The Meaning of Acts 10:30 Explained

Acts 10:30

KJV: And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

YLT: And Cornelius said, 'Four days ago till this hour, I was fasting, and at the ninth hour praying in my house, and, lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Darby: And Cornelius said, Four days ago I had been fasting unto this hour, and the ninth I was praying in my house, and lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

ASV: And Cornelius said, Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Cornelius  said,  Four  days  ago  I was  fasting  until  this  hour;  and  at the ninth  hour  I prayed  in  my  house,  and,  behold,  a man  stood  before  me  in  bright  clothing, 

What does Acts 10:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Act 10:17-33 - Jew And Gentile Meet
It should be carefully noted that the mental impression which was produced by Peter's vision was corroborated by the fact of the knocking and inquiring group at Peter's door. This is God's invariable method. For us all, as we contemplate taking a new and important step in life, there are the urging of the Spirit, the impression or vision of duty, and the knock or appeal of outward circumstances.
Evidently Cornelius had gathered to his quarters in the barracks his kinsmen and a number of intimate friends, who were as eager as he to discover the will of God. They remained quietly waiting until the party from Joppa had completed their thirty-mile journey. Peter had taken the precaution of bringing with him six brethren, evidently with the expectation that the events of that day would not only create a new era, but would also be called into serious question.
The welcome that Cornelius gave was very significant. That a high-born Roman should prostrate himself before a Jewish evangelist was unprecedented, though it revealed the true reverence and humility of Cornelius's soul; but the noble simplicity of Peter's reply was also a revelation of the true greatness of the Apostle, and ought to have more obviously influenced his would-be successors. [source]

Chapter Summary: Act 10

1  Cornelius, a devout man, being commanded by an angel, sends for Peter,
11  who by a vision is taught not to despise the Gentiles;
17  and is commanded by the Spirit to go with the messenger to Caesarea
25  Cornelius shows the occasion of his sending for him
34  As he preaches Christ to Cornelius and his company,
44  the Holy Spirit falls on them, and they are baptized

Greek Commentary for Acts 10:30

Four days ago [apo tetartēs hēmeras)]
From the fourth day, reckoning backwards from this day. [source]
I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer [ēmēn tēn enatēn proseuchomenos)]
Periphrastic middle imperfect and accusative of extension of time (all the ninth hour). [source]
Four days ago [ἀπὸ τετάρτης ἡμέρας]
Lit.,from the fourth day; reckoning backward from the day on which he was speaking. [source]
I was fasting, and []
The best texts omit. [source]
At the ninth hour I prayed [τὴν ἐννάτην προσευχόμενος]
Lit., praying during the ninth hour. With the omission of I was fasting, and, the rendering is as Rev., Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 10:30

Luke 23:11 Gorgeous [λαμπρὰν]
Lit., bright or brilliant. Compare Acts 10:30; Revelation 15:6. Wyc. and Tynd., white. Mark has purple ( πορφύραν )and Matthew scarlet ( κοκκίνην )Apparel ( ἐσθῆτα )The general term for raiment. Matthew specifies the garment (Matthew 27:28). Mark has simply purple (sa40" translation="">Mark 15:17).sa40 [source]
Acts 10:3 Coming in [eiselthonta)]
Ingressive second aorist active participle, not present. So punctiliar, “saw come,” not “saw coming.” So also “say” or “speak,” not “saying.” Luke repeats the account of this vision to Cornelius twice (Acts 10:30; Acts 11:13) and also the story of the vision to Peter (10:1-16, Acts 10:28; Acts 11:5). [source]
Acts 11:4 Expounded [εχετιτετο]
Imperfect middle of εκτιτημι — ektithēmi to set forth, old verb, but in the N.T. only in Acts (Acts 7:21; Acts 11:4; Acts 18:26; Acts 28:23), a deliberate and detailed narrative “in order” Old word for in succession. In the N.T. only in Luke 1:2; Luke 8:1; Acts 3:24; Acts 11:14; Acts 18:23. Luke evidently considered this defence of Peter important and he preserves the marks of authenticity. It came originally from Peter himself (Acts 11:5, Acts 11:6, Acts 11:15, Acts 10:3-6,). “The case of Cornelius was a test case of primary importance” (Page), “the first great difficulty of the early Church.” Part of the story Luke gives three times (Acts 11:16 Acts 10:30-32; Acts 11:13.). See the discussion chapter 10 for details given here. [source]
James 2:2 If there come in [εαν εισελτηι]
Condition of third class (supposable case) with εαν — ean and second (ingressive) aorist active subjunctive of εισερχομαι — eiserchomai your synagogue The common word for the gathering of Jews for worship (Luke 12:11) and particularly for the building where they met (Luke 4:15, Luke 4:20, Luke 4:28, etc.). Here the first is the probable meaning as it clearly is in Hebrews 10:25 “A gold-fingered man,” “wearing a gold ring.” The word occurs nowhere else, but Lucian has χρυσοχειρ — chrusocheir (gold-handed) and Epictetus has χρυσους δακτυλιους — chrusous daktulious (golden seal-rings). “Hannibal, after the battle of Cannae, sent as a great trophy to Carthage, three bushels of gold-rings from the fingers of Roman knights slain in battle” (Vincent).In fine clothing “In bright (brilliant) clothing” as in Matthew 11:8; Luke 23:11; Acts 10:30. In contrast with “vile clothing” υπαρος — Ruparos (late word from ρυπος — rupos filth, 1 Peter 3:21) means filthy, dirty. In N.T. only here and Revelation 22:11 (filthy).Poor man (πτωχος — ptōchos). Beggarly mendicant (Matthew 19:21), the opposite of πλουσιος — plousios (rich). [source]
James 2:2 In fine clothing [εν εστητι λαμπραι]
“In bright (brilliant) clothing” as in Matthew 11:8; Luke 23:11; Acts 10:30. In contrast with “vile clothing” υπαρος — Ruparos (late word from ρυπος — rupos filth, 1 Peter 3:21) means filthy, dirty. In N.T. only here and Revelation 22:11 (filthy).Poor man (πτωχος — ptōchos). Beggarly mendicant (Matthew 19:21), the opposite of πλουσιος — plousios (rich). [source]
Revelation 15:6 White [λαυπρὸν]
Mostly applied in the New Testament to clothing, as Luke 23:11; Acts 10:30; James 2:2. Also to the water of life (Revelation 22:1), and the morning-star (Revelation 22:16). Rev., bright. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 10:30 mean?

And - Cornelius was saying Ago four days until this the hour I was at the ninth hour praying in the house of me behold a man stood before me apparel bright
Καὶ Κορνήλιος ἔφη Ἀπὸ τετάρτης ἡμέρας μέχρι ταύτης τῆς ὥρας ἤμην τὴν ἐνάτην προσευχόμενος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ἔστη ἐνώπιόν μου ἐσθῆτι λαμπρᾷ

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κορνήλιος  Cornelius 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Κορνήλιος  
Sense: a Roman centurion of the Italian cohort stationed in Caesarea who converted to Christianity.
ἔφη  was  saying 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φημί  
Sense: to make known one’s thoughts, to declare.
Ἀπὸ  Ago 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἀπό 
Sense: of separation.
τετάρτης  four 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: τέταρτος  
Sense: the fourth.
ἡμέρας  days 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
μέχρι  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: μέχρι 
Sense: as far as, until.
ταύτης  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ὥρας  hour 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ὥρα  
Sense: a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law and returning with the revolving year.
ἤμην  I  was 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
τὴν  at  the 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐνάτην  ninth  hour 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἔνατος  
Sense: ninth.
προσευχόμενος  praying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προσεύχομαι  
Sense: to offer prayers, to pray.
οἴκῳ  house 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
ἀνὴρ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
ἔστη  stood 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἵστημι  
Sense: to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.
ἐνώπιόν  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐνώπιον  
Sense: in the presence of, before.
μου  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἐσθῆτι  apparel 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐσθής  
Sense: clothing, raiment, apparel.
λαμπρᾷ  bright 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: λαμπρός  
Sense: shining.