Acts 11:5 kjv
I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
Acts 11:5 nkjv
"I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.
Acts 11:5 niv
"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was.
Acts 11:5 esv
"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me.
Acts 11:5 nlt
"I was in the town of Joppa," he said, "and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me.
Acts 11 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 10:9-16 | About noon, as they... a vessel descending... call common. | The parallel, detailed account of this specific vision and the accompanying command. |
| Acts 10:28 | Peter said to them: "You are aware... I must not call." | Peter's initial theological interpretation of the vision to Cornelius' household. |
| Acts 15:7-9 | Peter rose and said... cleanse their hearts. | Peter recounts this vision and subsequent events to the Jerusalem Council, affirming Gentile inclusion. |
| Mark 7:18-19 | "Are you so dull?... declaring all foods clean." | Jesus pre-emptively declares all foods clean, foreshadowing the abolition of ceremonial dietary laws. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I am convinced... nothing is unclean in itself." | Paul's affirmation of the New Covenant principle that no food is inherently unclean. |
| 1 Tim 4:4-5 | "For everything created by God... sanctified by the word." | Teaches that all of God's creation, including food, is good and to be received with thanks. |
| Eph 2:14-16 | "For he himself is our peace... Jew and Gentile one." | Christ breaking down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, mirroring the vision's message. |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Gentile... all one in Christ Jesus." | Underscores the unity and equality of all believers in Christ, regardless of ethnic background. |
| Col 3:11 | Here there is no Gentile or Jew... Christ is all, and in all. | Further emphasizes the obliteration of distinctions based on ethnicity within the church. |
| Isa 49:6 | "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles..." | Old Testament prophecy pointing to God's universal salvation plan, including non-Israelites. |
| Acts 9:36-43 | In Joppa there was a disciple... Peter stayed for some time. | Establishes Peter's prior ministry location in Joppa, the setting for this vision. |
| Jonah 1:3 | Jonah ran away... found a ship going to Tarshish. | Connects Joppa to prior biblical accounts of divine revelation and international mission. |
| Num 12:6 | "If there is a prophet... I speak to him in a dream." | Illustrates the ways God communicates revelation to prophets through dreams and visions. |
| Job 33:14-16 | "For God speaks again and again... by visions of the night." | General principle of God using various means, including visions, to communicate with humanity. |
| Acts 9:10-12 | In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias... Ananias saw him in a vision. | Ananias receiving a specific vision from God concerning Saul (Paul), highlighting divine direction. |
| Acts 16:9-10 | During the night Paul had a vision... come over to Macedonia. | Paul receiving a guiding vision for his missionary travels, showing continued divine direction. |
| Gen 15:1 | "The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision..." | Example of God initiating communication through a vision in the Old Testament. |
| Dan 7:1-3 | In the first year of Belshazzar... Daniel had a dream and visions. | Shows a prophet receiving complex visions from God concerning future events and plans. |
| Rom 10:12 | "For there is no distinction... Lord is Lord of all." | Reiterates the universal lordship of Christ, emphasizing salvation is for all who call on Him. |
| Acts 10:45 | The circumcised believers who had come... poured out on the Gentiles. | The tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit descending on Gentiles, confirming Peter's vision. |
| Lev 11:1-47 | Detailed instructions about clean and unclean animals for consumption. | Provides the Old Testament context of the dietary laws that Peter's vision directly addresses. |
| Heb 8:13 | "By calling this covenant 'new'... close to vanishing." | Implies the transition from the Old Covenant and its ceremonial laws to the New Covenant. |
Acts 11 verses
Acts 11 5 Meaning
In Acts 11:5, Peter recounts a profound revelatory experience in the city of Joppa, detailing a vision given to him while in prayer. He saw a large container, likened to a great sheet, descending from heaven. This "vessel" was held by its four corners, suggesting its encompassing nature and divine origin, and came directly to him. This verse introduces Peter's personal account of the vision previously described in Acts 10, underscoring its pivotal role in God's plan for including Gentiles into the nascent Christian community by abolishing former distinctions related to ceremonial cleanliness.
Acts 11 5 Context
Acts chapter 11 continues Peter's recounting of his foundational experience that opened the door for Gentile inclusion into the Christian church. Peter is defending his actions to a group of circumcised believers in Jerusalem who criticized him for associating with uncircumcised men and eating with them. His account serves as an eyewitness testimony, explaining the divine impetus behind his visit to Cornelius. This verse (11:5) specifically reiterates the core of the vision Peter received while on the rooftop in Joppa (previously detailed in Acts 10), providing crucial divine validation for his groundbreaking ministry to Gentiles. Historically, Jews observed strict dietary laws and maintained separation from Gentiles to avoid ritual impurity, so Peter's actions represented a significant departure from long-held traditions and required strong divine endorsement. The chapter aims to show that God Himself orchestrated this shift, breaking down the wall between Jew and Gentile through the Holy Spirit.
Acts 11 5 Word analysis
- In the city of Joppa (ἐν πόλει Ἰόππῃ - en polei Ioppē): Joppa was a strategic port city, known in the Old Testament as the departure point for Jonah (Jon 1:3). Its significance here lies in being a Gentile-leaning area and a place where God initiates a significant transition for His people, reversing ancient customs. The detail specifies the physical setting of Peter's revelatory experience.
- While praying (προσευχόμενος - proseuchomenos): This present participle indicates that the vision occurred during a state of prayer, highlighting a posture of openness, receptivity, and communion with God. Key divine encounters and revelations often happen during prayer in the Bible (e.g., Dan 9:20-23; Acts 9:11).
- I saw (εἶδον - eidōn): A direct, declarative statement emphasizing Peter's personal experience of the vision. It was not a dream or an imagined thought but a real perception initiated by God.
- In a trance (ἐν ἐκστάσει - en ekstasei): The Greek word ekstasis (from which "ecstasy" is derived) here denotes a state where one is "put out of one's normal place" or ordinary consciousness, a prophetic rapture or spiritual transport, allowing for reception of divine communication unfiltered by earthly distractions (cf. Acts 22:17). This indicates the supernatural nature and authority of the experience.
- A vision (ὅραμα - horama): This refers to a divinely manifested sight or appearance. It's a specific type of revelation designed by God to convey a message or truth, distinct from a general dream.
- A certain vessel descending (καταβαῖνον σκεῦός τι - katabainon skeuos ti): "Skeuos" (vessel/container) is a broad term but in context points to the receptacle holding the unclean animals. Its descent (katabainon) indicates divine origin, coming from heaven down to Peter's level, directly interacting with his reality.
- As it were a great sheet (ὡς ὀθόνην μεγάλην - hōs othonēn megalēn): "Othonē" is a fine linen cloth or sheet. Likening the vessel to a "great sheet" (megalēn) emphasizes its large, expansive, and enveloping nature. It symbolizes a container for various elements, here representing diverse peoples, both "clean" and "unclean."
- Let down by four corners (τέσσαρσιν ἀρχαῖς καθιέμενον - tessarsin archais kathiemeon): "Archai" can mean 'beginnings' or 'corners/extremities'. This imagery signifies universal inclusion, drawing from the four cardinal points of a compass or four corners of the world, thereby encompassing all humanity. "Kathiemeon" (let down) further emphasizes the precise, intentional action of God.
- From heaven (ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ - ek tou ouranou): This phrase decisively points to the divine source and authority of the vision. It was not an earthly hallucination but a message originating directly from God's presence, lending undeniable weight to its command.
- And it came near even to me (καὶ προσήγγισεν ἄχρι ἐμοῦ - kai prosēggisen achri emou): This final clause highlights the direct and personal relevance of the vision to Peter. The divine message was specifically for him and had direct implications for his actions and understanding of God's broader redemptive plan.
Acts 11 5 Bonus section
This vision served as a 'prophetic object lesson,' moving Peter from merely intellectually assenting to a truth to experientially receiving and applying it. It demonstrated God's intentionality in orchestrating the paradigm shift from the Old Covenant ceremonial distinctions to the New Covenant's spiritual unity. The "four corners" imagery carries a subtle echo of the global reach of the Gospel (cf. Is 11:12; Rev 7:1), linking Peter's immediate call to universal evangelism. The use of "vessel" (skeuos) also has biblical precedent where it refers to people, implying that all peoples are "vessels" created by God, irrespective of perceived cleanness by human standards.
Acts 11 5 Commentary
Acts 11:5, part of Peter's testimony, encapsulates the divine initiative to dismantle religious and cultural barriers within the early church. Peter's prayerful state in Joppa established him as a receptive vessel for God's revelation. The vision itself – a great sheet containing various animals, descending from heaven, signifying its divine origin and universal scope – directly challenged his ingrained Jewish concepts of purity and separation. The act of the "sheet" coming near Peter personalized the revelation, making him a central figure in this transition. This wasn't merely a dietary change; it was God declaring that no person, previously deemed "unclean" by human tradition or Old Covenant ceremonial law, was outside the bounds of His salvific love and inclusion in the body of Christ. Peter’s understanding grew from rigid adherence to the Law to radical obedience to the Holy Spirit, illustrating how divine truth can transcend deeply held convictions. This foundational vision thus enabled the Spirit-led outreach to Gentiles, fulfilling prophecies of God's universal redemptive plan.