9On the next day, as those were journeying and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. [10:10] He became very hungry and was desiring to eat. While they were preparing, there fell upon him a trance — [10:11] and he beholds heaven having been opened and a certain vessel descending, something like a great sheet, being let down by four corners upon the earth, being let down upon the earth — [10:12] in which were all the quadrupeds and creeping things of the earth and birds of heaven and the birds of heaven. [10:13] And a voice came to him: "Having risen up, Peter, kill and eat." [10:14] Peter said, "In no way, Lord, for I have never eaten anything ritually impure or unclean." [10:15] And a voice came again from a second time to him: "What God has cleansed, do not yourself call ritually impure." [10:16] This now took place three times, and immediately the vessel was taken up into heaven.
ACT 10:9-16
Peterʼs Vision
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Jewish culture, dietary laws were central to maintaining ritual purity and communal identity. Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 explicitly defined clean and unclean animals, and adherence to these laws was a marker of faithfulness to God. Peter, as a devout Jew, would have strictly observed these distinctions. The vision of a sheet descending from heaven containing all kinds of animals—clean and unclean—would have been deeply unsettling. The command to 'kill and eat' directly challenged these deeply ingrained practices. The term , often translated as 'common,' carried connotations of ritual impurity, making the vision even more provocative. Peter’s hunger underscores his physical and spiritual vulnerability, while the (trance) indicates a profound, otherworldly experience. For Peter and his Jewish contemporaries, this vision would have raised questions about the boundaries of purity and the inclusivity of God’s covenant.
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How other translations render this
ACT 10:9
- KJV
- On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
- BSB
- The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
- Koinōnos
- On the next day, as those were journeying and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour.
ACT 10:10
- KJV
- And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
- BSB
- He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
- Koinōnos
- He became very hungry and was desiring to eat. While they were preparing, there fell upon him a trance —
ACT 10:11
- KJV
- And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
- BSB
- He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
- Koinōnos
- and he beholds heaven having been opened and a certain vessel descending, something like a great sheet, being let down by four corners upon the earth, being let down upon the earth —
ACT 10:12
- KJV
- Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
- BSB
- It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
- Koinōnos
- in which were all the quadrupeds and creeping things of the earth and birds of heaven and the birds of heaven.
ACT 10:13
- KJV
- And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
- BSB
- Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
- Koinōnos
- And a voice came to him: "Having risen up, Peter, kill and eat.
ACT 10:14
- KJV
- But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
- BSB
- “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
- Koinōnos
- Peter said, "In no way, Lord, for I have never eaten anything ritually impure or unclean.
ACT 10:15
- KJV
- And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
- BSB
- The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
- Koinōnos
- And a voice came again from a second time to him: "What God has cleansed, do not yourself call ritually impure.
ACT 10:16
- KJV
- This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
- BSB
- This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.
- Koinōnos
- This now took place three times, and immediately the vessel was taken up into heaven.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
ACT 10:10
- hungry:The word translated 'hungry' here describes a state of intense hunger, indicating a strong craving for food rather than just a mild appetite.
- a trance,:The term used here for 'a trance' refers to a state of being 'out of oneself' or 'standing outside oneself,' often implying a profound mental or spiritual alteration of consciousness.
ACT 10:14
- common:The word translated 'common' here carries the sense of something shared by all, but in a religious context, it often implies something ritually impure or unholy, as opposed to something set apart or sacred.
- unclean.:The word translated 'unclean' refers specifically to ritual impurity, making something unfit for religious use or contact according to Jewish law, rather than merely being physically dirty.