Acts 10:46

They heard (hkouon). Imperfect active, were hearing, kept on hearing. Speak (lalountwn). Present active participle, speaking, for they kept it up. With tongues (glwssai). Instrumental case as in Acts 2:4 Acts 2:11 which see. The fuller statement there makes it clear that here it was new and strange tongues also as in Acts 19:6 ; 1 Corinthians 14:4-19 . This sudden manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power on uncircumcised Gentiles was probably necessary to convince Peter and the six brethren of the circumcision that God had opened the door wide to Gentiles. It was proof that a Gentile Pentecost had come and Peter used it effectively in his defence in Jerusalem ( Acts 11:15 ).