Acts 10:30

30 And Cornelius said, To day, four days into this hour, I was praying and fasting in the ninth hour in mine house. And lo! a man stood before me in a white cloak, [And Cornelius saith, From the fourth day passed till to this hour, I fasting was praying in the ninth hour in mine house. And lo! a man stood before me in a white cloth,]

Acts 10:30 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 10:30

And Cornelius said
The Syriac version adds, "to him", to the apostle; the following he said, in a very submissive and humble manner:

four days ago I was fasting unto this hour;
in the Greek text it is, "from the fourth day unto this hour I was fasting": which looks as if he had been fasting four days, and was still fasting at that hour; though the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions leave out the phrase "I was fasting": but the sense which our version and others give is the truest; that four days ago, or reckoning four days back, Cornelius was fasting on that day, until such time in that day as now it was in this present day; and which perhaps might be the ninth hour, or three o'clock in the afternoon: the account of days exactly agrees; as soon as Cornelius had had the vision, he sends men to Joppa, which was one day; on the morrow they came to Joppa, which makes two days; Peter lodged them all night there, and the next day set out on the journey with them, so you have three days; and the day after that, which was the fourth, he entered into Caesarea, and came to Cornelius's house, where he now was:

and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house;
which was one of the stated times of prayer; (See Gill on Acts 3:1).

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 10:30 In-Context

28 And he said to them, Ye know, how abominable it is to a Jew, to be joined either to come to an alien [Ye know, how abominable it is to a man Jew, to be joined or to come to an alien]; but God showed to me, that no man say a man common, either unclean [or unclean].

29 For which thing I came, when I was called, without doubting. Therefore I ask you, for what cause have ye called me?

30 And Cornelius said, To day, four days into this hour, I was praying and fasting in the ninth hour in mine house. And lo! a man stood before me in a white cloak, [And Cornelius saith, From the fourth day passed till to this hour, I fasting was praying in the ninth hour in mine house. And lo! a man stood before me in a white cloth,]

31 and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine almsdeeds be in mind in the sight of God.

32 Therefore send thou into Joppa [Therefore send into Joppa], and call Simon, that is named Peter; this is harboured in the house of Simon currier, beside the sea. This, when he shall come, shall speak to thee.