Acts 10:19
in Acts 10As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
KJV
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
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This verse in Acts 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"Meanwhile, as Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him: 'Behold, three men are looking for you.'" Again, this too serves as an apology for Peter before the disciples, so that they might see that he was deliberating and received instruction not …
This site's exposition
puzzling over the meaning
on Acts 10:17-20
While Peter was puzzling over the meaning, the men sent by Cornelius approached the gate, so the meaning arrives at the door first. The Spirit tells him to go without hesitation, because I have sent them, joining vision and visitors as the work of one sender.
This site's exposition
three men are looking for you
Bede holds that Peter heard the Spirit in his mind, while John Gill allows either a spoken voice or an inward impulse. John Wesley sees God leading Peter step by step. Light comes for the present hour.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"And while Peter thought, the Spirit said unto him, Arise, get thee down, and go, nothing doubting, for I have sent them." And he does not say, For to this end did the vision appear unto thee; but, "I have sent them. Then Peter went down"—this is the way the Spirit must be obeyed, without demanding reasons. For it is sufficient for all assurance to be told by Him, This do, this believe: nothing more is needed.
"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 …
Great is the authority of the Spirit! What God doth, this the Spirit is said to do. Not so the Angel, but having first said, "Thy prayers and thine alms have ascended, for a memorial before God," to show that he is sent from thence, then he adds, "And now send men," etc.: the Spirit not so, but, "For I have sent them."
"While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them." And this again is a plea for Peter in answer to the disciples, that he did doubt, and was instructed to doubt nothing. "For I," saith He, "have sent them." Great is the authority of the Spirit! What God doth, this the Spirit is said to do.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The Spirit said to him: Behold, three men seek you. He heard this in his mind from the Spirit, not in the ear of the flesh.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Which greatly amused him, affected his mind, and employed his thoughts what should be the meaning and design of it: the Spirit said unto him; the holy Spirit of God, either by an articulate voice, or by making an impulse on his mind; behold, three men seek thee; the Arabic version leaves out the word "three": the Spirit of God is omniscient, and knows all things; if the deep things of God, then much more man, and the things of man.
), and this is the exposition of the vision; now the riddle is unriddled: While Peter thought on the vision; he was musing upon it, and then it was opened to him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Behold three men seek thee, arise therefore and go down, and go with them, doubting nothing - How gradually was St. Peter prepared to receive this new admonition of the Spirit! Thus God is went to lead on his children by degrees, always giving them light for the present hour.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The Spirit - See the notes on Act 8:29. Compare Isa 65:24, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer,” etc.
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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Πέτρου | petrou | Peter | G4074 → | 155 times |
| διενθυμουμένου | dienthumoumenou | thinking | ||
| περὶ | peri | over | G4012 → | 332 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὁράματος | horamatos | vision | G3705 → | 12 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πνεῦμα· | pneuma | Spirit: | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἄνδρες | andres | men | G435 → | 216 times |
| τρεῖς | treis | three | G5140 → | 69 times |
| ζητοῦντές | zetountes | are seeking | G2212 → | 117 times |
| σε· | se | you; | G4771 → | 2973 times |
Τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠέτρουPeter
petrouG4074 →155 times
διενθυμουμένουthinking
dienthumoumenou
περὶover
periG4012 →332 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ὁράματοςvision
horamatosG3705 →12 times
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πνεῦμα·Spirit:
pneumaG4151 →378 times
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἄνδρεςmen
andresG435 →216 times
τρεῖςthree
treisG5140 →69 times
ζητοῦντέςare seeking
zetountesG2212 →117 times
σε·you;
seG4771 →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
John 16:13However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to…
it leads to
- John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10–13
But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
- John 14:17
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.
- John 15:26
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
- 1 John 2:27
And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all…
- John 14:26
Through
Acts 13:2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
it leads to
- Galatians 1:15
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
- Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
- 1 Corinthians 12:11
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
- Galatians 1:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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About Acts

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 22; 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.
