Acts 10 46

Acts 10:46 kjv

For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Acts 10:46 nkjv

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

Acts 10:46 niv

For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,

Acts 10:46 esv

For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,

Acts 10:46 nlt

For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,

Acts 10 verses

Acts 10 46 Meaning

Acts 10:46 records the irrefutable evidence witnessed by Jewish believers that the Holy Spirit had descended upon Cornelius's Gentile household. This event, occurring before their baptism, manifested through their immediate ability to speak in various human languages they had not learned, using these languages to spontaneously and emphatically glorify God. It signified God's universal grace and the full inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant community through faith in Jesus Christ, just as the Spirit had fallen upon the Jews at Pentecost.

Acts 10 46 Context

Acts chapter 10 marks a monumental turning point in early Christianity: the official and undeniable inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant through faith in Jesus Christ, without requiring prior conversion to Judaism or adherence to Mosaic law. The chapter begins with visions received by Cornelius, a God-fearing Roman centurion, and by Peter, an apostle, that converged to bring Peter to Cornelius's house in Caesarea. Peter's vision specifically challenged the Jewish dietary laws, symbolizing God's cleansing of those previously considered "unclean" by Jewish tradition. Despite initial hesitation rooted in Jewish customs of not associating with Gentiles (Acts 10:28), Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius and his household. Acts 10:46 then details the climax of this sermon: while Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentile listeners. This miraculous outpouring, mirroring Pentecost (Acts 2), demonstrated to the astonished Jewish believers accompanying Peter that God had indeed granted the same Spirit, and thus the same salvation, to Gentiles. This event was a direct challenge, or polemic, against the deeply entrenched Jewish belief that salvation and God's exclusive favor were confined to Israel or required assimilation into Judaism. It shattered ethnic and religious barriers, affirming God's universal love and the true nature of the new covenant in Christ.

Acts 10 46 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): This conjunction introduces the explanation for the Jewish believers' astonishment in the preceding verse (Acts 10:45). It functions as a causal link, detailing why they were amazed.
• they heard (ἤκουον - ēkouon): Imperfect active indicative verb. The imperfect tense denotes continuous or repeated action in the past, emphasizing that the Jewish believers were hearing or continued to hear the Gentiles speaking. This stresses the sensory, undeniable nature of the evidence.
• them (αὐτῶν - autōn): Referring directly to the Gentile believers—Cornelius, his relatives, and close friends—upon whom the Holy Spirit had fallen.
• speaking (λαλούντων - lalountōn): Present active participle. This implies an active, ongoing vocalization. The Greek verb laleo (speak) generally refers to intelligible speech or articulate sounds, distinguishing it from mere babbling.
• in tongues (γλώσσαις - glōssais): This is a critical term, from glossa (γλῶσσα). In the context of Acts, glossa consistently means known human languages or dialects, rather than unintelligible ecstatic utterances. The plural indicates multiple languages were being spoken. This parallels the experience at Pentecost (Acts 2:4-11), where people from different nations understood the apostles speaking in their own native languages. It was a clear, audibly discernible miracle.
• and (καὶ - kai): A simple conjunction connecting two aspects of the Spirit's manifestation.
• extolling (μεγαλυνόντων - megalynontōn): Present active participle from megalynō. It means "to magnify," "to make great," "to praise highly," "to glorify." This describes the content and purpose of their speaking in tongues. Their words, in these supernatural languages, were expressions of high praise and adoration towards God, recounting His "mighty works" (cf. Acts 2:11).
• God (τὸν Θεόν - ton Theon): The direct object of their extolling. Their speech, though in diverse tongues, was unequivocally directed towards magnifying and praising the One True God.

Words-group by Words-group analysis

• "For they heard them speaking in tongues": This phrase highlights the sensory proof and immediate observable sign of the Spirit's arrival. The act of "hearing" implies distinct and understandable verbalization. The use of "tongues" here means recognizable human languages, indicating a direct fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (Joel 2:28) in a Gentile context and mirroring the Pentecost experience in Acts 2.
• "and extolling God": This clarifies the nature and content of the "speaking in tongues." It wasn't random or for personal edification; it was a communal, public declaration of praise and glorification of God. This outward expression confirmed that the source was divine and its purpose was God-centered. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to acknowledge and magnify God's greatness, demonstrating that these Gentiles, like the apostles at Pentecost, were filled with divine utterance meant for corporate praise.

Acts 10 46 Bonus section

The significance of the Holy Spirit falling upon Gentiles before water baptism (Acts 10:47) is profound. It demonstrates that God's initiation and acceptance precede any human ritual or obedience. The baptism in the Holy Spirit here is distinct from water baptism and signifies God's direct validation of Gentile inclusion into His family on the same spiritual footing as Jews. This event effectively resolves the debate within the early church regarding Gentile salvation (further explored in Acts 11 and 15), providing irrefutable divine precedent that was essential for the expansion of the Gospel. It underscores the truth that it is the Holy Spirit who unites believers, transcends cultural and legalistic barriers, and empowers individuals to glorify God in new and miraculous ways. This instance powerfully reinforced the "no partiality" of God, directly impacting the mission strategies and theological understandings of the apostles.

Acts 10 46 Commentary

Acts 10:46 serves as the definitive observable proof of God's work in Caesarea. The phenomenon of "speaking in tongues" and "extolling God" provided the objective evidence necessary to convince the skeptical Jewish believers, including Peter's companions (Acts 10:45), that the Holy Spirit had indeed been poured out upon Gentiles. This wasn't merely a spiritual feeling; it was a loud, clear, miraculous event that mirrored the Pentecost experience. The crucial aspect is that these Gentile converts glorified God in languages they had not learned, indicating divine impartation. This public worship in supernatural languages was not an end in itself but the undeniable sign validating God's acceptance of Gentiles without precondition of Mosaic law, shattering the prevailing ethno-religious boundaries. It forced Peter and the early church to acknowledge that salvation and the Spirit were for "all flesh," thus paving the way for the worldwide mission.

• Practical Example: The modern equivalent might be seeing someone miraculously healed of a long-standing incurable disease during a prayer meeting, providing undeniable evidence of God's active presence and power, just as speaking in unlearned languages was for Peter and the early church. Another example could be experiencing an immediate and profound understanding of deep spiritual truths during a sermon, moving one to immediate and heartfelt praise to God.