Acts 10:3

3 One afternoon around three o'clock he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

Acts 10:3 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 10:3

He saw in a vision evidently
He was not in a dream, or in a trance, but he was thoroughly awake, and his eyes open, and was himself; it was not in the night, but in clear day:

about the ninth hour of the day;
or three o'clock in the afternoon, which was the hour of prayer, ( Acts 3:1 ) in which exercise he was now engaged, ( Acts 10:30 ) at this time he saw

an angel of God coming to him;
into the room where he was at prayer:

and saying unto him, Cornelius;
he called him by his name, to let him know that he knew him, as angels are very knowing spirits; and to express his affection and friendship to him, and that he was a messenger, not of bad, but of good news to him; as well as to engage his attention to him; for he might be so intent at his devotion, that had he not called him by name, he would not have minded him.

Acts 10:3 In-Context

1 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a Roman army officer in what was called the Italian Regiment.

2 He was a devout man, a "God-fearer," as was his whole household; he gave generously to help the Jewish poor and prayed regularly to God.

3 One afternoon around three o'clock he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

4 Cornelius stared at the angel, terrified. "What is it, sir?" he asked. "Your prayers," replied the angel, "and your acts of charity have gone up into God's presence, so that he has you on his mind.

5 Now send some men to Yafo to bring back a man named Shim'on, also called Kefa.