Acts 10:21

21 and Peter having come down unto the men who have been sent from Cornelius unto him, said, `Lo, I am he whom ye seek, what [is] the cause for which ye are present?'

Acts 10:21 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 10:21

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.

Acts 10:21 In-Context

19 And Peter thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, `Lo, three men do seek thee;

20 but having risen, go down and go on with them, nothing doubting, because I have sent them;'

21 and Peter having come down unto the men who have been sent from Cornelius unto him, said, `Lo, I am he whom ye seek, what [is] the cause for which ye are present?'

22 And they said, `Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to, also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to send for thee, to his house, and to hear sayings from thee.'

23 Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him,