Acts 11:10
in Acts 11This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And this was done thrice: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
KJV
And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
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This verse in Acts 11
Commentary
7 notes on this versePeter did not dwell on this trifle, but based himself on what was of great importance. If, he says, they received the Spirit, then how could one not impart this to them? By this defense he shows that he is in no way at fault, …
This site's exposition
Then I heard a voice
on Acts 11:7-10
Told to kill and eat, Peter answers that nothing impure or unclean has ever entered his mouth. The reply, Do not call anything impure that God has made clean, comes three times, the mark of a settled matter.
This site's exposition
everything was drawn back up into heaven
The sheet returns to heaven, where it began, so its contents belong to God. Bede read the vessel taken up as the church of every nation received into heaven at the last. Heaven had sent it and heaven kept it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Peter showed in his defense that he had by no means been the cause, but God everywhere. For he said, he himself set me in the excess of mind, he himself pointed out the sheet, and I indeed even contradicted; again the same he himself …
Observe his freedom from all elation and vainglory. For it says, "But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa, praying:" he does not say why, nor on what occasion: "and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat." As much as to say, This of itself was enough to have persuaded me - my having seen the linen sheet: but moreover a Voice was added. "But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth." Do you mark? "I did my part," says he: "I said, that I have never eaten aught common or unclean:" with reference to this that they said, "Thou wentest in, and didst eat with them." But this he does not say to Cornelius: for there was no need to mention it to him. "But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), the same command given, to kill and eat, and the same reason, because that which God hath cleansed is not to be called common, repeated a second and third time. And, further to confirm him that it was a divine vision, the things he saw did not vanish away into the air, but were drawn up again into heaven, whence they were let down.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And this was done three times,....
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦτο | touto | This | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | happened | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τρίς, | tris | three times, | G5151 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀνεσπάσθη | anespasthe | was drawn up | G385 → | |
| πάλιν | palin | again | G3825 → | 139 times |
| ἅπαντα | hapanta | all | G537 → | 33 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανόν. | ouranon | heaven. | G3772 → | 272 times |
τοῦτοThis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐγένετοhappened
egenetoG1096 →667 times
ἐπὶon
epiG1909 →883 times
τρίς,three times,
trisG5151 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀνεσπάσθηwas drawn up
anespastheG385 →
πάλινagain
palinG3825 →139 times
ἅπανταall
hapantaG537 →33 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανόν.heaven.
ouranonG3772 →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 21:17Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things,”…
it leads to
- John 13:38
“Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.
- John 16:30
Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”
- Mark 14:72
And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down…
- John 13:38
Through
John 13:38“Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.
it leads to
- Luke 22:34
But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
- Matthew 26:34
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
- Mark 14:30
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
- Luke 22:34
Through
2 Corinthians 12:8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
it leads to
- Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
- Matthew 26:39–44
Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
- Hebrews 5:7
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Bede, Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 24; 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.