Acts 10:31

And behold a man stood before me in bright clothing; or "in a white garment", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read: which was an emblem of the excellency, glory, and purity of the angel, and of the divine majesty in him: he calls him a man, because he appeared in the form of one, as angels used to do. Acts 10:31 Ver. 31. And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard,.... What he was now particularly making to God, as well as others he had before put up to him: and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God; See Gill on "Acts 10:4". Acts 10:32 Ver. 32. Send therefore to Joppa,.... See Gill on "Acts 10:5", See Gill on "Acts 10:6". who when he cometh shall speak unto thee, is left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, but agrees with Acts 10:6.

10:19-33 When we see our call clear to any service, we should not be perplexed with doubts and scruples arising from prejudices or former ideas. Cornelius had called together his friends, to partake with him of the heavenly wisdom he expected from Peter. We should not covet to eat our spiritual morsels alone. It ought to be both given and taken as kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to join us in religious exercises. Cornelius declared the direction God gave him to send for Peter. We are right in our aims in attending a gospel ministry, when we do it with regard to the Divine appointment requiring us to make use of that ordinance. How seldom ministers are called to speak to such companies, however small, in which it may be said that they are all present in the sight of God, to hear all things that are commanded of God! But these were ready to hear what Peter was commanded of God to say.

(31) Thy prayer is heard. —The singular number gives a greater definiteness to the object of the prayer than in Acts 10:4 . It must have been, in the nature of the case, a prayer for fuller light and knowledge of the Truth. One who had heard, through Philip’s work at Cæsarea, or, it may be, through the brother-officer who had been stationed at Capernaum ( Luke 7:2 ), of the teaching and the life of Jesus, and of the new society that acknowledged Him as its Head, may well have sought for guidance as to the special conditions of admission to that society. Philip was not as yet authorised to admit one who had not taken on himself the sign of the covenant of Israel. Was that an indispensable condition?

Acts 10:31 . εἰσηκούσθη : perhaps “was heard” or “has been heard” is best (see Rendall and Hackett). ἡ προσ . may refer to his present prayer, as it is in the singular, but the burden of all his past prayers had doubtless been the same, cf. Acts 10:33 for God’s guidance into truth.— ἐμνήσθησαν , cf. LXX, Psalm 19:3 , Ezekiel 18:22 ; Ezekiel 18:24 ; Revelation 16:19 .