Acts 10:26

But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:19-33 When we see our call clear to any service, we should not be perplexed with doubts and scruples arising from prejudices or former ideas. Cornelius had called together his friends, to partake with him of the heavenly wisdom he expected from Peter. We should not covet to eat our spiritual morsels alone. It ought to be both given and taken as kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to join us in religious exercises. Cornelius declared the direction God gave him to send for Peter. We are right in our aims in attending a gospel ministry, when we do it with regard to the Divine appointment requiring us to make use of that ordinance. How seldom ministers are called to speak to such companies, however small, in which it may be said that they are all present in the sight of God, to hear all things that are commanded of God! But these were ready to hear what Peter was commanded of God to say.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Stand up ... - This does not imply that Peter supposed that Cornelius intended to do him religious reverence. It was practically saying to him, "I am nothing more than a man as thou art, and pretend to no right to such profound respects as these, but am ready in civil life to show thee all the respect that is due" (Doddridge).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25-29. as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him—a mark of the highest respect.

fell down at his feet, and worshipped him—In the East this way of showing respect was customary not only to kings, but to others occupying a superior station; but among the Greeks and Romans it was reserved for the gods. Peter, therefore, declines it as due to no mortal [Grotius]. "Those who claim to have succeeded Peter, have not imitated this part of his conduct" [Alford] (therein only verifying 2Th 2:4, and compare Re 19:10; 22:9).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

It is certain that Peter did think this worship Cornelius gave him to have exceeded; and here he blames him for it, telling him, he was but a man like unto him; and he needed not give any further reason of his reproof, for man must adore, but by no means may be adored; no, nor take too much honour unto himself.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But Peter took him up,.... As he lay at his feet, and lifted him up and set him on his legs:

saying, stand up; and continue in this posture:

I myself also am a man; a mortal man, a man of like passions with others, no better than others by nature: and it was by grace, and not any merit of his own, that he was a believer in Christ, and an apostle of his; and therefore he chose not to have any distinguishing homage and respect paid to him, and especially in any excessive and extravagant way; which though not designed, might carry in it a suggestion, as if he was more than a man.

Geneva Study Bible

But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 10:26-29. Κἀγὼ αὐτός] also I myself, I also for mine own part, not otherwise than you. See on Romans 7:25.

συνομιλ αὐτῷ] in conversation with him. The word occurs elsewhere in Tzetz. Hist. iii. 377, συνόμιλος in Symm. Job 19:19.

εἰσῆλθε] namely, into the room. In Acts 10:25, on the other hand, τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν τ. Π. was meant of the entrance by the outer door into the house.

Ye know how (how very) unallowed it is, etc.

ἀθέμιτον] (2Ma 6:5) is a later form (Plut., Dion. Hal., etc., 1 Peter 4:3) for the old classical ἀθέμιστον (Herod. vii. 33; Xen. Mem. i. 1. 9, Cyrop. i. 6. 6). The prohibition to enter into closer fellowship with men of another tribe,[258] or (even but) to come to them, comp. Acts 11:3, is not expressly found in the Pentateuch, but easily resulted of itself from the lofty consciousness of the holy people of God contrasted with the unholy heathen (Ewald, Alterth. p. 310), and pervades the later Judaism with all the force of contempt for the Gentiles (see, e.g., Lightfoot on Matthew 18:17). The passage Matthew 23:5, and the narrative of the conversion of Izates king of Adiabene in Joseph. Antt. xx. 2. 4 f., appear to testify against the utterance of Peter in our passage, and therefore Zeller, p. 187, holds it as unhistorical But Peter speaks here from the standpoint of the Judaistic theory and rule, which is not invalidated by exceptional cases (as Josephus I.c.) and by abuses (as in the making of proselytes, Matt. I.c.). Not even if Cornelius had been a proselyte of the gate (but see on Acts 10:1-2) could the historical character of the saying be reasonably doubted; for the Rabbinical passages adduced with that view (according to which the proselyte is to regard himself as a member of the theocracy, as Schemoth Rabba 19 f., 118. 3, ad Exodus 12:3) apply only to complete converts (proselytes of righteousness, comp. Sohar p. 22. 27 : “quamvis factus sit proselytus, attamen nisi observet praecepta legis, habendus adhuc est pro ethnico”), and are, moreover, outweighed by other expressions of contempt towards proselytes, as, e.g., Babyl. Niddah f. 13. 2 : “Proselyti sunt sicut scabies Israeli.” It is erroneous to derive the principle which Peter here expresses from Pharisaism (Schoettgen), or to limit it to an intentional going in quest of them (Hofmann, Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 39), or, according to Acts 11:3, to the eating (Ebrard, Lange, Ewald), which must have been made clear from the context.

ἀναντιῤῥήτ.] without contradiction, Polyb. xxiii. 8. 11, vi. 7. 7, xxviii. 11. 4. Comp. ἀναντιλέκτως, Lucian. Cal. 6, Conviv. 9. “Sanctum fidei silentium,” Calvin.

καὶ ἐμοὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἔδειξε] Contrast to ὙΜΕῖς ἘΠΊΣΤΑΣΘΕ. The element of contrast lies not in the copula, but in the relation of the two clauses: Ye know … and to me God has showed. Comp. Bornemann, Schol. in Luc. p. 102; Hartung, Partikell. II. p. 147; Kühner, ad Xen. Mem. 3:7. 6. Very often so in John. The ὁ Θεὸς ἔδειξε took place through the disclosure by means of the vision, Acts 10:3 ff., the allegorical meaning of which Peter understood.

μηδένα κ.τ.λ] namely, in and for itself.

ΤΊΝΙ ΛΌΓῼ] with what reason, i.e. wherefore. See examples from classical writers in Kypke. Comp. on Matthew 5:32. The dative denotes the mediate cause. Comp. Plat. Gorg. p. 512 C: τίνι δικαίῳ λόγῳ τοῦ μηχανοποιοῦ καταφρονεῖς;

[258] The classical ἀλλόφυλος is not elsewhere found in the N. T., but often in the LXX. and Apocr. The designation is here tenderly forbearing. It is otherwise in ver. 45, Acts 11:3.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 10:26. The conduct of Christ may be contrasted with that of His Apostles, so Blass: “illi (Petro) autem is honor recusandus erat, cf. Apoc., Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8; quem nunquam recusavit Jesus, Luc., 4:8; 8:41” (see Hackett’s note and Knabenbauer in loco).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. But Peter took (raised) him up] Cp. with the way in which Peter here declines to permit such reverence, the way in which the angel (Revelation 19:10) refused such worship, “See thou do it not. I am thy fellowservant.”

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 10:26. Ἤγειρε, raised him up) Why then is the kissing of the Pope’s feet not only admitted, but made an ordinary ceremony?—[κἀγὼ, I also) as Cornelius, Acts 10:28. Cornelius is not said to have worshipped Peter; and yet Peter, for all that, does not fail to check him.—V. g.]—ἄνθρωπος) a man, not God. On this account we ought to control both our own exaltation (conceit of ourselves) and the admiration of others. We ought not to look with admiration on mortals, but on the gifts of GOD in them. [As the Galatians had received Paul (Galatians 4:14), so Peter had received Cornelius.—V. g.]

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 26. - Raised for took, A.V. Acts 10:26