Acts 11:13
in Acts 11He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, Send to Joppa, and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter;
KJV
And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
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This verse in Acts 11
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house,.... The clause, "in his house", is very appropriately put; for since an angel had entered into his house, it could not be criminal in Peter, and the six brethren, to follow him.
This site's exposition
three men sent to me
on Acts 11:11-14
Just then three men sent from Caesarea stopped at the house where Peter was staying, the vision's meaning arriving in the same hour. Six brothers went with him, witnesses Peter now needs before the church.
This site's exposition
seen an angel standing in his house
Peter tells the council that an angel had stood inside the Gentile's house before he ever entered it. His critics objected to the visit of verse 3. Heaven had crossed that threshold first.
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 …
"And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." And he does not mention the words spoken by the Angel to Cornelius, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God," that he may not disgust them; but what says he? "He shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved:" with good reason this is added. Also he says nothing of the man's fitness. "The Spirit," he might say, "having sent me, God having commanded, on the one part having summoned me through the Angel, on the other urging me on, and solving my doubt about the things, what was I to do?" He says none of these things, however: but makes his strong point of what happened last, which even in itself was an incontrovertible argument.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Here is something added in what the angel said to Cornelius; before it was, Send for Peter, and he shall speak to thee, he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do ( ch. x. 6, 32 ); but here it is, " He shall tell thee words whereby thou and thy house shall be saved (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀπήγγειλεν | apengeilen | He related | G518 → | 43 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἡμῖν | hemin | to us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| πῶς | pos | how | G4459 → | 103 times |
| εἶδεν | eiden | he had seen | G1492 → | 374 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄγγελον | angelon | angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οἴκῳ | oiko | house | G3624 → | 112 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| σταθέντα | stathenta | having stood | G2476 → | 153 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἰπόντα | eiponta | having said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ἀπόστειλον | aposteilon | do send forth | G649 → | 132 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Ἰόππην | ioppen | Joppa | G2445 → | 10 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μετάπεμψαι | metapempsai | do yourself send for | G3343 → | 9 times |
| Σίμωνα | simona | Simon | G4613 → | 75 times |
| τὸν | ton | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπικαλούμενον | epikaloumenon | is called | G1941 → | 30 times |
| Πέτρον, | petron | Peter, | G4074 → | 155 times |
ἀπήγγειλενHe related
apengeilenG518 →43 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ἡμῖνto us
heminG3165 →1936 times
πῶςhow
posG4459 →103 times
εἶδενhe had seen
eidenG1492 →374 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἄγγελονangel
angelonG32 →175 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
οἴκῳhouse
oikoG3624 →112 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
σταθένταhaving stood
stathentaG2476 →153 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἰπόνταhaving said
eipontaG2036 →925 times
ἀπόστειλονdo send forth
aposteilonG649 →132 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ἸόππηνJoppa
ioppenG2445 →10 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μετάπεμψαιdo yourself send for
metapempsaiG3343 →9 times
ΣίμωναSimon
simonaG4613 →75 times
τὸνwho
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἐπικαλούμενονis called
epikaloumenonG1941 →30 times
Πέτρον,Peter,
petronG4074 →155 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 12:11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
it leads to
- Daniel 6:22
My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O…
- Daniel 3:28
Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather…
- 2 Peter 2:9
if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
- Psalms 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
- Acts 5:19
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
- Daniel 6:22
Through
Acts 9:43And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
it leads to
- Acts 10:6
He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
- Acts 10:32
Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
- Acts 10:6
Through
Acts 10:22“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…
it leads to
- Acts 11:14
He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
- Acts 11:14
Where this verse is studied
About Acts

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 24; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts.
