Acts 10:30
in Acts 10Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Cornelius said, Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel,
KJV
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
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This verse in Acts 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verseFour days ago I was fasting until this hour - It was then about three o’clock in the afternoon; and it appears that Cornelius had continued his fasts from three o’clock the preceding day to three o’clock the day following; not that he had fasted four days together, as some supposes for even if he did fast four days consecutively, he ate one meal on each day.
This site's exposition
Four days ago
on Acts 10:30-33
Cornelius retells the vision almost word for word, down to the ninth hour of prayer named in verse 3. He ends ready to hear everything the Lord has instructed Peter to tell them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A man, he says, and not an angel; therefore he was without form.
What then does Cornelius? He does not say, Why, did not the soldiers tell thee? but observe again, how humbly he speaks. For he says, "From the fourth day I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." "And at the ninth hour," he says, "I was praying." It seems to me, that this man had also fixed for himself set times of a life under stricter rule, and on certain days. For this is why he says, "From the fourth day." See how great a thing prayer is! When he advanced in piety, then the Angel appears to him. "From the fourth day:" i.e. of the week; not "four days ago." For, "on the morrow Peter went away with them, and on the morrow after they entered into Caesarea:" this is one day: and the day on which the persons sent came (to Joppa) one day: and on the third (the Angel) appeared: so that there are two days after that on which (Cornelius) had been praying. "And, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing:" he does not say, an Angel, so unassuming is he: "and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God."
It seems to him that the seasons of his life had become more exacting for him, and on certain days. For this reason he said, "From the fourth day." When then the angel appears to him, this is one day; and the day on which …
The Medieval Church2 voices
From the fourth day until this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me, and so on. In Greek and in some Latin manuscripts it is written thus: From the fourth day until this hour …
And Cornelius said: Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour. In Greek, it is written more fully and clearly: Four days ago to this hour, I was fasting and praying from the sixth hour until the …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"At the ninth hour I was praying in my house." What does this mean? It seems to me that, with the most careful order in his life, his time was distributed, and moreover on certain days, which is why he said: "four days ago." See …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Four days ago I was fasting - The first of these days he had the vision; the second his messengers came to Joppa; on the third, St. Peter set out; and on the fourth, came to Cesarea.
And Cornelius said,....
Now here we are told, (1.) That an angel of God came in to him. By the brightness of his countenance, and the manner of his coming in, he knew him to be something more than a man, and therefore nothing less than an angel, an express from heaven.
It is probable that they travelled on foot; the apostles generally did so. Now when they came into the house of Cornelius Peter found, (1.) That he was expected, and this was an encouragement to him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Four days ago - See the notes on Act 10:23. Until this hour - The ninth hour, or three o’clock, p. m. See Act 10:3. A man - Called, in Act 10:3, an angel. He had the appearance of a man. Compare Mar 16:5. In bright clothing - See the notes on Mat 28:3.
The words behind it
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Κορνήλιος | kornelios | Cornelius | G2883 → | 8 times |
| ἔφη· | ephe | was saying; | G5346 → | 66 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | Ago | G575 → | 640 times |
| τετάρτης | tetartes | four | G5067 → | |
| ἡμέρας | hemeras | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| μέχρι | mechri | until | G3360 → | |
| ταύτης | tautes | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὥρας | horas | hour | G5610 → | 106 times |
| ἤμην | emen | I was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| τὴν | ten | at the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐνάτην | enaten | ninth | G1766 → | 10 times |
| προσευχόμενος | proseuchomenos | praying | G4336 → | 85 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οἴκῳ | oiko | house | G3624 → | 112 times |
| μου, | mou | of mine, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἀνὴρ | aner | a man | G435 → | 216 times |
| ἔστη | este | stood | G2476 → | 153 times |
| ἐνώπιόν | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| μου | mou | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἐσθῆτι | estheti | apparel | G2066 → | 8 times |
| λαμπρᾷ | lampra | bright | G2986 → |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΚορνήλιοςCornelius
korneliosG2883 →8 times
ἔφη·was saying;
epheG5346 →66 times
ἀπὸAgo
apoG575 →640 times
τετάρτηςfour
tetartesG5067 →
ἡμέραςdays
hemerasG2250 →389 times
μέχριuntil
mechriG3360 →
ταύτηςthis
tautesG3778 →1381 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
ὥραςhour
horasG5610 →106 times
ἤμηνI was
emenG1510 →2333 times
τὴνat the
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐνάτηνninth
enatenG1766 →10 times
προσευχόμενοςpraying
proseuchomenosG4336 →85 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
οἴκῳhouse
oikoG3624 →112 times
μου,of mine,
mouG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἀνὴρa man
anerG435 →216 times
ἔστηstood
esteG2476 →153 times
ἐνώπιόνbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
μουme
mouG3165 →1936 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἐσθῆτιapparel
esthetiG2066 →8 times
λαμπρᾷbright
lampraG2986 →
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 10:3One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
it leads to
- Daniel 9:20–21
While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—
- Acts 3:1
One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
- Acts 5:19
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
- Daniel 9:20–21
Through
Mark 16:6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.
it leads to
- Revelation 1:17–18
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–7
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
- Luke 24:46
And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
- Matthew 28:4–7
The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.
- John 2:19–22
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
- Revelation 1:17–18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies15
On this verse
On this chapter
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 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); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Bede, Retractions on Acts; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 23; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.