Acts 10:11

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,

BSB

He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

KJV

And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

ASV

and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:

BBE

And he saw the heavens opening, and a vessel coming down, like a great cloth let down on the earth,

Original Greek

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καὶ kai and G2532 θεωρεῖ theōrei he beholds G2334 τὸν ton (the) G3588 οὐρανὸν ouranon heaven G3772 ἀνεῳγμένον aneōgmenon opened G455 καὶ kai and G2532 καταβαῖνον katabainon descending G2597 ἐπ ep᾽ onto G1909 αὐτὸν auton him G846 σκεῦός skeuos a vessel G4632 τι ti certain G5100 ὡς hōs as G5613 ὀθόνην othonēn a sheet G3607 μεγάλην megalēn great G3173 τέσσαρσιν tessarsin by four G5064 ἀρχαῖς archais corners G746 δεδεμένον dedemenon bound G1210 καὶ kai and G2532 καθιέμενον kathiemenon being let down G2524 ἐπὶ epi upon G1909 τῆς tēs the G3588 γῆς gēs earth G1093

The early church

"And saw heaven opened, and, knit at the four corners, a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air." What is this? It is a symbol of the whole world. The man was uncircumcised: and - for he had nothing in common with the Jews - they would all accuse him as a transgressor: "thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them."
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
The earth then, this is what the linen sheet denotes, and the wild beasts in it, are they of the Gentiles, and the command, "Kill and eat," denotes that he must go to them also; and that this thing is thrice done, denotes baptism.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
To me it seems that this also denotes the Gospel (or, "the Preaching"). That the thing taking place was of God the circumstances made evident, namely, both that he sees it descending from above, and that he is in a trance; and, that the voice comes from thence, and the thrice confessing that the creatures there were unclean, and its coming from thence, and being drawn back thither - all this is a mighty token of the cleanness imparted to them.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 9–18

The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles, would have prevented his going to Cornelius, unless the Lord had prepared him for this service. To tell a Jew that God had directed those animals to be reckoned clean which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying, that the law of Moses was done away. Peter was soon made to know the meaning of it. God knows what services are before us, and how to prepare us; and we know the meaning of what he has taught us, when we find what occasion we have to make use of it.

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Parallel passages

1

The same words or events elsewhere.

Acts 11:5

Cross-references

26

Topics

AnimalsSheet

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.