the character of Cornelius, see the comment on Act 10:2 (note). To hear words of thee - But of what kind they could not as yet tell.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
To hear words of thee - To be instructed by thee.
The words behind it
34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἶπαν· | eipan | they said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| Κορνήλιος | kornelios | Cornelius | G2883 → | 8 times |
| ἑκατοντάρχης, | hekatontarches | a centurion, | G1543 → | 20 times |
| ἀνὴρ | aner | a man | G435 → | 216 times |
| δίκαιος | dikaios | righteous | G1342 → | 79 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| φοβούμενος | phoboumenos | fearing | G5399 → | 95 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| μαρτυρούμενός | marturoumenos | being well testified to | G3140 → | 76 times |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| ὅλου | holou | all | G3650 → | 109 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνους | ethnous | nation | G1484 → | 161 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίων, | ioudaion | Jews, | G2453 → | 192 times |
| ἐχρηματίσθη | echrematisthe | was divinely instructed | G5537 → | |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| ἀγγέλου | angelou | an angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| ἁγίου | hagiou | holy | G40 → | 220 times |
| μεταπέμψασθαί | metapempsasthai | to send for | G3343 → | 9 times |
| σε | se | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οἶκον | oikon | house | G3624 → | 112 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀκοῦσαι | akousai | to hear | G191 → | 425 times |
| ῥήματα | rhemata | declaration | G4487 → | 68 times |
| παρὰ | para | from | G3844 → | 192 times |
| σοῦ. | sou | you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
εἶπαν·they said;
eipanG2036 →925 times
ΚορνήλιοςCornelius
korneliosG2883 →8 times
ἑκατοντάρχης,a centurion,
hekatontarchesG1543 →20 times
ἀνὴρa man
anerG435 →216 times
δίκαιοςrighteous
dikaiosG1342 →79 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
φοβούμενοςfearing
phoboumenosG5399 →95 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
μαρτυρούμενόςbeing well testified to
marturoumenosG3140 →76 times
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
ὅλουall
holouG3650 →109 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνουςnation
ethnousG1484 →161 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
Ἰουδαίων,Jews,
ioudaionG2453 →192 times
ἐχρηματίσθηwas divinely instructed
echrematistheG5537 →
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
ἀγγέλουan angel
angelouG32 →175 times
ἁγίουholy
hagiouG40 →220 times
μεταπέμψασθαίto send for
metapempsasthaiG3343 →9 times
σεyou
seG4771 →2973 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
οἶκονhouse
oikonG3624 →112 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀκοῦσαιto hear
akousaiG191 →425 times
ῥήματαdeclaration
rhemataG4487 →68 times
παρὰfrom
paraG3844 →192 times
σοῦ.you.
souG4771 →2973 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
Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Acts 10:4
Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Through
3 John 1:12Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 3:7
Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.
- John 21:24
This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who has written them down. And we know that his testimony is true.
- Acts 22:12
There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
- John 19:35
The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
- 1 Timothy 3:7
Through
Acts 11:14He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
it leads to
- Acts 10:2
He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 10:2
Through
Luke 23:50Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,
it leads to
- John 19:38–42
Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came…
- John 19:38–42
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies7
About Acts

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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.
