Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 10:33
Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
33. to hear all things that are commanded thee of God ] The oldest authorities read “of the Lord.” In “hear” there is implied the intention to obey. For the words which the centurion expected to hear from Peter were words “whereby he and all his house might be saved.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou hast well done – This is an expression of grateful feeling.
Before God – In the presence of God. It is implied that they believed that God saw them; that they were assembled at his command, and that they were disposed to listen to his instructions.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 33. Are we all here present before God] Instead of before GOD, the Codex Bezae, Syriac, AEthiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate, read before THEE. The people were all waiting for the preacher, and every heart was filled with expectation; they waited as before God, from whose messenger they were about to hear the words of life.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Immediately therefore I sent to thee; as a hungry soul delays not to send for food, as soon as he knows where to have it.
Thou hast well done that thou art come; which does not only approve of St. Peters coming, but thank him for it.
Present before God; we will set ourselves to attend to thy words, as if we saw God looking upon us, whom we call to witness that we are ready to do whatsoever he shall require of us. Thus it becomes every one that would profit by the word of God, to attend upon it. Men do not behave themselves as before God, and therefore they enjoy nothing less than God in an ordinance, and are as if God had taken no notice of them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
33. we are all here present beforeGod, to hear all things that are commanded thee of GodBeautifulexpression of entire preparedness to receive the expected divineteaching through the lips of this heaven-commissioned teacher, anddelightful encouragement to Peter to give free utterance to what wasdoubtless already on his lips!
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Immediately therefore I sent unto thee,…. This he said, to show his obedience to the heavenly vision, and his faith in it; and to remove from himself any suspicion of pride, vanity, and imperiousness: he did not send for the apostle of himself, but by a divine order; which as soon as he had, he executed; for the very same hour, he called his servants and gave them their instructions, and sent them away:
and thou hast well done, that thou art come; a phrase expressive of benignity and goodness in Peter, and of thankfulness to him for his coming; it was not only doing that which was right in the sight of God, but was kind in him, and acceptable to Cornelius and his house:
now therefore are we all here present before God; the searcher of hearts, the omniscient God, who knew the sincerity of their intentions in meeting together, and the eagerness of their souls, and their fervent desire to hear the word: it is a sort of an appeal to God, for the truth of all this: in Beza’s most ancient copy, and in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, it is read “before thee”; before the apostle: to hear all things that are commanded thee of God; or “of the Lord”, as the Alexandrian copy and the Vulgate Latin versions read; that is, of the Lord Jesus Christ; and designs all things, both with respect to doctrine and practice, which Christ had commanded his apostles to teach: and particularly, what he had ordered Peter to instruct Cornelius and his friends in.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And thou hast well done that thou art come ( ). “And thou didst well in coming.” A regular formula for expressing thanks as in Phil 4:14; 3John 1:6; 2Pet 1:19. The participle completes the idea of neatly. Cornelius commends Peter for his courage in breaking away from Jewish custom and takes no offence at the implied superiority of the Jews over the Gentiles. Cornelius and his circle of kinsmen and close friends are prepared soil for a new era in the history of Christianity. The Samaritans were now nominal Jews and the Ethiopian eunuch was a single case, but here Peter the chief apostle, not Philip the preaching deacon (evangelist), was involved. It was a crisis. Cornelius reveals an open mind for the message of God through Peter.
Commanded thee ( ). Perfect passive participle with the dative case (). Cornelius is a military man and he employs a military term (, old word to command). He is ready for orders from the Lord.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Well [] . You have done a courteous and handsome thing in coming. Compare 3Jo 1:5, 6.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Immediately therefore I sent to thee; (eksautes oun epempsa pros se) “Therefore I sent for you at once;” without delay, Act 10:7-8. Cornelius responded to the call of God that day, not delaying, Pro 27:1; 2Co 6:2; Heb 3:7; Heb 4:7.
2) “And thou hast well done that thou art come,” (su te kalos epsiesas paragenomos) “And you have done well, arriving,” responding or coming at my summons or call for you, Peter; you are appreciated and to be commended, even more than you anticipated, Eph 3:20.
3) “Now therefore are we all here present before God,” (nun oun pantes hemeis enopion tou theou paresmen) “Therefore for now and hereafter we are present (presenting ourselves) before God,” the “we” referred to Cornelius, his near relatives, household servants, intimate friends, and perhaps some of the Italian band, Act 10:1-2; Act 10:7; Act 10:24; Act 10:27.
4) “To hear all things that are commanded thee of God,” (akousai panta ta prostetagmena soi hupo tou Kuriou) “To give heed to all things that have been commanded (mandated) to you by the Lord,” that they should repent of their sins, believe on the resurrected and living Christ, confess Him, be saved, and then be baptized in order to make public their identity of faith with Jesus Christ and His church brethren, Act 10:43-48; Act 11:14; Rom 10:8-13.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
33. Therefore, we are all now present. To the end Peter may be more ready and willing to teach, Cornelius affirmeth that himself and the rest will be apt to be taught, and ready to obey God; for this serveth not a little to move the teacher to take pains with the hearers, when as he hopeth assuredly that they shall profit thereby, These words, before God, may have a double meaning; they may either be an oath, or Cornelius may thereby simply profess that that company was gathered together at his house, as in the sight of God, that they may hear man’s voice in like sort as if it proceeded out of God’s own mouth. Whethersoever you choose, there shall be always one end; (695) for to the end Cornelius may the more procure the credit of his sincerity, he testifieth that he hath God before his eyes, whom no man may mock by dissimulation; and assuredly, so often as the Word of God is set before us, we must thus think with ourselves, that we have not to deal with a mortal man, but that God is present, and doth call us. For, from this respect of God ariseth the majesty of God’s word, and reverence in hearing the same. Notwithstanding, he seemeth to promise unadvisedly for others in a matter so weighty, for who can be a fit borrow [cautioner] for another man’s faith? But because every man had promised obedience for himself, he doth, for good causes, hope that they were so affectioned; and, undoubtedly, we may think that they had promised that they would be obedient to his sayings so soon as the matter was showed them, and that even then every one confirmed by himself that which one had spoken in the name of all.
To hear all things. This only is true faith when we embrace not the one half of the Word of God alone, but addict [subject] ourselves wholly unto it; and yet, notwithstanding, there be few examples in the world of this full and universal faith, for the more part doth not submit themselves to the doctrine of God, as if they had made a covenant with God, save only so far forth as it pleaseth them. If any thing displease them they either carelessly contemn or mislike the same. But Cornelius doth wisely distinguish between God and man, for he maketh God the author of the doctrine, and leaveth nothing for man besides the ministry and embassage. “Thou shalt” saith he, “have attentive scholars, and those which will be obedient in all things which God hath commanded thee; that he alone may be principal, and thou only his minister; that, he alone may speak but out of thy mouth,” which thing God prescribeth to all his servants in the person of Ezekiel.
“
Take” saith he, “the word out of my mouth, and thou shalt show unto them from me,” (Eze 33:7.)
(695) “ Idem semper erit finis,” the result will be the same.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(33) Thou hast well done.The peculiar turn of the phrase, in social usage, made it the expression, not of mere approval, but of heartfelt gratitude. (Comp. St. Pauls use of it in Php. 4:14.)
Now therefore are we all here present.The words imply that the circle that had gathered round Cornelius were sharers in his solicitude, ready to comply with whatever might come to them as the command of God, and yet anxiously hoping that it might not impose upon them a burden too heavy to be borne.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. Hast well done Hast generously done; a phrase of thanks. Grotius finely remarks: “The angelic ministry was surpassed by apostolic; for the former directed Cornelius to an apostle, the latter directed him to Christ.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“At once therefore I sent to you, and you have done well that you are come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded you of the Lord.”
He then explained that he had immediately done what the man had said, and that Peter had done well to come. He understood the predicament that Peter had been in but can assure him that he has nothing to fear in that regard. His house is clean. Now therefore he and his friends and kinsmen were gathered in order to hear what Peter has to tell them from God, so that they might hear from him all that the Lord has commanded him.
We must now consider these words in their context. Peter had spent three years and more evangelising under the auspices of Jesus while He was on earth. He had since then proclaimed the Good News for some years before Jews, and had received great response. But he had probably never before walked into a room like this packed with so ‘many’ people who were just waiting, every one, to be converted. There was no opposition. There were no doubters. And yet these were Gentiles. But they were hungry to know God and their hearts were filled with desire for Him. Here was a picture of the waiting people ‘to the uttermost part of the earth’ who were awaiting the Good News. How humbled Peter must have felt, and how moved, as with his new view of things he looked at these longing faces. He must have said to himself, “Why is it that I never realised.” He would never forget this moment.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 10:33 . (see critical remarks), in conspectu Dei. Cornelius knows that it is God, who so wonderfully arranged everything, before whose eyes this assembly in the house stands. He knows Him to be present as a witness.
(see the critical remarks), on the part of, divinitus. See Winer, p. 347 f. [E. T. 463].
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 1765
HOW TO ATTEND ORDINANCES
Act 10:33. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
HERE we see the door of salvation opened to the Gentiles: and it is a sight in which we are deeply interested; for it is in virtue of the commission then given, and then executed, that you are assembled and addressed on this day. And O what a blessing it would be, if you all possessed the frame of mind then manifested by Cornelius and his company! Surely we might hope, in that case, that there should be somewhat of a similar blessing upon us, to the edification and salvation of all our souls.
Let us particularly notice,
I.
What they expected Peter to declare unto them
Cornelius had had a special intimation that Peter was ordained of God to be his instructor in the way of life [Note: ver. 5, 6, 32.]: him, therefore, he regarded as Gods Ambassador to his soul [Note: ver. 25.]: and from him he hoped to hear, without any reserve, all that God had commissioned him to declare. Now,
This is the light in which every minister of Christ should be viewed
[Though we are not Apostles, yet are we ambassadors of God to the people of our charge, and have the same message to deliver now as the Apostles had in their day [Note: 2Co 5:18-20.]. We are to preach peace by Jesus Christ [Note: ver. 36.] We are to declare the sufficiency of Christ to save all that come unto God by him [Note: ver. 43. with Heb 7:25.] And this salvation we are to proclaim indiscriminately to all, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free [Note: ver. 34, 35.].]
And you have a right to expect the utmost fidelity at our hands
[We are to keep back nothing that is profitable unto you, but to declare unto you the whole counsel of God. he express command of God to us is, He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully [Note: Jer 23:28.]. We are to do this, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear. God says to us, as he did to the Prophet Ezekiel: Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee: for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel [Note: Eze 40:4.]. And, as it is our duty, so it is also our privilege, confidently to affirm, that what our eyes have seen, our ears have heard, and our hands have handled, of the word of life, that same declare we unto you [Note: 1Jn 1:1-3.].]
But it is of peculiar importance that we should observe,
II.
In what frame of mind they were prepared to receive it
We see in that assembly of heathens,
1.
A reverential sense of the Divine presence
[Now, said Cornelius, are we all here present before God. And should it not be so with us, whenever we come up to the house of God? As for that irreverent spirit which many betray in the house of God, yes, and which many manifest also when crowding to hear some popular preacher, we cannot but greatly disapprove of it, and bear our decided testimony against it. We should rather resemble the Israelites, when convened to hear Jehovah himself addressing them from Mount Sinai. Surely God is greatly to be feared, and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him. And then only are we likely to profit from what we hear, when we conceive of God himself as speaking to us; and can adopt the words of Samuel, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.]
2.
A readiness to receive the word without gainsaying
[We cannot conceive of one single person in that assembly as disposed to sit in judgment upon Peters word. They would all receive it with the utmost readiness of mind. And it is in that way that the Gospel should be heard by all. We should receive it with meekness, as an engrafted word [Note: Jam 1:21.]. We see how submissive, so to speak, the tree is to him that engrafts upon it a scion of any kind: so, with entire submission, should we suffer the word of truth to be engrafted on our hearts, in order to its most perfect union with us, and its future production of the desired fruit. St. Pauls representation of this matter is peculiarly instructive. He represents the Gospel as a mould into which we are to be poured, in order that we may receive its entire character upon our souls [Note: Rom 6:17.]. That shews the tenderness of spirit with which we should hear the word, and the completeness of our subjection to it when so received.]
3.
A determination of heart to obey it without reserve
[That happy company embraced the word, just as the Berans after them embraced it [Note: Act 17:11-12.]. They disputed not about the way of salvation as incredible or insufficient, but believed in Jesus as the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Nor should any thing in the Gospel prove a stumbling-block to us. Nothing should be regarded as a hard saying. However mysterious the declarations of the Gospel may he, we should implicitly embrace it as the wisdom of God: and, however self-denying his precepts may be, we should obey them cheerfully, as holy and just and good. As new-born babes, we should desire the word as the proper nutriment of our souls; and we should desire it, that we may live and grow thereby [Note: 1Pe 2:2.]. Perhaps the most perfect pattern in the Scriptures is the blind man whom Jesus had restored to sight. After he had been excommunicated by the rulers of his Church, the Lord Jesus sought him out, and asked him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? To which he replied, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him [Note: Joh 9:35-36.]? Now here was no information sought, but in order to its practical effect. And thus should we also be ready, not only to receive the word, but to take it as the entire rule both of our faith and practice.]
Application
[Let me now suppose you, my brethren, assembled in the very spirit of Cornelius and his friends. I have the very same message to deliver to you, as Peter delivered to them; I preach to you peace by Jesus Christ You need this instruction as much as ever Cornelius did; for there is no other by which you, or any man living, can be saved [Note: Act 11:14.]. And for you it shall be as effectual as it was for him [Note: ver. 44.] O that you may all receive it as he did! Let there not be amongst you any of that character from whom St. Paul was constrained to turn in utter despondency [Note: Act 28:27.] But hear and believe, to the saving of your souls.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
Ver. 33. Now therefore we are all, &c. ] All of a mind to serve the Lord with one shoulder, Zep 3:9 ; as Hezekiah’s servants joined together in that laudable work of copying out those proverbs of Solomon for the Church’s use, Pro 25:1 .
Present before God ] Whom we look full in the face, , seeing him by faith who is invisible, and setting ourselves to receive the law at his mouth, to hear the word, not of a mortal man, but of the everliving God.
To hear all things ] sc. With due reverence and diligence; not to jeer at anything that is commanded thee of God, that hath the stamp and impress of God upon it, that comes cum privilegio, and appears to be cor et anima Dei (as Gregory calleth the word), the counsel and mind of God. Lo, these were right hearers. Oh for such in this day! Ours (alas) have corpora in sacellis, animos in sacculis, as Ezekiel’s had, Eze 33:31 , and as serpents have their bodies in the water, but their heads out.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
33 .] The reading . , for . , is remarkable, and had it more manuscript authority, would seem as if it might have been genuine. It was much more likely to have been altered into . (as making the expression more solemn), than the converse: and the sense, ‘We are all here present before thee ,’ follows better on the two preceding verses.
. ] Not doubting that God, who had directed him to Peter, had also directed Peter what to speak to him.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 10:33 . , sc. , : four times in Acts, otherwise only once in Mar 6:25 and once in Phi 2:23 , not in LXX; for instances in Polyb., Jos., see Wetstein, sub Mark l.c. , cf. Phi 4:14 , 2Pe 1:19 , 2Pe 1:3 John Act 10:6 , 1Ma 12:18 ; 1Ma 12:22 . In some instances it may be described as a formula of expressing thanks, see Page’s note. : as in Act 4:20 , i.e. , to obey. . .: this is the way we ought to attend to God’s servants, Chrys., Hom. , xxii.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Immediately. Greek. exautes. Here, Act 11:11; Act 21:32; Act 23:30. Mar 6:25. Php 1:2, Php 1:23.
hast well done = didst well. Compare Php 1:4, Php 1:14. Jam 2:19. 2Pe 1:19. 3Jn 1:6.
of = by. Greek. hupo. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
33.] The reading . , for . , is remarkable, and had it more manuscript authority, would seem as if it might have been genuine. It was much more likely to have been altered into . (as making the expression more solemn), than the converse: and the sense, We are all here present before thee, follows better on the two preceding verses.
.] Not doubting that God, who had directed him to Peter, had also directed Peter what to speak to him.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 10:33. , thou hast done well) A formula of approbation. He praises Peter, in that he has not hesitated to come: Act 10:29.- , in thy presence) A most ancient reading.[63] A transcriber easily took for , either from the end of the verse or from Act 10:31.-, we are present) Cornelius, in his own house, speaks in the same way as if he and his friends were at Peters house. They had been religiously prepared for hearing. The soil was good; and in consequence the fruit was most speedy in its growth: Act 10:44.- , that have been commanded thee) It does not seem to have been previously told to Peter what he should say.
[63] Which the Germ. Vers. prefers, following the margin of Ed. 2 rather than the larger Ed.-E. B.
ABCEe (B has in the collation of Birch, probably an error of the collator) have . D corrected, d Vulg. Syr. and Theb. have .-E. and T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
are we: Act 17:11, Act 17:12, Act 28:28, Deu 5:25-29, 2Ch 30:12, Pro 1:5, Pro 9:9, Pro 9:10, Pro 18:15, Pro 25:12, Mat 18:4, Mat 19:30, Mar 10:15, 1Co 3:18, Gal 4:14, 1Th 2:13, Jam 1:19, Jam 1:21, 1Pe 2:1, 1Pe 2:2
Reciprocal: Deu 30:13 – Who shall Jos 2:18 – thy father Jos 24:1 – presented 1Ch 28:8 – in the audience Job 42:9 – did Ecc 5:1 – ready Isa 2:3 – he will teach Eze 33:31 – as the people cometh Mic 4:2 – and he Luk 1:17 – to make Luk 8:18 – heed Luk 8:40 – waiting Joh 4:30 – General Act 10:8 – he sent Act 10:22 – and to Act 10:23 – on Act 11:14 – words Act 13:42 – the Gentiles Act 16:9 – Come Act 16:32 – they Act 22:10 – What Act 28:20 – this cause
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
Act 10:33. Cornelius was the spokesman in this reply to Peter’s question. He was appreciative of the fact that Peter had come at his request. In the original conversation there was nothing said directly about the commandments coming from the Lord, but Cornelius recognized that He was back of all this, because the angel told him it was God who had remembered his good deeds. We are all here . . . to hear. This denotes an audience that was open to the words of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 10:33. Immediately I sent unto thee. See Act 10:7.
We are all here present before God. Both in this phrase and in that which follows, all things that are commanded thee of God, we have evidence of the deeply reverential and attentive attitude of the mind of Cornelius. We must remember that he does not at all know what Peter will have to say to him. Of this only he is sure, that he is on the eve of learning what he had lone been anxious to know, and had earnestly prayed to be taught.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 30