Acts 10 3

Acts 10:3 kjv

He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

Acts 10:3 nkjv

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

Acts 10:3 niv

One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"

Acts 10:3 esv

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius."

Acts 10:3 nlt

One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.

Acts 10 verses

Acts 10 3 Meaning

This verse describes a specific event where Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, experienced a vivid and unmistakable vision around 3 PM, which was the Jewish hour of prayer. In this divine encounter, he saw an angel of God clearly appearing to him, indicating a direct message from the divine realm. The angel's appearance and the clarity of the vision highlight the divine initiation and unmistakable nature of the revelation he received.

Acts 10 3 Context

Acts chapter 10 marks a pivotal turning point in the early Christian church. Up to this point, the gospel primarily spread among Jewish people. The immediate context introduces Cornelius, a Roman centurion of the Italian cohort stationed in Caesarea. He is described as a "devout man who feared God with all his household," prayed constantly, and gave generously to the poor. He was a "God-fearer," a Gentile who adhered to some Jewish practices and believed in the God of Israel without undergoing circumcision or full conversion to Judaism. This vision he receives is crucial, as it sets the stage for Peter to visit Cornelius, ultimately leading to the conversion and baptism of the first significant Gentile converts and the Holy Spirit falling upon them. This event would shatter deeply ingrained Jewish social and religious boundaries, proving God's desire for the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian faith.

Acts 10 3 Word analysis

• About: Greek: peri (περί). Denotes approximation, suggesting the time was around 3 PM, not necessarily precisely at that minute. It shows a typical prayer time.
• The ninth hour: Greek: enatē hōra (ἐνάτῃ ὥρᾳ). Corresponds to 3:00 PM in modern reckoning. This was one of the traditional Jewish hours of prayer, specifically the Minchah (afternoon) prayer time, linked to the evening sacrifice in the Temple (Ex 29:39). That Cornelius, a Gentile, observed this Jewish custom underscores his devotion to God. It highlights a common practice where Peter also went to pray at the ninth hour in Acts 3:1.
• Of the day: Clarifies it's 3 PM, distinguishing from 3 AM. It specifies the timing within daylight hours, often associated with prayer and divine activity.
• He clearly saw: Greek: phanerōs eiden (φανερῶς εἶδεν). Phanerōs means "plainly," "evidently," "distinctly," or "openly." This is a crucial detail; the vision was not vague, shadowy, or ambiguous, nor a dream. It was a clear, undeniable experience, asserting its reality and divine origin to Cornelius, making it impossible to dismiss. This distinctness prepares him to obey the upcoming divine command without doubt.
• In a vision: Greek: en horamati (ἐν ὁράματι). A divinely granted, supernatural manifestation. This word often implies an appearance that conveys information or revelation, as distinct from mere human observation or even a normal dream. This signals divine communication.
• An angel of God: Greek: angelos theou (ἄγγελος θεοῦ). A divine messenger. Angels frequently appear throughout the Bible to convey God's will, deliver messages, or execute divine judgments. The phrasing "angel of God" emphasizes its direct authority and origin from God Himself, making the message incontrovertible. This underscores the significance and authority of the upcoming message.
• Coming in and saying to him: Greek: eiselthonta pros auton kai eiponta (εἰσελθόντα πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἰπόντα). This signifies an active, purposeful presence. The angel did not merely appear in the distance; it came to him, indicating proximity and direct engagement, enhancing the vividness and personal nature of the encounter. It wasn't just an appearance but an interaction with spoken words.

Word-Group analysis

• "About the ninth hour of the day": This phrase precisely timestamps the vision, indicating a moment when devout Jews and "God-fearers" like Cornelius might naturally be in prayer or spiritual contemplation. It points to divine synchronicity, as this timing connects Cornelius's piety with God's response. The significance of this specific hour also echoes Old Testament sacrifice times and later apostolic prayer times, grounding the extraordinary event in familiar patterns of spiritual devotion.
• "He clearly saw in a vision": This emphasizes the nature of the experience – not a hallucination, a dream, or a mere impression, but a supernatural yet distinct and unmistakable divine encounter. The clarity ensures Cornelius understood the reality of what he witnessed, laying a firm foundation for the actions that would follow. The combination of "clearly" and "vision" leaves no room for doubt about the message's divine origin and veracity.
• "An angel of God coming in and saying to him": This depicts an active, direct, and authoritative divine visitation. The angel is God's personal emissary, not an anonymous entity. The act of "coming in" denotes deliberate approach, and "saying to him" highlights that the purpose was verbal communication, a direct message from the Divine. This sequence immediately identifies the encounter as purposeful, direct revelation requiring a specific response.

Acts 10 3 Bonus section

• The use of horama (vision) contrasts with onar (dream), distinguishing this experience as a waking, vivid divine appearance, often with the recipient fully conscious and active.
• Cornelius, despite being a Gentile, adhered to practices that paralleled Jewish piety: prayer and almsgiving, suggesting he was spiritually prepared for this divine outreach. God often reveals Himself to those who are genuinely seeking Him, regardless of their background (Jer 29:13).
• The fact that this event occurs in Caesarea, a Gentile city and Roman administrative center, underscores the deliberate expansion of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea, reaching directly into the heart of Roman culture and administration.
• The vision is God's direct preparation of Cornelius for Peter's message, ensuring the groundwork is laid for his reception of the Gospel. It demonstrates God orchestrating events from both the Gentile (Cornelius) and Jewish (Peter, in the next verses) sides to fulfill His purpose of reaching all peoples.
• This specific event serves as a significant apologetic for the early church concerning the inclusion of Gentiles, showing it to be a divine mandate rather than human innovation or departure from established norms.

Acts 10 3 Commentary

Acts 10:3 sets the stage for a groundbreaking moment in salvation history. It highlights God's initiative in extending the Gospel beyond its initial Jewish confines. The vision granted to Cornelius is remarkable in its clarity and specificity. That it occurred at the "ninth hour" (3 PM), a Jewish prayer time, signifies Cornelius's piety as a "God-fearer" and aligns him with patterns of divine revelation experienced during moments of devotion (Acts 3:1). The description "clearly saw" phanerōs eiden emphasizes the objective and unmistakable nature of the vision; it was not a dream or subjective impression but a genuine, divine manifestation. The presence of "an angel of God" signifies a direct, authoritative message from the Lord himself, ensuring the truth and gravity of the forthcoming instructions. This deliberate and clear divine encounter with a devout Gentile underlines God's intentionality in dismantling the spiritual and social barriers between Jews and Gentiles, marking the beginning of the full inclusion of "all nations" into the Church, thereby validating the universal scope of the Gospel of Christ. This was a supernatural bridge for God to use Peter to welcome the Gentiles.