Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 10:20
Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
20. get thee down ] Peter was still on the housetop.
doubting nothing ] The oldest texts give the verb here in the middle voice, as in Jas 1:6, “nothing wavering,” but in the parallel passage, Act 11:12, it is active, and signifies “making no distinction,” i.e. between Jew and Gentile. The latter was used by the Apostle when events had taught him precisely what the vision and the spiritual exhortation meant. The Spirit’s teaching is given little by little as Christ had told His disciples that it should be, “He shall guide you (lit. lead you on the way) unto all truth” (Joh 16:13). The vision had given no hint of a journey to be taken; now Peter is informed of it, and so too when the end of the journey is reached the “nothing wavering” is shewn to mean “putting no distinction between Jews and other men,” and thus the vision was made intelligible little by little and the perplexity removed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Arise therefore; immediately put thyself upon the journey.
Doubting nothing; spend no time in disputing within thyself, because that they, unto whom thou art sent, are not Jews.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Arise, therefore, and get thee down,…. From the top of the house where he was:
and go with them; the three men, to Caesarea
doubting nothing; whether it is right or wrong, lawful or unlawful, to go with them, because not Jews, but uncircumcised Gentiles, laying aside all such Jewish scruples:
for I have sent them: the Spirit of God is said to do what Cornelius did at his instigation and direction, signified by an angel he sent to him, Ac 10:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But (). So usually, though it is open to question whether is adversative here and not rather, “Now then.”
Get thee down (). Second aorist active imperative, at once.
Go (). Present middle imperative, go on.
Nothing doubting ( ). Another compound of , old and common verb for a divided mind ( like , two). Note usual negative of the present middle participle, the subjective . The notion of wavering (Jas 1:6) is common with this verb in the middle voice. In Ac 11:12 the aorist active ( ) is used perhaps with the idea of conduct towards others rather than his own internal doubt as here (Page).
For I ( ). The Holy Spirit assumes responsibility for the messengers from Cornelius and thus connects their mission with the vision which was still troubling Peter. Peter had heard his name called by the man (verse 19).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Arise therefore, and get thee down,” (alla anastas katabethi) “But stand up (get up) and descend, go down,” down from the rooftop to the level and the gate where the inquirers from Cornelius waited, Act 11:11-12; Act 5:29.
2) “And go with them, doubting nothing: (kai poreuou sun autois meden diakrinomenos) “And go in company with them not one thing further doubting,” or do not go on doubting or questioning, even though they be neither Jew nor proselytes. Lay your scruples aside to preach the gospel to every nation, Act 16:9-10; Mat 28:18-20; Joh 20:21.
3) “For I have sent them,” (hoti ego apestalka autous) “Because I (the Spirit) have commissioned them,” sent them on a mission for your testimony, to be given to Cornelius’ house, as a witness of Jesus Christ, Luk 24:46; Luk 24:49; Act 1:8; Rom 1:14-16. These three men from Joppa though unsaved were as surely on a Divine commission as was the Apostle Peter that day. The Spirit had sent those men to secure Peter’s witness in Caesarea. Thus both the reason for their coming to and his going from Joppa was attributed to the call of the Spirit of God, Act 10:19; Rom 8:14; Heb 3:7; Heb 4:7; Rev 22:17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
20. Go, doubting nothing. The Scripture useth this word often, when it will express of what sort the obedience of faith ought to be. So Paul, in the fourth chapter to the Romans, (Rom 4:19,) when as he commendeth the faith of Abraham, saith, That he doubted not when as the Lord promised him seed, being now aged and past hope of children. And in the fourteenth, (Rom 14:23,) in treating of meats, he condemneth doubting consciences. And it is properly to reason on both sides, (as they say,) when as we are carried hither and thither by course, by gathering contrary reasons. But we must not follow God with a doubtful and wavering, but with a quiet and constant mind. In sum, the Lord will have us to attribute so much to him, that when we hear him we dispute no longer what we have need to do, but that we set down for a certainty, that that must be done which he commandeth. And surely it is meet that his will should show us the way, when all clouds are driven away, and that it should subdue all our senses unto it, unto willing obedience, all reasoning [disputation] being broken off; which is also better gathered by the next text. For the reason is added, why it is not lawful for Peter to suspend his judgment in an uncertain matter, because God is the author of the business; because it is as much as if it should be said, that we ought to be content with the beck of God alone, that we may obey his commandment. And hereby are we also admonished that men’s consciences shall by no other means be quiet, that they safely do that which they do, than when being taught by the Word of God, they determine that they do nothing without his commandment and conduct.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Go with them, doubting nothing.The command was specially addressed to the perplexed questionings of the disciple. For a time he was to walk, as it were, blindfold, but trusting in the full assurance of faith in the Hand that was guiding him. As once before (Joh. 13:7), he knew not yet what his Lord was doing, but was to know hereafter. He and the messengers from Cornelius were alike acting on the promptings of the Divine Spirit.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Get thee down By the outer stairs. (See notes on Mat 9:2; Mat 26:68.)
Doubting nothing On account of their being Gentiles. So Act 11:12. I have sent them The double active, says Grotius: I have caused that they should be caused to come.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 10:20. Doubting nothing “Without any hesitation or scruple on account of the messengers being Gentiles, and coming from one of the same denomination; for I have shewn you, that the great ceremonial distinction between Jew and Gentile, clean and unclean, is now to be abolished.” See Mat 21:21. Mar 11:23. Rom 4:20. Jam 1:6.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
Ver. 20. Doubting nothing ] Or, not arguing the case, , but readily yielding the obedience of faith.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
20. ] ‘ make no question as to who or what they are, but :’ so also ch. Act 9:6 .
] The Holy Spirit, shed down upon the Church to lead it into all the truth, had in His divine arrangements brought about, by the angel sent to Cornelius, their coming.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 10:20 . .: “nothing doubting,” i.e. , without hesitation as to its lawfulness, cf. Mat 21:21 , Rom 14:23 , Mar 11:23 , Jas 1:6 ; the verb is not so used in classical Greek. See Mayor’s note on Jas 1:6 , apparently confined in this sense to N.T. and later Christian writings. For the active voice see Act 11:12 , Act 15:9 . If we read a stop after . and or immediately following, we may translate, “nothing doubting; for I have sent them,” R.V.; but if no punctuation (so Rendall, Weiss) translate, “nothing doubting that I have sent them,” i.e. , the fact that I have sent them. In either case emphatic. Nothing had been spoken to him of his journey, but in the path of unhesitating obedience he was led to the meaning of the revelation ( cf. Joh 13:7 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Arise therefore = But arise. Same as rise Act 10:13.
doubting. Greek. diakrino. App-122.
nothing. Greek. medeis.
for I have sent them. This proves that it is the angel that is speaking. Compare Act 10:5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
20. ] make no question as to who or what they are,-but:-so also ch. Act 9:6.
] The Holy Spirit, shed down upon the Church to lead it into all the truth, had in His divine arrangements brought about, by the angel sent to Cornelius, their coming.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 10:20. , nothing doubting) A requisite in the highest decree necessary in the case of a good action. Often long-continued doubt is suddenly, when need requires, taken away in life or at death.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
and get: Act 8:26, Act 9:15, Act 15:7, Mar 16:15
for: Act 9:17, Act 13:4, Isa 48:16, Zec 2:9-11
Reciprocal: Exo 4:27 – Go into 1Ki 14:5 – the Lord Act 10:29 – as soon Act 11:12 – the Spirit Eph 3:5 – by
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 10:20. The purpose of the Spirit in speaking was to reassure Peter that the call was legitimate. That would prepare him to receive whatever message they gave him.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 10:20. Get thee down. He descended, doubtless, by an external stair, which would bring him at once to the outer gate, at which the messengers were standing. Sec on Act 10:17.
Go with them. He knows not whither. But an intimation is given of some journey to be undertaken. This is similar to the general method of other Divine communications recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. See Act 20:22-23, Act 27:26.
I have sent them. A further point is here reached, of the highest doctrinal importance. In the outward literal sense, Cornelius had sent the messengers. If we go a step farther back in the narrative, we might say that the angel had sent them. But here we are brought to the primary active will which set all these occurrences in motion. In other words, we have before us here the truth of the personality of the Holy Spirit. Compare analogous instances in this book, when St. Paul is to be sent out on his first missionary journey (Act 13:2), and when his course is first directed to missionary work in Europe (Act 16:6-7).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 17