Acts 10:21

21 And Peter came down to the men, and said, Lo! I am, whom ye seek; what is the cause, for which ye be come [for which ye have come]?

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 while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Lo! three men seek thee.

20 Therefore rise thou, and go down, and go with them, and doubt thou nothing [and go with them, nothing doubting], for I sent them.

21 And Peter came down to the men, and said, Lo! I am, whom ye seek; what is the cause, for which ye be come [for which ye have come]?

22 And they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man, and dreading God, and having good witnessing of all the folk of Jews, took answer of an holy angel, to call thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

23 Therefore he led them in, and received in harbour; and that night they dwelled with him. And in the day following he rose, and went forth with them; and some of the brethren followed him from Joppa [and some of brethren from Joppa followed him], that they be witnesses to Peter.