Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 10:21
Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what [is] the cause wherefore ye are come?
21. Then (And) Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius ] The last seven words are not in the oldest Greek texts, and are clearly an addition of later date to make the text quite clear.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 21. Which were sent unto him from Cornelius] This clause is wanting in almost every MS. of worth, and in almost all the versions.
Behold, I am he whom ye seek] A sudden, unexpected speech, like the address of AEneas to Dido; when the cloud in which he was involved suddenly dissipated, and he appeared with the exclamation,
__________ coram, quem quaeritis, adsum!
AEn. lib. i. 595.
What is the cause therefore ye are come?] He still did not know the full import of the vision; but being informed by the Holy Spirit that three men were seeking him, and that he should go with them, without scruple, he instantly obeyed; and finding them at the door, desired to know why they sought him.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Peter being in no small consternation, and not perfectly knowing whither all this tended, makes the more exact inquiry.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. I am he whom ye seekThisseems to have been said without any communication being made to Peterregarding the men or their errand.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then Peter went down to the men,…. The Ethiopic version adds, “from the third floor”; to the place where the men were: the following clause,
which were sent unto him from Cornelius, is not in Beza’s most ancient copy, nor in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions:
and said, behold, I am he whom ye seek; without being called by any of the family he came down, and without being informed in that way who the men were inquiring for; it being suggested to him by the Spirit of God, he declared himself to be the person they were seeking after: and put this question to them,
what is the cause wherefore ye are come? for that was not intimated to him by the Spirit; it was only told him there were three men seeking him, and he was bid to go with them, without any scruple or hesitation; but what they came for, or he was to go with them about, was not suggested.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Cause (). Or reason. Common in this sense. See on Mt 19:3.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Then Peter went down,” (katabas de Petros) “Then Peter descended (went down),” from the housetop where he had prayed and seen the vision, Act 10:9.
2) “To the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius;- (pros andras eipen) “To the men (who had been commissioned from Cornelius) and said,” to the two household servants and the sentry soldier of Cornelius from the Italian band, Act 11:11.
3) “Behold, I am he whom ye seek,” (idou ego eimi on zeteite) “Behold I am (exist as) he whom you all seek. Cheerfully and promptly Peter disclosed his identity to the three men from Caesarea, from the house of Cornelius, Act 11:12.
4) “What is the cause wherefore ye are come?” (tis he aitia di’ hen pareste) “What is the cause (particular purpose) on account of which you all are here?” He asked a similar question to Cornelius when he arrived at his house later, Act 10:29. Our Lord asked a similar question to the blind man on the Jericho road, “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” Luk 18:41. A good servant or steward always does his master’s will and finds blessings thereby, Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-24; 1Pe 2:18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
21. Behold, I am he whom ye seek. Luke declareth now how ready Peter was to obey; secondly, that he understood at length, by the messengers, to what end the vision was showed unto him. For he heareth that he is called by Cornelius, a man that is a Gentile, whom he would have counted profane, and unworthy of his company, unless his judgment had been corrected with this voice, “That which God calleth pure, judge not thou to be common.” This is to be wise indeed, when as abandoning all vain confidence, and correcting our stubbornness, the authority of God doth so pull us unto it, and doth so possess our minds, that we count nothing right but that which it prescribeth.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
‘And Peter went down to the men, and said, “Look, I am he whom you seek. What is the reason why you are come?” ’
No doubt curious, Peter went down to them, introduced himself and asked them why they had come.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
Ver. 21. Peter went down ] He sent not for them up, much less made he them to wait three days at the gate (as that pope did Henry the emperor) before they could have a hearing.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
which were sent unto him from Cornelius. All the texts and Syriac omit.
wherefore = on account of which.
are come = are present.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 10:21. , whom ye seek) So courage was imparted to those seeking Peter.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Behold: Joh 1:38, Joh 1:39, Joh 18:4-8
what: Act 10:29, Mar 10:51
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Act 10:21. Peter identified himself to the three men, which was the only response we have recorded as to their inquiry when they arrived at the gate. The Spirit had not told him what the men wanted, but simply assured him they were there because of Him.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 10:21. Then Peter went down to the men, See note on the last verse. This coming down the outside stair, and suddenly standing face to face with the strangers, with whom he was presently to make such intimate acquaintance, is one of the most vivid passages of the narrative.
Which were sent to him from Cornelius. These words are absent from the best manuscripts. They are either a gloss suggested by Act 11:11, Sent from Csarea unto me, or they are introduced to make more complete a section set apart for public reading. The introduction of the words here, however, disturbs the true sequence of the narrative. At this time St. Peter knew nothing of Cornelius or of what had happened at Csarea.
Behold, I am he whom ye seek. This directness is like what we read elsewhere of St. Peter. Coram quem quaeritis adsum. But it is worth while at this point to turn in thought from him to the messengers. They must have been much startled by this sudden address. They saw in a moment the man whom they were seeking: they perceived that some supernatural communication had been made to him; and renewed strength must have been given instantaneously to their conviction that they were engaged in no common transaction.
What is the cause wherefore ye are come? He was entirely ignorant as yet of the details of their errand: and these he was to learn, not supernaturally, but by the usual methods of information. The two things which he had learnt supernaturally were, first, the general preparatory and as yet obscure lesson of the trance; and, secondly, the fact that those men whom he saw before him were divinely sent, and that he was to accompany them.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. The messengers whom Cornelius sent to St. Peter, two of his household-servants, and a devout soldier. All soldiers are not rude: but some are religious. Behold a devout soldier under a devout captain, and two household-servants whom their master’s example had rendered humble and modest.
Observe, 2. The just and laudable, not false and flattering character, which they gave of their master Cornelius; That he was a just man, one that feared God, and one of Good report among all the nation of the Jews. It is both the duty and commendation of servants, give to their master’s due honour: and, when called to it, their deserved character.
Observe, 3. How St. Peter’s doubts being resolved, he disputes no further, delays no longer, but hastens immediately to Cornelius: When once God’s command is plain, we must not dispute, but dispatch; we must no longer object, but obey.
Observe, 4. The reverence given by Cornelius to St. Peter; he fell down at his feet and worshipped him. It seems to be more than a civil reverence which he gave him: It looks as if Cornelius took him for an angel in human shape, or a person sent immediately from heaven to him; and accordingly he prostrates himself before the apostle: But St. Peter would by no means receive any undue honour or respect from him, assuring him, That he was but a man, and God’s messenger sent unto him. Whatever Peter’s pretended successor challenges as his due, of reverence and homage, St. Peter himself would not suffer Cornelius to lie at his feet, much less to kiss his feet: The ambassador would not run away with the honour which belonged to the prince that sent him.
Observe, 5. How St. Peter acquaints Cornelius, that that partition-wall betwixt the Jews and Gentiles, which was erected and set up by God’s command, was now by the same authority pulled down and removed; and that no man is now unclean by any ceremonial uncleanness, because he is not circumcised: and might converse with, and be conversed with as freely as if born a Jew.
Since the coming of Christ, no person or nation is legally or ceremonially unclean; but every nation, or even person, by nature, morally unclean.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
21, 22. He knows nothing, as yet, of the nature of their mission, neither does he yet understand any better than before the meaning of the vision. (21) “Then Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom you are seeking. What is the cause for which you are come? (22) And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a just man, and one who fears God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for you into his house, and to hear words from you.” Upon hearing these words, the whole truth at once flashed upon the mind of Peter, and the agencies which for two days had been preparing to uproot his prejudice, sprang upon it with their combined force. No less than an angel from God has sent these men to call me into the house of a Gentile, to preach the gospel to him. My vision of clean and unclean beasts is explained. God has cleansed the Gentiles, and I am no longer to call them unclean. The Spirit has commanded me to go with these men, without doubting. The authority of God, of an angel, of the Holy Spirit, all impel me. I can resist no longer. His prejudice is gone, and doubtless he feels a new thrill of joy as his heart tremulously enlarges to take the whole world within the embrace of his philanthropy.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Peter probably descended from the roof by using a stairway on the outside of the house, as was common, and met the messengers outside the door where they had been standing. They described Cornelius as a man well spoken of by the whole nation (Gr. ethnos) of the Jews as well as a righteous and God-fearing man (cf. Act 10:2). They obviously wanted their description of their master to influence Peter to accompany them back to Caesarea.