Acts 10:12
in Acts 10It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven.
KJV
Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
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This verse in Acts 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAll manner of four-footed beasts, etc. - Every species of quadrupeds, whether wild or domestic; all reptiles, and all fowls. Consequently, both the clean and unclean were present in this visionary representation: those that the Jewish law allowed to be sacrificed to God, or proper for food; as well as those which that law had prohibited in both cases: such as the beasts that do not chew the cud; fish which have no scales; fowls of prey and such others as are specified in Lev 11:1, etc., where see the notes.
This site's exposition
He saw heaven open
on Acts 10:11-13
Peter sees a large sheet let down holding all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles, clean and unclean together, against Leviticus 11. The voice commands, Get up, Peter, kill and eat, an order to break food laws he had kept all his life.
This site's exposition
all kinds of four-footed animals
Adam Clarke notes that the sheet held both clean and unclean creatures as Leviticus 11 defines them. Albert Barnes explains that Peter's hunger shaped the vision, though its lesson concerned the nations coming to the gospel. Theophylact and Bede read the animals as the nations.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"And he sees." A supreme symbol of the whole inhabited world, that very screen. And the four principles signify the four elements. The apparent sheet denotes the denser world. The diverse animals are symbols of the condition of men. [EVAGRIUS]
Or, to speak more clearly, the Church is the sheet. The beasts within it are the nations. Therefore he beheld the Church bound by the four Gospels, in which all the peoples were contained.
"And saw heaven opened, and, knit at the four corners, a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air." What is this? It is a symbol of the whole world. The man was uncircumcised: and - for he had nothing in common with the Jews - they would all accuse him as a transgressor: "thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them."
To me it seems that this also denotes the Gospel (or, "the Preaching"). That the thing taking place was of God the circumstances made evident, namely, both that he sees it descending from above, and that he is in a trance; and, that the voice comes from thence, and the thrice confessing that the creatures there were unclean, and its coming from thence, and being drawn back thither - all this is a mighty token of the cleanness imparted to them.
The earth then, this is what the linen sheet denotes, and the wild beasts in it, are they of the Gentiles, and the command, "Kill and eat," denotes that he must go to them also; and that this thing is thrice done, denotes baptism.
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
In which were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles of the earth, and birds of the air. Those animals are all the nations impure by errors, but cleansed by the thrice immersion, that is, by the mystery of the Holy Trinity in baptism, which, …
The species of animals are taken in place of human characteristics, and from the description of Peter's vision it is known that in the vessel that descended from heaven there were all kinds of animals: creeping things, birds, and four-footed beasts. This is because the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What he did he did in that faith, and was accepted of God in it; for the Gentiles, to whom the law of Moses came, were not obliged to become circumcised Jews, as those to whom the gospel of Christ comes are to become baptized Christians. (2.) He is appointed to enquire after a further discovery of divine grace, now lately made to the world,
Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth,.... Not as if they were painted upon it, and these were only pictures and representations of them made on the linen sheet; but as if they really add actually were upon it alive; since Peter is afterwards called upon to kill and eat: and these design four-footed beasts of every kind, that are tame, as distinct from the wild ones, after mentioned, as horses, camels, oxen, sheep, hogs, dogs, &c. and wild beasts; lions, tigers, panthers, bears, &c.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wherein ... - This particular vision was suggested by Peter’s hunger, Act 10:10. It was designed, however, to teach him an important lesson in regard to the introduction of all nations to the gospel. Its descending from heaven may have been an intimation that that religion which was about to abolish the distinction between the Jews and other nations was of divine origin. See Rev 21:2.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ᾧ | ho | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ὑπῆρχεν | huperchen | were | G5225 → | 60 times |
| πάντα | panta | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τετράποδα | tetrapoda | quadrupeds | G5074 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἑρπετὰ | herpeta | creeping things | G2062 → | |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς | ges | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πετεινὰ | peteina | birds | G4071 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανοῦ. | ouranou | of heaven. | G3772 → | 272 times |
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ᾧwhich
hoG3739 →1405 times
ὑπῆρχενwere
huperchenG5225 →60 times
πάνταall
pantaG3956 →1235 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
τετράποδαquadrupeds
tetrapodaG5074 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἑρπετὰcreeping things
herpetaG2062 →
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆςearth
gesG1093 →248 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πετεινὰbirds
peteinaG4071 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανοῦ.of heaven.
ouranouG3772 →272 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
John 7:37On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
- John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.
- Isaiah 12:3
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation,
- Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
- Isaiah 55:1
Through
Isaiah 65:25The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all…
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:6–9
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.
- Micah 4:3
Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take…
- Acts 9:19–21
and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
- Isaiah 11:6–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies15
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; 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.