The Meaning of Acts 10:9 Explained

Acts 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:

YLT: And on the morrow, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing nigh to the city, Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour,

Darby: And on the morrow, as these were journeying and drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the house to pray, about the sixth hour.

ASV: Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> 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: 

What does Acts 10:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 10:1-16 - Guidance For Men Who Pray
At this point the Church took a new departure, and the gospel broke over the walls of Jewish exclusiveness and was preached for the first time to pure-blooded Gentiles. Caesarea, built by the great Herod, was practically a Roman city, and the official seat of the Roman government in Judea. Cornelius was an officer of high rank, and it would seem naturally of noble character. He had no sympathy with the religious fables and sensuous indulgence of his time, and was attracted to the Jewish faith, which stood alone in the world for pure and undefiled conceptions of God. He adopted some of its characteristic features-its hours of prayer, its practice of fasting, and its almsgiving.
He had apparently set apart the whole of this memorable day for earnest inquiry as to the way of salvation, and as the sun was declining an angel brought the necessary indication of the steps that he should take. In the meanwhile God was about to prepare Peter to bring Cornelius into the perfect light. On the following day, as the messengers of Cornelius were nearing Joppa, the vision of a redeemed world from which Hebrew restrictions had vanished, opened to the Apostle a new and wider conception of God's purpose. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 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 10:9

On the morrow [tēi epaurion)]
Locative case of article with the compound adverb (hēmerāi day being understood), the second day after leaving Caesarea, 28 miles from Joppa. The third day (the next morrow, Acts 10:23) they start back home and the fourth day (on the morrow again, Acts 10:24) they reach Caesarea. [source]
As they [ekeinōn)]
The party of three from Caesarea. Genitive absolute with present participle hodoiporountōn (journeying) and eggizontōn (drew nigh). The housetop (to dōma). Old word and in Gospels (Luke 3:19, etc.), but only here in Acts. From demō to build, and so any part of the building (hall, dining room, and then roof). The roof was nearly flat with walls around and so was a good place for meditation and prayer and naps. [source]
The housetop [to dōma)]
Old word and in Gospels (Luke 3:19, etc.), but only here in Acts. From demō to build, and so any part of the building (hall, dining room, and then roof). The roof was nearly flat with walls around and so was a good place for meditation and prayer and naps. [source]
They [ἐκείνων]
Those messengers, the servants and the soldier. The pronoun has a more specific reference than the English they. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 10:9

Luke 5:19 The housetop [το δωμα]
Very old word. The flat roof of Jewish houses was usually reached by outside stairway. Cf. Acts 10:9 where Peter went for meditation.Through the tiles (δια των κεραμων — dia tōn keramōn). Common and old word for the tile roof. Mark 2:4 speaks of digging a hole in this tile roof.Let him down First aorist (k aorist) effective active of κατιημι — kathiēmi common verb. Mark 2:4 has historical present χαλωσι — chalōsi the verb used by Jesus to Peter and in Peter‘s reply (Luke 5:4.).With his couch (συν τωι κλινιδιωι — sun tōi klinidiōi). Also in Luke 5:24. Diminutive of κλινη — klinē (Luke 5:18) occurring in Plutarch and Koiné writers. Mark 2:4 has κραβαττον — krabatton (pallet). It doubtless was a pallet on which the paralytic lay.Into the midst before Jesus The four friends had succeeded, probably each holding a rope to a corner of the pallet. It was a moment of triumph over difficulties and surprise to all in the house (Peter‘s apparently, Mark 2:1). [source]
John 12:22 Andrew [τωι Ανδρεαι]
Another apostle with a Greek name and associated with Philip again (John 6:7.), the man who first brought his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:41). Andrew was clearly a man of wisdom for a crisis. Note the vivid dramatic presents here, cometh What was the crisis? These Greeks wish an interview with Jesus. True Jesus had said something about “other sheep” than Jews (John 10:16), but he had not explained. Philip and Andrew wrestle with the problem that will puzzle Peter on the housetop in Joppa (Acts 10:9-18), that middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile that was only broken down by the Cross of Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22) and that many Christians and Jews still set up between each other. Andrew has no solution for Philip and they bring the problem, but not the Greeks, to Jesus. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 10:9 mean?

On the now next day as are journeying these and the city approaching went up Peter on the housetop to pray about hour the sixth
Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ὁδοιπορούντων ἐκείνων καὶ τῇ πόλει ἐγγιζόντων ἀνέβη Πέτρος ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα προσεύξασθαι περὶ ὥραν ἕκτην

Τῇ  On  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἐπαύριον  next  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐπαύριον  
Sense: on the morrow, the next day.
ὁδοιπορούντων  as  are  journeying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ὁδοιπορέω  
Sense: to travel, journey.
ἐκείνων  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.
πόλει  city 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
ἐγγιζόντων  approaching 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἐγγίζω  
Sense: to bring near, to join one thing to another.
ἀνέβη  went  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
Πέτρος  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
δῶμα  housetop 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: δῶμα  
Sense: a building, house.
προσεύξασθαι  to  pray 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Middle
Root: προσεύχομαι  
Sense: to offer prayers, to pray.
περὶ  about 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
ὥραν  hour 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ὥρα  
Sense: a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law and returning with the revolving year.
ἕκτην  the  sixth 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἕκτος  
Sense: the sixth.